PRF and PRP are similar treatments in that they are both made from a small sample of your own platelets, and both work by returning your platelets and growth factors to the tissue so that your body does the work of rebuilding. What separates them is timing. PRP delivers its growth factors at once, which is why it has been the foundation of platelet therapy for years and remains the treatment we perform most often. PRF holds those same growth factors in a soft fibrin that releases them gradually over several days, so a single treatment continues its work well after you have left the office.
Neither is a replacement for the other. Both are used across the face and the scalp, and which one we recommend depends on your skin, your goals and how you would prefer your treatments to be spaced.
PRF and PRP
The difference between them is in the preparation. PRP is spun quickly to concentrate the platelets into plasma, producing a treatment that delivers its growth factors immediately. PRF is spun more slowly and without additives, which preserves a natural fibrin structure alongside the platelets and growth factors. That fibrin acts as a scaffold, holding the growth factors in place and releasing them over a longer period rather than in a single flush.
That difference matters less than patients sometimes expect. PRP is well established, thoroughly studied and the option we reach for most frequently, particularly for patients beginning platelet therapy for the first time. PRF is often chosen when a slower, more sustained release suits the concern, or when a patient would prefer to space treatments further apart. Many of our patients use both over time. We will explain the distinction plainly at your consultation and recommend accordingly, rather than defaulting to one. Learn more about PRP.
How we use PRF
As a skin booster after microneedling
Microneedling stimulates collagen and creates a brief window in which the skin will accept far more than it ordinarily could. PRF applied in that window reaches beyond what any topical could achieve on its own, refining skin tone, texture and firmness. It can also be considered for melasma and persistent discoloration. This is the most common way we use PRF on the face, and it pairs naturally with a course of microneedling.
As a natural filler
Placed beneath the skin rather than applied to it, PRF restores quiet volume in areas that have softened with time, including the delicate skin beneath the eyes, the temples, the cheeks and the fine lines around the mouth. Unlike a hyaluronic acid filler, which occupies space from the moment it is placed, PRF works by prompting your own tissue to rebuild, so volume emerges over the weeks that follow rather than immediately. For patients who want restoration without introducing a product, or who are cautious about filler beneath the eyes, it is a considered alternative. Where more substantial volume is needed, we may recommend PRFM instead, a thicker preparation of the same material used specifically as a filler. See our approach to dermal fillers.
On the scalp for hair restoration
The same preparation is used to support thinning hair, either placed into the scalp or applied following scalp microneedling, where it reaches the follicles directly. Hair keeps its own schedule, so this is done in a series with change emerging over the months that follow. Learn more about hair loss treatments.
Your treatment
Your appointment begins with a small blood sample drawn in our office and prepared while you are numbed. From there the visit depends on what we are treating: PRF may be applied after microneedling, placed beneath the skin to restore volume, or used on the scalp. Your provider will review aftercare and recommend a sequence, since PRF is used in a series rather than as a single treatment, with results emerging gradually over the months that follow.
Is PRF right for you?
PRF suits patients who want rejuvenation that comes from their own biology rather than from an introduced product, and who are content to let results arrive gradually. It is a considered choice for skin that has lost firmness, for texture and tone that have become uneven, for volume that has quietly diminished, and for hair that has begun to thin. Whether PRF, PRP or PRFM suits you best depends entirely on what we find at your consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose PRF or PRP?
Both are excellent treatments and both are made from you. PRP is the longer established of the two, extensively studied, and the option we recommend most often, particularly for patients new to platelet therapy. PRF releases its growth factors gradually over several days rather than at once, which some patients prefer. We will walk you through the difference and recommend the one that suits your skin and your goals.
What is the difference between PRF and PRFM?
PRFM is a thicker preparation of the same material, used specifically as a filler where more substantial volume is wanted. PRF is the more fluid form, used as a skin booster, as a subtle filler and on the scalp.
Can PRF replace filler?
For some patients and some areas, yes. PRF restores volume by prompting your own tissue to rebuild rather than by occupying space, which means the effect is subtler and arrives more slowly than a hyaluronic acid filler. For significant volume loss or precise contouring, PRFM or a traditional filler may be the better instrument, and we will tell you plainly which we think is right.
Can PRF be used under the eyes?
Yes. The skin beneath the eyes is among the areas we treat with PRF most often, and it is a common choice for patients who would rather not have a traditional filler placed there.
Does PRF hurt?
A topical anesthetic is applied before microneedling, and most patients describe the treatment as comfortable. When PRF is placed beneath the skin, the experience is similar to a filler treatment. The sample itself is drawn the way any routine sample would be.
How many treatments will I need?
PRF is performed in a series. The number depends on your skin, the application and your goals, and we will recommend a sequence.
What is the downtime?
After microneedling, your skin will look flushed for a day or so, similar to mild sun exposure. When PRF is placed beneath the skin, mild swelling or bruising is possible for several days.
Can PRF cause an allergic reaction?
No. PRF is made entirely from your own sample, so it’s often considered a natural alternative to traditional fillers or other skin boosters because nothing foreign to your body is introduced.
Is PRF used for hair loss as well?
Yes. PRF is used on the scalp as part of a hair restoration plan, either placed directly or applied following microneedling.
Schedule a consultation in McLean, VA or Potomac, MD
If you would like to know whether PRF suits your skin, your hair or both, we would be glad to look carefully and tell you honestly. Call (703) 356-5111 or request an appointment.
