(PLATELET ENRICHED PLASMA - THE REGEN® LAB)

Argera was the first clinic in Western Australia to offer this revolutionary skin treatment. It essentially harnesses and increases the body's own ability to heal tissue and create a more youthful skin. The technique is simple, quick and safe. It involves removing a blood sample, spinning it to concentrate the plasma's healing and collagen producing factors and then injecting this back under the skin. It is a fantastic treatment on its own can compliment other therapies.

PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP): YOUR OWN ENRICHED PLASMA IN REGENERATIVE MEDICINE AS ANTI-AGING TREATMENT

A new approach, appealing to clients seeking a more natural method to facial rejuvenation, is regeneration with your own cells and more specifically, autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP). This is also referred to as autologous cellular regeneration (ACR) an aesthetic practice, which is a safe and tolerable procedure.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) has been utilized in aesthetic medicine (UK, Japan, and Asia, Europe) to rejuvenate and slow down the aging process and face (2006). This refers to mesenchymal and epithelial rejuvenation by application of the persons own enriched autologous plasma. Recently, ACR-PRP has been pioneered for facial rejuvenation in select patients with chronological aging, and solar damage. Regeneration or anti-aging by biological stimulation of resident stem cells by growth factors.

Science supports the use of PRP for the augmentation and regeneration of hard and soft tissues. PRP is the source of concentrated platelet content present in blood. Apart from assisting blood clotting, platelets also release growth factors that assist the human body to repair itself by stimulating cells to regenerate new tissue. Today, platelet rich plasma can easily be separated from blood, through a process of centrifugation. Using your enriched plasma permits the body to heal faster and more efficiently. Because your plasma (autologous) is used, there is no danger of disease transmission, anaphylaxis or neoplasia. In general medicine, platelet transfusion is common practice in treating blood platelet disorders, including very low counts associated with bleeding.

Case studies reported in Europe, England, Asia, Japan and South Africa have demonstrated consistent rejuvenation of facial aging, including wrinkling in persons with modest grades of photo- or chronological aging. Patient selection is important and skin diseases have to be excluded. Improvement of skin texture and tone can be expected, these features are noticeable within 3 weeks, and the process can be enhanced by addition of appropriate Cosmeceutical. Benefits include non-allergenic properties and ease of administration.

So, REGENERATIVE MEDICINE is the production and injection of autologous platelet rich plasma.

It is well known that platelets have many functions. Platelets contain important growth factors that, when secreted, are responsible for:

• increasing collagen production
• recruiting other cells to the site of injury
• initiating vascular in - growth
• inducing cell differentiation
• bone - mineralization
• extra cellular matrix formation
• Non - Allergenic
• It is a 'body own' physiological product vs. animal derived or human donor products.
• Elimination of donor transmissible infections
• Biological Glue: for tissue adhesion especially in skin flaps, bone grafts and trauma.

These are vital steps in collagen regeneration and wound healing.

 

THE PROCESS IS -

• SAFE and Physiologically Active
• Preparation is Simple and Quick, and completed on the Physicians premises in the appointment time. No products are sent off premises.
• Can be used in multiple areas for dermal rejuvenation

Prior to treatment a blood sample of 10 - 20 mls is extracted from the patient. This blood is immediately placed in the centrifuge for 5 - 8 minutes. When centrifugation is complete your Plasma will be separated into three layers: (1) platelet - poor plasma, ( 2) red blood cells , and (3) the 'buffy coat' ( i.e. platelets and white blood cells) from your red blood cells. The rich platelets are extracted from the base of the plasma gel. The platelets are injected into the deep dermis or fat layer of the skin. Platelets gradually increase collagen which can increase skin thickness and overall health of the skin.

HOW LONG IS THE PROCEDURE FROM START TO FINISH?

Approx 45mins to 1 hour per two test tubes.

WHICH FACIAL AND BODY AREAS CAN BE TREATED?

• Around the eyes - Peri Orbital Rim
• Cheeks and Mid face
• Cheeks
• Thinning skin on the neck
• Jaw Line and Sub Malar
• Back of hands
• Decolletage
• Other Body Areas

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF FACIAL REJUVENATION BY ACR- PRP?

