These days, the beauty industry, influencers, and celebrities are coming up with all sorts of treatments to prevent premature aging, fine lines and wrinkles, and discoloration. The latest iteration: PRF injections.

What is a PRF injection?

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a new and buzzy procedure that uses your own blood to rejuvenate your skin by treating wrinkles, sagging cheeks, under-eye bags, and jowls. Platelet-rich plasma treatments were traditionally used on athletes to treat sports injuries but during the pandemic, it has been picked up by skincare lovers.

Essentially, the rich fibrin is a concentrate that extracts blood from your cells to rejuvenate your skin. In turn, a gel-like product that is rich in stem cells and fibrin is formed. That is then injected back into the body to address aging, hair loss, and skin healing.

What are the benefits?

Some of the main benefits include treatment of under-eye circles and wrinkles, stimulated healing of the skin, slowed hair loss, and the use of your own cells. You can essentially think of them as fillers.

Before you go in for a PRF injection, there are certain things you should think about. Two to four weeks before the treatment, you should avoid any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or Motrin, as they could negatively interact with the PRF and make the treatment less effective.

What does post-care look like?

Be sure to hydrate both before and after treatment for best results. You should be drinking at least 64 oz. of water throughout the day prior to an appointment. On the day, you should lotion up the area that you will be getting the injection. Doctors also recommend avoiding alcohol 7 days prior to treatment.

Lastly, hold off on any topical retinol and exfoliating products 3 days before and 3 days after to avoid potential irritation. Oh, and hopefully it goes without saying that you will make sure the medical spa or facility uses sterile techniques, sanitary instruments, and is reputable. Think of it this way: Your blood is being drawn and re-injected, so sterile techniques and equipment are essential to avoid the risk of infection.

What does the procedure consist of?

Well, if you are scared of blood or needles, this is probably not the treatment for you. Essentially, a technician will draw 2 vials of blood and place it inside a centrifuge. While the blood is spinning, numbing cream is applied to the injection area to limit discomfort. Next, the PRF is separated from the other blood components and withdrawn from one vial. Lastly, it is injected to your body with a blunt-tipped cannula.

It is typically done to facial wrinkles, under the eye, or both. In terms of timing, it lasts between 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the location of injection. However, people typically tend to get 3 to 5 treatments before seeing results, so keep that in mind in terms of cost. You can expect to pay anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000.

Are there any side effects?

Similar to all injections, there is a risk of redness, bruising, and pain where the needle was. Some people might also experience a headache after injections are done to the scalp. And of course, if you get it done under your eye, you will experience a bit of swelling or puffiness for 3 to 5 days. However, if you experience it for more than 5 days or have any sort of discoloration, see a doctor.

Fillers are only starting to become more common in the grooming industry. If you’re trying to get them soon, make sure you arrive to any cosmetic procedure with these tips in mind.

Photo via AP