The Application of PRP in the Field of Cosmetic Surgery

1) PRP and Autologous Cellular Regeneration Technology (Acr-PRP): This technology was first introduced in 2009 by the Swiss company Regenlab. It involves using patient’s own activated PRP for autologous bio-stimulating injections, thereby promoting the regeneration of the body’s own cells to repair aged, damaged, and thinned dermal tissues. Its indications include: depressed facial scars, upper and lower eyelids, crow’s feet, forehead wrinkles, lip lift, overall facial rejuvenation, and wrinkles on the back of the hands. Contraindications include: various skin diseases (such as lupus erythematosus, allergies, porphyria, etc.), tumors, chemotherapy, severe metabolic and systemic diseases, platelet dysfunction, and anticoagulant therapy. This technique is ineffective for more severe cases of midface sagging, double chin, and telangiectasia. For mild cases, a single treatment usually suffices; for moderate to severe cases, a second treatment should be repeated at intervals of 6 to 12 months. Post-treatment reactions typically include localized irritation—transient pain and itching, along with mild swelling. No special treatment is required. The effects begin to appear three weeks after injection, with gradual improvements in skin texture and color that can last for over a year. Wrinkle reduction effects generally last about one year.

2) ACR—PRP Anti-Aging Combination: PRP can be co-injected with keratinocytes, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, adipose stem cells, and adipocytes. PRP injection stimulates tissue to produce new collagen, which serves as an adhesive scaffold or carrier for cells, preventing them from being rapidly cleared by the lymphatic and capillary systems shortly after injection. In addition, PRP releases growth factors that promote the survival and proliferation of newly transplanted autologous cells, thereby enhancing the regeneration and repair of local autologous tissues. According to Seishin’s report, he employed several different combination approaches:

⑴ New ACR-PRP Therapy: Building upon conventional PRP, this therapy further concentrates platelets by 2 to 4 times and then adds a certain amount of white blood cells. Indications include fine lines around the eyes and acne scars. The treatment duration is 30 minutes. Adverse reactions include local pain and swelling on the day of injection and for up to 3 days thereafter. The onset of effect occurs after two months, and the therapeutic efficacy lasts for more than two years.

⑵ Enhanced ACR-PRP Therapy: This enhanced ACR-PRP therapy involves adding a certain amount of growth factors to the original ACR-PRP treatment. Indications include: periorbital wrinkles, dark circles, eye bags, glabellar lines, forehead wrinkles, perioral lines, neck wrinkles, and acne scars. The treatment duration is 30 minutes. Reactions: Local pain and swelling on the day of injection and in the days following, lasting up to 7 days; onset of effect occurs within 10 days; efficacy lasts for more than three years.

⑶ Adipose-derived stem cell-enhanced ACR-PRP therapy: Using the Celution™ adipose stem cell extraction system from Celution™, adipose-derived stem cells are harvested and then co-transplanted together with autologous fat particles, increasing the fat survival rate to 80–90% per year. In contrast, the survival rate of conventional fat grafting is only 30–50%. Indications for this procedure include temporal and malar hollows, periorbital hollows, nasolabial folds, perioral wrinkles, lip augmentation, and breast augmentation. The onset of visible results occurs within about ten days, and the effects can be considered semi-permanent.

⑷ Skin microneedling combined with enhanced ACR-PRP therapy: Skin stimulation is achieved using a microneedling device similar to the Mesoestetic treatment, followed by the addition of an enhanced ACR-PRP therapy to further boost the effects.

Conclusion: PRP therapy boasts advantages such as convenient sourcing, simple preparation, minimal rejection response, and relatively reliable efficacy. However, many questions regarding its mechanism of action remain unresolved—particularly the mutual interactions among various growth factors. Moreover, the molecular biological mechanisms underlying PRP’s role in tissue regeneration and repair are still not fully understood. There are numerous methods for preparing PRP, yet no standardized protocol exists, which significantly affects its therapeutic efficacy. Selecting an appropriate method for introduction poses a significant challenge. Additionally, how China’s National Medical Products Administration approaches this technology is also an important issue.