Part of my job is to try cosmetic treatments firsthand; I know, tough gig, right? And Angel PRP has been on my bucket list for some time. As a one-off-treatment offering epic results, it’s also the most natural anti-ageing shot you could ever choose, says Trudi Brewer.
Angel PRP at Clinic 42 in Auckland.
What is Angel PRP?
Concentrated PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) is known as a biostimulation treatment, which uses the platelets components found in your blood. These platelets are loaded with proteins called growth factors that accelerate wound healing and boost the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. In high enough concentrations, growth factors can also help battle hair loss by giving the scalp a vitamin boost.
How does it work?
Blood is taken and placed in a centrifuge and spun to separate the components: red blood cells, plasma, and platelet-rich plasma. It's the platelet-rich plasma used in PRP, a concentration of growth factors (five to 10 times greater than in the bloodstream) which is then injected into the skin wherever your complexion needs firming and tightening.
The process
Numbing cream is applied to the face, around the lips, and under the eyes, followed by blood, being drawn from the arm. Around two vials of blood are required to gather enough PRP to treat the entire face. Note to self, if you're needle shy or blood phobic; this is something you need to consider from the onset. The next step is the harvesting the PRP, which is why the vials of blood are placed in a centrifuge. The final step in the treatment is re-injecting that rich PRP back into the face. For me, under the eye area, around the mouth and lower cheek area were treated to rejuvenate crepey-looking skin, and to smooth the look of fine lines. PRP is about as organic as you can get when it comes to cosmetic enhancement. However, it's often used in conjunction with Botox or fillers to help lift sagging skin and correct deep lines as you get older. While it's not pain-free, (you need the numbing cream to take the edge off the discomfort), and does come with some swelling (particularly under around the eye and lip area), once that swelling subsides (around 24 hours), you will not see much change at all. However, it's over the next three months that all the action happens. The PRP stimulation works to improve the texture and tone of your skin gradually, and those results can last for 18 months to two years.
What you can expect?
If the process of PRP has put you off (check out the video in this post), I can promise you the benefits will convince you to give what is an entirely natural treatment a go. It firms, thin, fragile-looking skin, and lifts areas of the face that may be starting to sag. This treatment is also safe if you’re pregnant and or if you are breastfeeding. Angel PRP is a one-off treatment that suits my time-poor schedule, with minimal downtime. And while there are other options available, I prefer the one-time treatment. While you can expect more blood to be drawn initially (for this service to be completed in two hours), other options involve less blood at each visit, but three consecutive treatments, which means three appointment commitment, and three separate dates of potential downtime. One month on, the compliments are flowing, and I am noticing my skin is much firmer to the touch. Any areas can be treated with PRP the face, around the eyes, lips, décollete, scalp, and the back of the hands.
Take home
I'm okay with having a few fine lines (earned from years of laughter), but I didn't like the look of crepey texture around the upper jaw, which I feel isn’t age-appropriate for me. Today my skin does feel firmer, and it’s starting to lose the look of dehydration that no serum has managed to address. The most significant change, it’s made my entire complexion look brighter and appear more youthful - now that's a win.
Post-treatment, you can expect some swelling (particularly under the eye), little gauze pads help with that and cold compress. Ensure you stay well hydrated, and limit strenuous exercise for 48hrs. Also, avoid anti-inflammatory medications or using active skincare.
This one-off session of Angel PRP takes two hours, and you can expect to pay $2000.