Does PRP treatment make sense at age 62?

Thank you for your question. You’re 62-years-old and ask if it’s possible to generate collagen after the age of 62, given you recently had two micropen treatments and your doctor suggested PRP. You want to know if you will potentially benefit from PRP because of the expense of the treatment, and if it’s worth it. You did not submit any photos so I can’t give you alternate options, but I can give you a sense of how I discuss this with my patients who are similar to you.

I’ll start with 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 have been a strong proponent of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)  in many arenas including the treatment of skin quality, texture, wrinkles, under eye dark circles, and acne scars. I’m a very active member of the Vampire Facelift® network of doctors. I’ve also developed a hair loss solution called Hair Regeneration using platelet-rich plasma (PRP). There really is no end to the benefits I see with PRP, and I use it a lot in my cosmetic procedures whether with lasers or with my surgical procedures.



To answer the question, first you have to understand that collagen is a protein, and an important protein. As we get older, we have less collagen, but the question is, can you induce collagen? The answer is yes you can. So what is the best way to induce collagen? Therein lies the very complicated part of this question. Your doctor is trying to do something for you which they feel will be of value with microneedling.



You have expressed that cost is an issue, and it might be your doctor chose these options because they were less expensive. There is always a balancing act we do with our patients every day figuring out how to get the best outcome and work within a budget. In our practice, we treat everyone from people who have very low paying jobs, to people who run hedge funds, or travel internationally and are very wealthy. Our offices are in very prestigious areas of Manhattan and Long Island. It is no question that if you have the resources, you have a lot of options.



That said, to answer the question if PRP can help someone who is 62? The answer is yes, PRP can, but how much it helps you is a different question. PRP is basically a concentration of the wound healing and growth factors necessary when you have a trauma like a cut. By concentrating those growth factors and cells, we’re able to stimulate collagen. What is often the strategy I employ is combining PRP with hyaluronic acid because there is a very good synergy which has been shown in wound healing studies completely unrelated with aesthetics.



I think you need to have a good heart-to-heart with your doctor because your doctor is trying to solve the challenge of helping you, but there might be some limitations. In our practice, we have solutions from non-surgical skincare products, injectables, to regenerative medicine technology like PRP as well as lasers, radiofrequency and advanced cosmetic surgery, so there is a wide range we can offer our patients. What we figure out with our patients every day is what defines success, but if success requires more than what the patient is ready to spend, then we try to figure out what defines reasonable success. Essentially, how can we make a person happy, and  at the same time work within a budget. If it can’t be done, then it can’t be done, so we don’t do it. I think it’s very important to discuss this with your doctor.



As long as you are alive, you can build collagen. It’s just like saying to someone: can you build muscle at 62? Yes you can. You can do resistance training and build muscle - it’s not the same as someone who is 22, but you still can do it. It’s very important to understand what kind of outcome will be satisfactory because sometimes people can lose focus on what defines success, so it’s all about communication.

I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question.

Although PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) has been around for many years in different medical fields (orthopedics, Surgery, Dentistry) it has recently become more popular and I have seen an enormous increase in requests for both treatments and information. I have had great results in patients of all ages from early twenties to seventies. The fact that micropen treatments alone have  provided you, "..some mild improvement in fine lines and overall skin texture", shows that you have had some visible collagen remodeling. I believe that a course of treatments of PRP with micro needling (MN), will provide you with much better results. Every patient is different and its best to physically evaluate each in person to ascertain the best course of treatment. I customize my PRP treatments with multiple MN passes, "Painting" and injections of PRP to best stimulate collagen growth (Check out some videos) Some patients only require a mild MN with PRP while others may need a more aggressive approach which may also include a biologic filler like Sculptra to further stimulate collagen growth. Other fillers such as the Hyaluronic acids (Juvederm, Voluma, Restylane..) will provide more of a lift as in the "Vampire Facelift".  PRP based Vampire treatments can be used alone or as a basis for other medical treatments. Have a great day. Robert H. Cohen, M.D.

When you are getting PRP you want to combine with lasers, fillers and skin tightening to get a better outcome.  Being older your collagen isn't as good and it needs more to stimulate the best outcome.  A combination approach is needed.  Best, Dr. Emer.