This is a study out of Italy with Dr. Rigotti (for those in the know, he is a big guy in the fat grafting world). There is lot of hype about stem cells and protein rich plasma (called PRP) both helping rejuvenate the skin. As you know if you read my blog at all, I am a huge fan of fat transfer and stem cells. I personally have seen the skin improvements, and there are good studies supporting the changes we see in the skin are real. (Studies done with histology and biopsies, not the “yes, your skin looks prettier” but the “on this histology slide you can see the elastic content improved.”)
So. Does PRP deserve the same hype?
This was a study to see if PRP can replace the regenerative effect of fat derived stem cells. PRP is easier to obtain. See my prior blogs on the subject PRP blogs.
This was in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, March 2016. The title is a doozy. “Expanded Stem cells, Stromal Vascular Fraction, and Platelet Rich Plasma Enriched Fat: Comparing Results of Different Facial Rejuvenation Approaches in a Clinical Trial.”
Study:
- 13 patients who were candidates for a facelift were used. The patients had sampling of fat from the abdomen and had one of 3 protocols:
- stromal vascular fraction enriched fat
- fat derived stem cells
- or fat with PRP
- The skin was looked at the initial treatment and then again 3 months later. Biopsies were evaluated under optical and electron microscope.
- There were men and women, ages 45-64. No chronic disease or smoking history. Controls were taken from the same patient in the untreated skin.
Findings?
- PRP led to inflammatory infiltrates and greater vascular reactivity
- It did NOT improve the regenerative effect
They conclude it did not have advantages for skin rejuvenation. It may be good to add though in situations where you need new blood vessel formation, like in tissue ischemia (when it isn’t getting enough oxygen.) “Based on the results of this study, an agent that causes inflammation could be not indicated in a procedure utilized to obtain skin rejuvenation.”
So I get that PRP is trendy. It is easy to harvest the blood and spin it. It has a cool name — “the vampire facelift.” But I rely on studies and science. This study is a good one, and supports what I found when looking at PRP in the past. PRP is NOT the same as fat transfer with stem cells. It does not give the skin rejuvenation effect. There may be some role for it, and as the authors conclude, more studies need to be done.