In the past, treating issues like chronic pain, hair loss, and the negative effects of aging was exceptionally hard. But fortunately, new methods have emerged that allow us to take advantage of our own body’s healing properties. One of the most promising treatments used here at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA is PRP therapy, which involves using platelets from the patient’s own blood to rejuvenate their tissues.
One of the best things about this method is its minimally invasive nature, which almost eliminates the preparation and recovery time. In fact, many patients who choose this option can walk out of the clinic and resume their normal activities straight away. Despite this, there are some actions you can take to augment your results from PRP and speed up healing. Today, let’s have a look at the optimal aftercare routine for this treatment.
What Can’t You Do After PRP Therapy?
After a surgical procedure, you usually have to stop exercising, avoid certain positions that could damage your stitches, and take a significant chunk of time off work to rest at home. But all this can be avoided when you opt for PRP treatment. There isn’t much you can’t do after your session at your local clinic, and most people resume their normal routine as soon as the appointment is over.
However, there are several recommendations that can help you make the most of your treatment and ensure great results. The most important is to avoid blood-thinning medications and supplements for the time being. You should also avoid excessive sun exposure and hot baths or saunas. Many practitioners advise you to stick to a healthy diet and stay away from substances like nicotine and alcohol, which can inhibit your body’s natural healing processes.
Taking Blood-Thinning Medications
Before your treatment, we will invite you to an initial consultation and discuss your preparation and aftercare routine. At this time, you should bring us a complete list of all the medications and supplements you take. This includes over-the-counter and natural remedies since they could contain blood-thinning substances that can inhibit the healing process.
We will ask you to stop taking medications like NSAIDs such as Advil, Naproxen, and Aspirin several days before the treatment. There are also some supplements that could cause a problem, including those containing Vitamins A and E, aloe, fish and flax oil, and turmeric. Once your session is over, you will need to keep avoiding these substances for another week.
Expose Your Skin to the Sun
UV rays from sunlight are extremely damaging to the skin, and they are one of the reasons why many people experience negative signs of aging such as wrinkling, sagging, and discoloration. PRP therapy can address these problems and reverse the damage, but it won’t be as effective if you expose your skin to direct sunlight right afterward.
Try to keep to the shade and, if this isn’t possible, apply a strong sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50. While this is most important during the days straight after your treatment, experts agree that UV exposure is never good for the skin. Thus, your results are likely to last longer if you avoid direct sunlight in the future, even after you have fully recovered from your PRP sessions.
Smoke and Consume Alcohol
There are certain substances that slow down your body’s processes and deplete its resources. Smoking is one of them because nicotine narrows the blood vessels that provide your tissues with nutrients and healing agents. What’s more, it causes your platelets to clot together, so they can no longer perform their job. That’s why avoiding smoking is so important in the days and weeks after your PRP treatment.
Alcohol and caffeine both act as diuretics, which means that they deplete your body of water. This is why people addicted to these substances often look older than others, since their tissues dry out faster. In addition, alcohol reduces the number of white blood cells (which destroy harmful bacteria and debris), so your body is more vulnerable to infection. It’s best to reduce or eliminate alcohol and caffeine consumption for at least a week after treatment.
Take Hot Baths or Use Chemical Products
In the first hours after your session, it’s important not to shower, scrub the skin, or engage in any activities that could cause you to sweat. This is because your PRP needs to sink in and start working. Your provider will give you a gentle cleanser, which you should apply in the mornings and evenings. Do not use harsh or scented products on your skin, since they could irritate the area.
How Does PRP Work?
Now you know what the optimal aftercare routine is, you might wonder what PRP actually consists of. The substance, also called platelet-rich plasma, comes from your own blood. When you arrive at the clinic, your provider will take blood and spin it in a centrifuge to separate the beneficial platelets from the other components.
Then, your skin will be numbed, and the PRP will be injected or applied to the relevant area. There are multiple treatments available, and the exact nature of your session depends on your cosmetic or medical concern and the option that you have chosen. After your appointment, you will notice gradual changes, as the platelets start breaking down old, damaged cells and rejuvenating your tissue.
What Does PRP Treat?
Platelets are your body’s healing agents. They are the first at the site of an injury, where they send out the signals that cause broken cells to be removed and new ones to be constructed. Because they are present in all areas of the body, they can be used to treat a variety of issues and conditions.
At first, this method was mostly used by professional athletes who were injured and wanted to get back to their sport more quickly. But nowadays, everybody can benefit from the innovative PRP technology. It is offered in clinics around the country to treat cosmetic issues such as scarring and wrinkling, hair loss, and chronic pain.
Cosmetic Issues
Over time, the structure and appearance of our face and body change. This could be due to the natural aging process or accelerated by an illness, injury, or childbirth. But fortunately, we can restore our previous youthful and glowing look with PRP therapy.
Most often, our patients are concerned about wrinkling, discoloration, scarring, or sagging in their face, so we offer platelet-rich plasma facials. However, it is also possible to treat issues on other body parts such as the neck or the hands. The best way to find out if you could benefit from a cosmetic PRP treatment is to speak to our providers about your concern.
Hair Loss
Hair loss affects both men and women, and it can be especially distressing if it occurs at a young age. As soon as you notice your hair lighten, you should come to the clinic and have your condition assessed. PRP can effectively target your hair follicles and restore their function. It might be the perfect way for you to stop hair loss in its tracks without having to undergo an invasive treatment.
Chronic Pain
Millions of people in the US suffer from chronic pain every year, either because they have a condition like fibromyalgia or because of an old injury that isn’t healing as well as they hoped. If this applies to you, you might be the perfect candidate for PRP treatment. With a treatment schedule created by our experts, you can significantly shorten your recovery period and avoid dealing with your chronic pain for many years.
Get this Natural, Effective Treatment for Your Condition Now
Unlike other medications and treatments, PRP therapy has multiple applications because it uses your own body’s healing agents to rejuvenate various tissues. When you choose this method, you can expect to look and feel more youthful, regain the hair you have lost, and finally get rid of your chronic pain. What’s more, PRP is applied in a minimally invasive way, so you don’t have to spend weeks resting and recovering at home.
In fact, you can go back to work and your other regular activities right away, as long as you avoid taking blood-thinning medications and exposing your skin to excess sunlight or hot water. Most doctors also recommend that you avoid substances such as alcohol and nicotine, which can slow down the healing process. Call us today at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA and book your initial consultation to find out more about PRP Therapy.
