ody A natural approach to age management 74 www.cosbeauty.com.au
ody Regen PRP uses your own blood platelet cells to regenerate your skin and body from within. Tara Casey reports. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy helps kick-start the body’s natural processes that stimulate healing, repair and tissue strengthening, effectively reversing signs of ageing from within. With a history spanning decades in the medical industry, PRP is a regenerative and rejuvenating procedure with countless options for application. It has been used to combat autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome; in sports medicine for treating injured joints and muscles; and now – thanks to companies such as Regen Lab PRP who were first to market in the cosmetic medicine field eight years ago – PRP has entered the cosmetic anti-ageing arena as a ‘natural’ way to rejuvenate and beautify skin. PRP can be used to treat a number of different concerns, including pigmentation, sagging skin, fine lines, scarring and uneven skin tone. ‘I’ve been using Regen PRP since 2008 and have found a wide range of patients benefit from this treatment,’ says Dr Georgina Konrat from Brisbane <strong>Cosmetic</strong> Clinic. ‘I’m treating concerns such as scarring from acne or trauma, ageing and sun-damaged skin, vaginal atrophy symptoms, and even hair loss.’ ‘I primarily use it for the face, décolletage and arms, to address ageing skin and sun damage,’ she continues. ‘PRP treats these conditions by restructuring and regenerating the skin from within.’ The procedure involves extracting a sample of the patient’s blood, centrifuging this sample to concentrate the blood’s platelets and then re-injecting the concentrated solution into the treatment area. Once the PRP is injected into the body, the platelet-rich solution works to kickstart the body’s cellular processes, stimulate collagen production, skin cell turnover and invigorate the area with stem cells and growth factors. Treatment with PRP is used to regenerate tissue, initiate vascular growth, induce cell differentiation and recruit other cells to help rejuvenate the area. ‘Patients are very attracted to the idea of using their own plasma to regenerate and restructure their skin and tissues. The results thus far have been very pleasing. Also, because we are using the patient’s own cells, there is no risk of allergy, and with an experienced professional performing the treatment, there are few risks or complications associated with this procedure,’ says Dr Konrat. PRP offers a great option for younger patients seeking to reduce the early signs of skin ageing, but it is also ideal for older patients to incorporate Regen PRP with other treatment modalities to achieve even greater results. ‘In our practice, PRP is typically performed in combination with either fractionated laser resurfacing or microneedling with radiofrequency for enhanced results,’ says Dr Konrat. ‘Depending on the patient’s condition, regular PRP is a wonderful way to maintain the health and integrity of the tissues. The results are permanent, in that permanent restructuring and regeneration occurs; however, skin and tissues will continue to age with time. The treatment, although a little uncomfortable, is well tolerated. Downtime is usually minimal and this makes PRP a very attractive treatment option.’ REGEN PRP FOR GYNAECOLOGY Platelet-rich plasma is a regenerative and rejuvenating procedure with seemingly endless options for application. One such application is in the field of gynaecology. Regen PRP can be effective in repairing, rehydrating and stimulating collagen in the vaginal walls. It is also used for restoring vaginal muscle tone, boosting the strength of the vaginal skin and assisting in optimal lubrication. ‘PRP represents a great advance in complementary therapy for the treatment of vaginal atrophy symptoms,’ says Dr Konrat. ‘I have an extensive surgical practice of labiaplasty surgery (using my own ‘DOVE’ technique), and I have adopted Regen PRP treatment to assist with the regeneration of vaginal mucosal atrophy in a significant number of patients. The patients who particularly benefit from PRP are peri- and post-menopausal patients, as well as patients who have undergone or are undergoing surgical or medical menopause.’ ‘We are in the early stages of using PRP in this combination, but we are very pleased with the results thus far,’ she continues. ‘This is an example of the potential role of growth factors, stem cells and stem cell stimulants in the future of cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery.’ Regenerative medicine is critical to the future of medicine in many fields, and cosmetic medicine and surgery is just one aspect of research and development in this area. ‘For www.cosbeauty.com.au 75
Change language