Platelets Have Power
Everyone is familiar with the power of platelets for stemming bleeding when our skin is cut. Platelets create the mesh that first stops the bleeding and then acts as the groundwork for the scab and eventually new supplies of collagen to fully repair the skin.
But what you don’t know about platelets could be just what your skin is looking for.
Platelet-rich plasma is a skin rejuvenation treatment we offer at JECT Medical Aesthetics.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Beyond its wound clogging benefits, the platelets in our blood play a critical role in the overall repair and rejuvenation of the skin. It does this with numerous protein growth factors that trigger all sorts of healing mechanisms in our skin.
Platelet-rich plasma is simply a concentrated form of a blood sample that accentuates these healing powers. At JECT in Dr. Frank’s practice, we take a typical blood sample, and we place it in a centrifuge. The centrifuge separates the different components of the blood. Red blood cells are divided and removed from the platelets and the plasma (the clear fluid that makes blood liquid). This plasma now contains a higher-than-normal number of platelets (four times higher) along with white blood cells and is called platelet-rich plasma. The key is the protein growth factors. These can be found in PRP:
- Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) — Promotes blood vessel growth, cell replication, and collagen production.
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF) — This is the regulator of normal physiology in nearly every type of cell in the human body.
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) — Promotes growth and generation of vascular endothelial cells.
- Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-b) — Promotes growth of skin cells and blood vessels necessary for wound healing.
- Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) — Promotes growth of new skin cells, would healing, and collagen production.
- Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2) — Promotes growth of specialized cells and blood vessels.
Good for the Skin
At JECT, we take your PRP and place it in shallow injections across areas you’re seeking to improve the skin. The PRP will stimulate skin improvement over the following weeks. Skin will become smoother, firmer, and more vibrant.
Interested in PRP in JECT Medical Aesthetics at Dr. Frank’s? Call us at (403) 245-1228 to schedule an appointment.
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