• Your therapist will assess the degree of skin aging, perform a skin analysis, and recommend a sensible treatment with reasonable outcome.
• Options of facial rejuvenation are explained to you, including efficacy and safety. Cost analysis is discussed and the number of sessions possibly required.
• Persons between the ages of 30 and 80 years are eligible.
• Almost all skin tones show that the process is safe and effective because your own enriched plasma is used, but not all grades of wrinkling can be improved.
• A photograph of the skin is taken to assist the follow-up and grading of the improvement.
• Sixteen millilitres (16ml) of blood is obtained from the arm by venapuncture.
• The blood is collected in special sterile tubes and centrifuged in the practitioner's rooms to separate the plasma. The plasma is drawn up into a syringe and activated with calcium-chloride; this stimulates natural growth factor release from the platelets in the plasma. About 8ml of PRP is obtained which is used for facial rejuvenation and injection.
• By a mesotherapy technique, the PRP is injected, by multiple tiny punctures under the skin (including the dermis), under topical local anaesthesia. The forehead, peri-orbital region, cheeks, chins and dorsum of the hands, are the targets of aging and wrinkles, for rejuvenation. The process is relatively painless providing sufficient topical anaesthesia is applied. A mesotherapy gun is also suitable to deliver the PRP into the skin and the dermis.
• PRP facial rejuvenation (or also termed ACR) can be a one off treatment, but further microinjections can be re-performed at 6-12 weekly intervals for recalcitrant lines and wrinkles if the client desires this.
• Currently Regenlab PRP renders the most efficient enriched ACR, compared to other products.
• This entire process and injection time is simple and takes approximately 45 minutes – 1 hour in total. The process is on the same day and on the same medical practice.

SIDE EFFECTS OF ACR- PRP FACIAL REJUVENATION

• Minimal: Expect minimal swelling, bruising and redness for 12-24 hours. Some clients experience headache.
• Modest: Some patients may feel faint. A bruise at the venapuncture site may be visible for 2-3 days.
• Severe: A low morbidity procedure. Almost no down time. No need for hospitalization. Anaphylaxis does not occur. In rare cases, skin cellulitis may occur which can be treated with antibiotics and cold compresses. Occasionally hospitalization is needed in these cases. Secondary skin infection is a rare complication.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ACR- PRP FACIAL REJUVENATION

Persons with skin disease (SLE, porphyria, allergies), cancer, chemotherapy, severe metabolic and systemic disorders, and abnormal platelet function (i.e. blood disorders). Anti-coagulation therapy and underlying sepsis excludes the use of PRP.

EXPECTATIONS FOR ACR-PRP

• Results are visible at 3 weeks and improve gradually over ensuing months with improvement in texture and tone.
• Cosmeceutical and Light therapies can enhance the results.
• Advanced wrinkling cannot be reversed and a minimal improvement is predictable in persons with alcohol and tobacco abuse.
• Severe scarring may not respond.
• Further plasma treatment is also popular and safe. PRP - ACR is effective and well tolerated, but patient selection is important if predictable results are to be expected.

REFERENCES AND TESTIMONIALS: PLATELET RICH PLASMA

• Chajchir A et al. Growth factors in Plastic Surgery. Aesth. Plast. Surg. 29: 295-299, 2005
• Brown GL et al. Enhancement of wound healing by topical treatment with epidermal growth factor. N Engl J Med 321: 76-79, 1989
• Eppley BL. Platelet quantification and growth factor analysis from platelet-rich plasma: implications for wound healing. Plast Reconstr Surg 114: 1502, 2004
• Eppley BL. Platelet-rich plasma: A review of biology and applications in plastic surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg 118: 147e, 2006
• Bhanot S et al. Current applications of platelet gels in facial plastic surgery. Facial Plast Surg 18, 27-33, 2002
• Pietrzak WS et al. Platelet Rich Plasma: Biology and new technology. J Craniofacial Surgery, 16: 1043-1054, 2005
• Presentation at Aesthetic Medicine Congress South Africa 5-6 October 2007 Gallagher Estate, Gaugteng (www.aestheticcongress.co.za ). Also presented at the plastic surgery congress, Spier (ASSOCIATION OF PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGEONS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA: 21-24 October 2007). Professor Donald du Toit. Aesthetic and biological facial rejuvenation treatment with REGENLAB Plasma (PRP). An alternative to photo-light resurfacing. Abstracts available.
• DF du Toit. The Specialist Forum. State of the Art rejuvenation and normal wound healing with platelet-rich plasma growth factors. Part 1 and 2. 2007: 7; 36-42. Reprints available.
• Review article on PRP. Shoulder surgeon and autologous cellular regeneration (ACR)-from bench to bed. Part 1-the link between the human fibroblast, connective tissue disorders and shoulder. www.internationalshoulderjournal.org . 2007. D.F du Toit et al.

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