PRP & PRF · An Explainer
One blood draw.
Two concentrates.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) both start the same way: a small sample of your own blood, spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets — the blood cells that carry your body’s repair signals. What differs is the preparation. PRP stays liquid and releases its growth factors in a quick burst; PRF forms a fibrin scaffold that releases them slowly, over days. This page explains both — and where each is actually used.
- 100% autologous — made from your own blood. No donor tissue, no synthetic product
- Prepared fresh in the clinic on the day — draw, spin, and treatment in a single visit
- Honest about the evidence — strong for some uses, early for others, and this page says which is which
PRP and PRF are not FDA-approved cures for any condition. The centrifuge systems used to prepare them are FDA-cleared devices, most clinical uses are off-label, and results vary from person to person.
The basics
What are PRP and PRF?
Platelets are best known for clotting, but their second job matters more here: they are delivery vehicles for growth factors — signaling proteins like PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, EGF, and IGF-1 that tell damaged tissue to repair itself, grow new blood vessels, and build collagen. PRP and PRF concentrate those platelets well beyond what circulates in your blood normally, then place them exactly where healing is wanted.
PRP — platelet-rich plasma — is the original concentrate, used in sports medicine and orthopedics since the 1990s. Blood is drawn into a tube with an anticoagulant so it stays liquid, spun (often twice), and the golden platelet-rich layer is drawn off for injection.
PRF — platelet-rich fibrin — is the newer preparation, developed in France in the early 2000s by Dr. Joseph Choukroun for oral and dental surgery. No anticoagulant and no additives of any kind, and a slower, gentler spin — so the blood forms its natural fibrin matrix during preparation, trapping platelets and white blood cells inside a scaffold that breaks down gradually.
Platelets carry the instructions
Each platelet is packed with growth factors — PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, EGF, IGF-1 — that signal tissue to repair damage, recruit your own stem and progenitor cells, grow new capillaries, and lay down fresh collagen.
Fibrin is the slow-release scaffold
Fibrin is the mesh your body builds to hold a clot together. In PRF it forms a three-dimensional scaffold that holds platelets and white blood cells in place and meters out their growth factors over 7–14 days — matching the timeline of natural repair far better than a single burst.
Nothing foreign to react to
Both preparations are autologous — made entirely from your own blood — so there is no donor tissue and no synthetic product for your body to reject. The realistic risks are those of any injection: soreness, bruising, and a small risk of infection.
Signals, not building blocks
PRP and PRF don’t become new tissue themselves. They recruit and direct your own repair cells — which is why they pair naturally with stem cell therapy: platelets deliver the instructions, stem cells add the workforce.
Two preparations
PRP, PRF — or one of each?
The blood draw is identical. Everything after that — the tube, the spin, the form the concentrate takes, and how fast it releases its growth factors — is what separates the two. Neither is simply “better”; they fit different jobs.
The original concentrate
Blood is drawn into a tube containing an anticoagulant, which keeps it liquid. A faster spin — often two spins — separates the blood into layers, and the platelet-rich plasma layer is collected. Because it stays liquid, PRP can be injected precisely into a joint or tendon, spread across the scalp, or applied over microneedled skin.
- Platelets concentrated to roughly 3–5× their level in whole blood
- Growth factors released in a burst — most within the first hours to days
- Comes in leukocyte-rich and leukocyte-poor versions; the choice depends on the tissue being treated
- The longest track record — used in sports medicine and orthopedics since the 1990s
Where PRP tends to fit
PRP’s liquid form and long history make it the default where precise injection and research depth matter most.
- Mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis — one of the best-studied uses
- Tendon injuries — tennis elbow, Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis
- Hair restoration — a series of scalp injections for thinning hair
- Paired with microneedling for skin texture and acne scarring
The next generation
PRF skips the anticoagulant entirely — plain glass or silica-coated tubes, nothing added — and uses a slower, gentler spin. With nothing stopping the clotting process, fibrin forms during preparation and traps platelets, white blood cells (leukocytes), and small numbers of circulating stem and progenitor cells inside a soft gel or membrane.
- 100% natural — no anticoagulant, no additives, no synthetic anything
- Growth factors release gradually over roughly 7–14 days as the fibrin scaffold breaks down
- Contains leukocytes, which PRP protocols often spin away — they support the healing and immune side of repair
- Developed in France by Dr. Joseph Choukroun in the early 2000s, originally for dental and oral surgery
Where PRF tends to fit
PRF’s scaffold and slow release suit places where the concentrate should stay put and keep working — and where patients want nothing synthetic at all.
- Under-eye hollows and fine lines — a natural alternative where synthetic filler is risky or unwanted
- Skin rejuvenation where a slow, sustained signal is preferred over a single burst
- Dental and oral surgery — membranes laid over extraction sockets, implants, and grafts, PRF’s original field
- Hair and wound support, in protocols that value the fibrin matrix staying in place
It depends on the job
There is no universal winner. PRP offers a liquid that goes anywhere a needle goes and three decades of research behind it. PRF offers zero additives and a release curve that matches how tissue actually heals. Your physician picks based on the area being treated, the tissue involved, and what the evidence supports there.
