Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

Natural and Effective PRP Solutions

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) uses your own concentrated blood to repair soft tissues, joints, and aesthetic issues like facial atrophy and hair loss for both men and women. It has been used for over 25 years by plastic surgeons, oral surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and sports medicine professionals for medical and aesthetic conditions.

Georgia Wellness Solutions provides you with the latest in PRP procedures in our office, providing long-term solutions for your medical and aesthetic needs. We use the same system (Harvest Technologies) that has been implemented in over 4,500 hospitals nationwide for the best results. Call us for your free 15-minute consultation!

How PRP Works

Human blood contains mesenchymal stem cells and autologous blood products that contain essential and specific growth factors that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. Published medical literature from Europe and the United States confirms the safety and use of PRP therapy. It has been used as a medial adjunct therapy for over two decades for skin and wound healing.

PRP therapy has established itself to be effective as a medical treatment modality in the specialty fields of oral surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and cosmetic surgery, sports medicine, and orthopedics. It has been used extensively in these specialties for the last 25 years with generally positive outcomes and success.

The PRP Procedure

Blood is drawn in our office as though you are having routine blood testing at your physician’s office. The blood is spun in a centrifuge and the PRP (buffy coat) is separated and removed from the rest of the blood.

The PRP is taken from your body and is specially prepared by spinning down the blood cells to a high concentration. We use Harvest Medical PRP System. It is a closed sterile system and the platelets are concentrated to three times the normal blood values. The system eliminates granulocytes which hurt tissue regeneration and wound healing. An anesthesia block is given to nerves in the scalp so the patient does not feel any pain. The highly concentrated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into the scalp. The patient’s hair is then washed, and the patient may drive home without any assistance. No sedation or any medication is given during the procedure to inhibit the ability to drive or use machinery.

The Science Behind PRP

PRP contains cytokine proteins called platelets and within these platelets are a number of cells needed for tissue growth and repair of damaged tissues and joints. Within our blood, we have stem cells both mesenchymal and hematopoietic cells as well as stem cell markers that attract additional stem cells to the targeted site. Stem cells are needed to take these various growth factors within our blood and match them with growth receptors within our body. Stem cells give direction to match our growth factors within our blood with the growth receptors within our body resulting in mitosis, angiogenesis, and proliferation of new tissues that are permanent.

These special platelet cells promote healing, accelerates the rate and degree of tissue healing and regeneration, responds to injury, and promotes formation of new cellular growth. Furthermore, PRP interacts with local paracrine factors for pain and alleviates and lessens pain while promoting repair to joints, tendons, and other soft tissues.

When injected into the affected area, PRP creates a fibrin mesh under the skin or within the joint capsule that allows for the injection to stay proximal to the area for healing. Inside the platelets are many intracellular structures such as glycogen, lysosomes, and alpha granules. These granules within the PRP contain clotting and growth factors that are eventually released during the healing and repair process.

Specific PRP Cells That Allow for Repair

• Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) — promotes blood vessel growth, cell replication, skin formation
• Transforming Growth-Factor-Beta (TGF-b) — promotes growth of matrix between cells, bone metabolism
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) — promotes blood vessel formation
• Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) — promotes cell growth and differentiation, blood vessel formation, collagen formation
• Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2) — promotes growth of specialized cells and blood vessel formation
• Insulin-Like Growth Factor – (IGF) — a regulator of normal physiology in nearly every type of cell in the body

Who Should Not Have PRP Treatment?

Patients with a history of heavy smoking, drug and alcohol use should not have PRP treatments. This also includes patients with a medical diagnosis such as platelet dysfunction syndromes, thrombocytopenias, hypofibrinogenaemia, hemodynamic instability, sepsis, acute and chronic Infections, chronic liver disease, anti-coagulation therapy, chronic skin diseases or cancer, or metabolic and systemic disorders.

Is PRP Right for Me?

PRP has been used successfully in other medical and surgical disciplines for many years. The decision to use PRP is a personal decision and should be made after careful research, consideration, and consultation with a physician. PRP is safe and natural because the procedure concentrates the good cells from your scalp and injects them directly back into the area where it is needed. There is absolutely no chance of getting a blood infection from another human being. PRP involves using your own cells that are not modified or changed, and it will not be rejected by your immune system.

PRP is recognized for medical uses by the FDA for only soft tissue injections and for conditions that are chronic or sub-acute resulting in damaged tissues. There are no FDA approvals for aesthetics, joints, and alopecia (hair) treatments though it is generally accepted as a medical alternative for these conditions as well.

Can I Use Other Medical Therapies Concurrently?

Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it and prescribe PRP therapy as complementary to a nonsurgical approach for those patients who are not eligible for surgery or who want to delay hair restoration surgery. As a non-surgical treatment option, we recommend PRP therapy for those patients who cannot tolerate or have side effects with these medications.

Enjoy the Results That PRP Can Deliver

In summary, PRP therapy offers the opportunity of repair and regeneration for those patients who are not candidates for surgery or those patients wanting a more aggressive nonsurgical approach to the treatment of a variety of pain-related, medical, and aesthetic concerns.

Whether you are looking for additional hair stimulation, have chronic pain of joints and tendons, or have the effects of aging skin, Georgia Wellness Solutions is able to meet your needs. Results will vary from patient to patients, and PRP as a non-surgical option will allow for a natural solution for accelerated healing, permanent tissue correction, and the elimination of pain for a variety of medical and aesthetic conditions.