When considering the many cosmetic skin treatments used to stimulate your own collagen growth, it’s easy to get confused.
Let’s explore the difference between Platelet Rich Plasma and a poly-L-lactic acid dermal filler—two very popular fillers—and compare them to other injectable fillers on the market.
Any filler you inject will produce some collagen production, either from the body’s reaction to the material or from the needle passing through the skin. Dermal needling stimulates collagen from the same process only with thousands of needle sites, instead of just one.
However, some procedures have collagen-stimulating material in the injectable itself. This is the case with the poly-L-lactic acid dermal filler. The poly-L-lactic acid composition is a biocompatible, biodegradable synthetic material that has been used by physicians for decades. Once injected into the deep layers of the skin, the water used to mix the product, immediately adds volume, correcting lines and hollowness.
Over a few days, that water is absorbed into the skin and you will appear as though nothing has been injected. In time, the PLL filler stimulates collagen to grow, helping to support and correct collagen deficiency. This results in the smoothing of lines and replenishing of lost volume. Four consecutive treatments, spaced 4 weeks apart are recommended for optimal results. It could take up to 6 months to see the final results.
(Results vary by individual patient and results cannot be guaranteed)
PRP, on the other hand is not a laboratory-made product but rather, the platelets from your own blood taken right before the treatment, spun, separated and the growth factors or Platelet Rich Plasma is re-injected into your areas of concern. Similarly, 3-4 PRP treatments are recommended.
(Results vary by individual patient and results cannot be guaranteed)
Both products slowly grow collagen over a period of about 6 months.
One of the biggest differences is in the amount of volume seen in the results.
PLL fillers are excellent for patients who need a larger correction like nasolabial folds, sunken cheeks, hollowing temples and PRP can be used anywhere on the body or face but the results will be subtle. We use PRP to improve crepey under eye skin and as an overall skin tone improvement treatment in combination with the Halo laser. So PRP works more on the skin texture and PLL fillers are building volume from underneath.
Both PRP and PLL fillers will have long lasting results. Instead of just adding a filler that will absorb over time, your own collagen growth will thicken your skin permanently. This new result is, of course, subject to gravity and the aging process but you may see changes that last for years.
Another available collagen stimulator is a Calcium-based dermal filler. This product is more similar to the PLL filler in that a noticeable correction in volume is achieved right away and then slowly disappears leaving a gel containing calcium-based microspheres working over time to stimulate your own collagen growth. The calcium based filler is more like a filler with a collagen stimulating component added and it is used in similar areas of the face to PLL filler.
All of these products are excellent and you will decide with your injector or consultant which one is going to give you results that you will be happy with for a long time.
