I recently got PRP treatment for acne scars. Are PRP facelifts permanent or is it like thread lift??

Hi Raja, Thanks for your question. PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments are different from thread lifts. The two procedures have different goals. Whereas thread lifts are temporary (about 6 months) procedures designed to lift skin and tissue, PRP improves the quality and texture of the skin for a long time. PRP involves drawing some of your own blood, spinning it down and extracting the part that contains growth factors and nutrients. Then we use a microneedling device to go over your skin and create thousands of little channels in your skin. We then put some of the PRP extract on your skin topically and inject the rest under the skin. The growth factors and nutrients make the skin more smooth and also add some volume. The procedure is very safe since we are using your own blood. Hope that helps!

Thank you for your question. You didn’t include photos, but say you recently got PRP treatment for acne scars, and ask if PRP facelifts are temporary like to thread lifts.I think there is definitely an opportunity here for some explanation of the philosophy and role of PRP in my practice when it comes to acne scars, and how it relates to other modalities you may feel are temporary.

A little background: I’m a  Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. I've been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I treat a lot of acne scars in my practice. We have the full range of modalities for acne scars, from skin products, microneedling, to several different laser technologies, as well as surgical and minimally invasive procedures.



You have to understand the mindset of the doctor in treating the acne scars with PRP. When I talk to patients about acne scars, I first spend a lot of time on their evaluation, then understanding there are basically three types of acne scars: ice pick scars, boxcar scars and rolling scars.  It's very important to identify through standardized photography and backlit photography what kind of scars you have, and the options to treat those different types of scars.  PRP stimulates collagen and blood supply for a global texture improvement of skin, and when injected under the skin it stimulates the fat as well as deals with some of the scarring, so it does have long-term benefit.



PRP is not a temporary improvement of the skin, but you have to think of it as only one part of a treatment plan. When I speak to patients about acne scars, I describe a more global plan because there never is a single modality to treat everything, so more than one type of treatment is needed to reach your potential. When you deal with acne scars you are dealing with one common issue -  tissue loss. The strategies to treat issue loss have to be customized to each individual to optimize the smoothening, of the skin. Unfortunately, the limitation is you can’t ever achieve completely flawless skin, but you can achieve a lot, but it's not just a single treatment, rather a series of treatments.



In my practice, I evaluate the effectiveness of a particular treatment, and then discuss strategy for future treatment. I always explain to patients with acne scars that you can't expect a single laser to treat them completely, which unfortunately happens often. A lot of people with acne scars bounce from doctor to doctor looking for the latest greatest technology, and unfortunately there's not one perfect solution, The doctor you choose should have a lot of tools and experience to help you achieve your goals.



As for thread lifts, I don't think there really is much of a role for any type of non-surgical skin suspending modalities. I understand you really want the most permanent solution.



You have to understanding you are not permanent in the sense that you continue to age. There is also your tissue response to the treatment, which is an important factor of how successful the treatment is.  In our practice I often combine for atrophic scars PRP and a hyaluronic acid filler as it’s a good synergy to build up the scars. In atrophic scars or rolling scars I often combine that with subcision or release, but hard to say since there is no photo provided. But understand PRP does offer some degree of permanence, but it's still not an endpoint with one treatment. Talk to your doctor who did this procedure for you, learn what are reasonable expectations with this and other modalities, and come up with a plan that makes sense for you.  hope that was helpful I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question.

PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatments thread lifts are two different procedures. The two procedures have different goals.Thread lifts are temporary procedures designed to lift skin and tissue, PRP improves the quality, texture and tone of your skin. PRP involves drawing your own blood, spinning it down and extracting the part that contains growth factors. Then we use a micro needling device to go over your skin and create thousands of little holes in your skin. We then put some of the PRP extract on your skin topically and can inject under your skin with some PRP as well. Your growth factors and nutrients make the skin more smooth and evens skin tone, also adds some volume.Thank you for your question.