Acne and Acne Scars
Acne and acne scars are undoubtedly among the most frequent unwanted skin conditions and are affecting both genders. While acne is – by nature – a temporary phenomenon, acne scars are permanent and are causing psychological suffering for a considerable part of the population.
While acne can be effectively targeted by medications and topical treatments, acne scars are much harder to eliminate and – so far – no single procedure stands out in terms of effectiveness and reliability. Treatment results are often unsatisfactory to most patients. In the past and present, this unfortunate fact led to the development of different procedures and treatment approaches to eliminate acne scars or to reduce their prominence. One of the latest approaches utilizes the patient’s platelets and is mostly referred to as PRP-Therapy.
What is PRP?
PRP is short for “plasma rich in platelets”. Both plasma and platelets are found within our blood but must be separated from the red blood cells, by way of centrifugation. For any PRP-based therapy, blood is drawn and put into a centrifuge under a specific protocol to separate the PRP fraction from other blood fractions. The PRP fraction can then be extracted and used for either topical treatments or – more commonly – injection protocols. The platelets are scientifically attributed to enhancing and inducing natural healing and growth processes – a biologic fact, which modern medicine is more and more successfully utilizing for a large number of very different treatments. A very popular example of PRP injection therapy is its injection into the scalp to induce natural hair growth.
How does PRP help with Acne Scars?
The utilization of PRP Injection Therapy for the treatment of acne scars is still a relatively new approach. But some results from clinical research are promising and it is already offered by numerous dermatologists[GDC2] and estheticians around the globe. This treatment is filling the gap between non-invasive medical approaches like topical treatments and prescription drugs on the one hand, and more invasive approaches like chemical peels and fractionated laser treatment (e.g. Fraxel) on the other. Technically, Micro-needling, which is a good approach for treating acne scars by its rights, helps the PRP to reach the deeper skin layers, where it amplifies the natural healing processes. Therefore, PRP is widely considered to be an adjunct therapeutic agent to traditional approaches, such as Micro-needling in the case of acne scars. The healing process after micro-needling leads to increased new collagen production, which can significantly reduce the appearance of atrophic acne scars and an improvement of the skin tone and texture.
Are the results only temporary?
There is enough evidence to suggest, that the achieved improvements are permanent – or at least long-lasting – in nature. The principle is quite simple – once the new collagen is built, it can stay in your skin for good. Since this treatment philosophy is based on inducing and amplifying a fully natural tissue repair mechanism, the long-term results are promising and look very natural.
For further questions about acne scars, PRP and Micro-needling, please consult with your dermatologist.