The natural progression of aging of the face is volume depletion, gravity and loss of collagen creating skin that is thin without the youthful glow we once had. The face literally goes from being V shaped to a more square appearance. This is due to the fact that at the top of the face literally under the eyes and at the top of the cheeks we see a flattening of the face. This leads to an increase in the naturally occurring Nasolabial folds (they run from the nose to the corners of the mouth) causing them to appear deeper and more noticeable. If not treated you can even develop Jowls which means your cheeks are drooping creating an indentation in the lower jaw.
If I have just described your face do not despair there is hope. Traditionally, doctors have used Botox and fillers like juvederm and restalyne to smooth out and puff up your face. The problem is these treatments do nothing to actually heal the face. They are not true anti-aging procedures but rather a temporary fix. Yes you will look better but you will not have done anything to repair the damage.
The only all natural true anti-aging procedure is called PRP facial rejuvenation. What is PRP, it stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. The platelets contain all the healing and growth factors necessary to repair wounds and keep us healthy. When you cut yourself it is the Platelets that come to the rescue and start the healing of your skin. PRP has been used for years in everything from sports injuries, dentistry, veterinary medicine, Hair loss, etc. Literally almost all medical procedures can be enhanced with the use of PRP.
Before
3 Weeks Post Op
The procedure is simple, we draw blood from your arm and place it in a sophisticated centrifuge which automatically separates and concentrates the Platelets, placing it in a syringe ready to use. The company that makes the centrifuge is called Cytomedix, I mention this because they specialize in PRP and have the only machine that separates the PRP for you. It matters how you separate the blood and if not done properly you will not get consistent results. You can actually damage the platelets if not separated properly
The face is then numbed just like we do at the dentist first with a topical cream and then with tiny injections. The PRP is then activated with Ca Chloride which helps them release their growth factors quicker to start an inflammatory process under the skin. This process signals the body to make collagen and so it is necessary that you do not take any anti-inflammatory for at least 3 days. We treat the face two ways by injecting the PRP under the skin usually in the area under the eyes and at the top of the cheeks. We use PRP as a natural filler to get the very sensitive area around the eyes to fill in. I am not a fan of injecting fillers directly under the eye.
The PRP is natural and cannot damage this delicate area. Next we use a dermal roller, this looks like what they used to aerate your lawn. It makes micropuntures in the skin; we then paint the blood on the face. I know it sounds weird but the results speak for themselves. We usually recommend at least two treatments spaced a few months apart. We use the PRP in combination with fillers and Botox to literally reshape the face. We have not experienced any bruising or pain after the treatment. You simply go home and let the anesthesia wear off. You will get some swelling which is to be expected and is actually what we want. It means that the inflammatory process is activated and the body will start collagen production. With two PRP treatments we have gotten under the eye area to fill in naturally. The texture and Hue of the skin is also improved. We also prescribe topical creams that also stimulate the deposition of collagen. Together we have turned back the clock on the ageing of the face.
Recently both Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian have had the procedure done. They understand that even though they are young and their faces are more than ok they are looking to keep that youthful skin and prevent the ageing process. I agree with this philosophy which as a dentist we do not wait for disease but rather prevent it from happening in the first place.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prptreatments.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/vincent-dolce.jpeg[/author_image] [author_info]The following post was written by Dr. Vincent M. Dolce, DMD[/author_info] [/author]
