PRP, Microneedling, and Acne Treatment

Today I want to discuss a patient who came to see me for help in treating her acne scarring.  She is a beautiful young woman who has been very self-conscious due to acne scars on her cheeks.  The treatment that we chose was microneedling with a Dermapen, combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP).  This is essentially a variation of what is known as a "vampire" treatment, as we take a patient's own blood to isolate the PRP and then use it to treat the damaged skin.



This therapy can be used for a so-called "facelift", or as a tool for rejuvenating the skin.
The Dermapen uses multiple ultra-thin surgical needles that rapidly and repeatedly puncture the skin to make thousands of tiny wounds as the device passes over the treated area. There is no long-term damage, and relatively minimal discomfort.  This device alone provokes the body's natural healing response, in effect leading to the production of collagen and elastin.  There is also stimulation of new capillary growth.  Healthy new skin is produced during this healing response.  In the specific case of acne scarring, these tiny needles also help to break up the fibrous and uneven scar tissue, again providing a healthy foundation for new cells.



The addition of PRP is designed to even further enhance cellular growth.  I use a combination technique, injecting some of the PRP under the skin while also applying a PRP gel topically to the affected areas.  I will not go into detail regarding how PRP works - please see some of my earlier blog entries for more information [PRP (Plasma Therapy) @ http://coloradostemcelltherapy.blogspot.com/2012/05/prp-plasma-therapy.html, and Skin Rejuvenation @  http://coloradostemcelltherapy.blogspot.com/2014/04/skin-rejuvenation_6980.html]. 


I truly believe that there are improved results by using the combination of the Dermapen with PRP.  This mode of therapy can also with other types of scarring, again by breaking up the fibrous scar tissue; it is also useful for reducing fine lines of the face, helping eliminate stretch marks, and in treating sun damage.



This patient has granted permission for me to show her before and after pictures.  She originally saw another doctor for 2 microneedling treatments, although these were not very aggressive.  She then had a total of 4 procedures with me - 2 microneedling alone, and 2 with PRP.  She is still continuing to receive treatments, as she has been very happy so far but wants even more improvement.  She is actually seeing me again today for another treatment with PRP.

Before

After 6 treatments, 4 @ MEND