Summary
Dr. Cat Stone, one of the world's leading non-surgical aesthetic practitioners and a licensed global trainer for the vampire facial and related PRP techniques, joins Inside Aesthetics to break down how platelet-rich plasma works in cosmetic medicine. She covers the science of PRP preparation, what makes "liquid gold" effective, and the key indications including crepey skin around the eyes, hair loss, and skin rejuvenation. The conversation dives into patient selection, the importance of skin preparation with vitamins A and C before treatment, and realistic timelines for results (three to six months for significant change). Dr. Stone also discusses combining PRP with hyaluronic acid in the vampire facial plus technique and explains why PRP quality varies based on hydration, diet, and lifestyle factors.
Key Points
- PRP is plasma with concentrated platelets that release growth factors to stimulate tissue regeneration
- Results take 3-6 weeks to start appearing and 3-6 months for significant change
- Standard protocol is one treatment per month for three months, then maintenance every 6-12 months
- PRP quality varies based on hydration, diet, and lifestyle - a heavy meal or alcohol can cloud the sample
- PRP is excellent for crepey skin around the eyes, neck, and decolletage
- Effective for early-stage hair loss in both men and women, including some cases of alopecia areata
- Combining PRP with hyaluronic acid (vampire facial plus) improves results and speeds recovery
- Smokers can be treated but have a higher chance of poor results
Key Moments
What PRP is and how platelet-rich plasma is prepared from blood
Dr. Cat Stone explains that PRP is plasma with a higher than normal concentration of platelets, obtained by spinning blood in a centrifuge for 5-10 minutes to remove red cells, producing what practitioners call "liquid gold."
"platelet-rich plasma is exactly what it sounds like. If you're a medical person, you'll know that platelets are basically the little kind of bits of cells that go around the bloodstream and create the clot when we harm ourselves."
PRP stimulates stem cells to regenerate tissue wherever it is injected
PRP harnesses the body's healing ability by stimulating growth factor release from platelets, which tells stem cells to repair tissues. It works especially well for crepey skin around the eyes and early-stage hair loss in both men and women.
"once you inject the PRP, it stimulates the release of growth factors from the platelets. And that tells the stem cells to come in and start repairing those tissues."
PRP results take 3-6 months and you cannot overdo it
Unlike injectable fillers with instant results, PRP takes 3-6 weeks for initial changes and 3-6 months for significant improvement. The upside is you cannot overdo PRP - there is no risk of "pillow face" like with dermal fillers.
"It's going to take a lot longer to see changes. And so often three to six weeks before we're starting to see some change and often three to six months before we're really getting to see significant change in the skin."