- Deep joint or tendon injection → usually PRP’s liquid precision
- Delicate skin, under-eyes, “nothing synthetic” → usually PRF
- Some plans use both — PRF where it should stay, PRP where it should spread
A word on the marketing numbers
You will see claims that PRF has “10× more growth factors” than PRP. That oversimplifies. Preparations vary enormously — tube type, spin speed, spin time, and the patient’s own blood all change the final product, and no two clinics’ PRP or PRF are identical. What holds up across the research is the difference in form and release: liquid burst versus fibrin slow-release. Judge any clinic — including us — on whether they explain that honestly.
- Ask what system and protocol a clinic uses — it changes what you actually get
- Be skeptical of any guaranteed outcome, from anyone
The honest caveat
The evidence is not equal everywhere. PRP for knee osteoarthritis, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and pattern hair loss has the deepest research behind it. Other uses rest on smaller studies and clinical experience, and some patients respond much better than others. Nothing about PRP or PRF is a miracle or a cure — which is why candidacy is decided at a consultation, not from a web page.
Side by side
PRP vs PRF — the whole difference
Same blood, same platelets, same growth factors. The preparation decides the form — and the form decides the job.
| PRPPlatelet-rich plasma | PRFPlatelet-rich fibrin | |
|---|---|---|
| In the tube | Anticoagulant added, so the blood stays liquid through processing | Nothing added — no anticoagulant, no chemicals of any kind |
| The spin | Faster centrifugation, often two spins, to separate a clean plasma layer | Slower, gentler spin — the “low-speed centrifugation concept” — so cells stay in the fibrin layer |
| The form | A golden liquid that flows anywhere a needle or microneedling pen can take it | A soft fibrin gel, clot, or membrane; an injectable form (i-PRF) stays liquid for roughly 15 minutes before it sets |
| Growth-factor release | A burst — most growth factors released in the first hours to days | Slow and sustained — released over roughly 7–14 days as the fibrin scaffold breaks down |
| What else is in it | Platelets in plasma; leukocyte-rich or leukocyte-poor depending on the protocol | Platelets plus leukocytes and small numbers of circulating stem / progenitor cells, all trapped in the fibrin matrix |
| Track record | In clinical use since the 1990s — the deeper research base, especially for joints, tendons, and hair | Developed in the early 2000s in France for oral surgery; a newer, faster-growing evidence base |
The PRF family — one idea, several forms
- L-PRF→ the original solid clot, pressed into membranes for dental and oral surgery
- A-PRF→ “advanced” PRF — a slower spin that keeps more white blood cells and growth factors in the matrix
- i-PRF→ injectable PRF — liquid for roughly 15 minutes, so it can be injected before the fibrin sets
- PRF gel→ PRF processed into a smooth gel used as a natural, autologous filler alternative
On the regenerative ladder from our joints work, PRP sits early — the step for mild arthritis and tendon injuries, before exosomes and stem cells for more advanced degeneration. PRP and PRF are frequently combined with those therapies rather than competing with them.
Use cases
Where PRP and PRF are used
Six established uses, from the orthopedic work PRP was built on to the aesthetic work PRF is now known for. Four of them are on Age Well Dr’s own menu today — those are tagged. The rest are established uses in medicine and dentistry, included so you can see the full picture.
Joints & osteoarthritis
PRP injected into an arthritic knee, shoulder, or hip aims to calm the joint environment and support the cartilage and soft tissue around it. The research is strongest for mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, where studies have repeatedly found PRP outperforming hyaluronic acid injections for pain and function. It is the early rung of our therapy ladder — for joints not yet at the stage where stem cells are considered.
UsuallyPRP, injected into the joint — typically 1–3 injections
Tendons, ligaments & sports injuries
Tendons heal slowly because they have a poor blood supply — which is exactly the problem a platelet concentrate addresses. PRP is used for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), Achilles and patellar tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and rotator cuff irritation. In tennis elbow trials, PRP outperformed corticosteroid injections over the longer term: steroids often win the first month, platelets win the year.
UsuallyPRP at the tendon — often a single injection, sometimes a short series
Hair restoration
For pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in men and women, PRP is injected across the thinning scalp to deliver growth factors — VEGF and PDGF among them — directly to the follicles, supporting thicker, stronger growth from follicles that are miniaturizing but still alive. Meta-analyses show increased hair density versus control. It works best earlier, while follicles are still active — it cannot revive follicles that are long gone.
UsuallyPRP (PRF is also used) — a series of about 3 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart, then maintenance
Skin rejuvenation & acne scarring
Applied over microneedled skin or injected superficially, PRP and PRF deliver growth factors that drive collagen production — improving texture, fine lines, and skin quality over the following weeks. Combined with microneedling, PRP is a well-established approach for acne scarring. This is the treatment popularized as the “vampire facial” — the science underneath the nickname is the collagen response.
UsuallyPRP with microneedling, or PRF where a slow release is preferred — a series of about 3
Under-eyes & natural volume (PRF)
The under-eye (tear trough) area is thin-skinned and unforgiving of synthetic filler. PRF — including PRF gel — offers an autologous alternative: your own fibrin and growth factors, placed where filler can look puffy or blue-ish, improving skin thickness and fine lines gradually rather than adding a foreign gel. Results are subtler than filler and build over weeks — for the right patient, that trade is the point.
UsuallyPRF or i-PRF — a series of 2–3 sessions for the full effect
Men’s sexual wellness — the P-Shot®
The P-Shot (Priapus Shot®) uses PRP prepared from the patient’s own blood and injected to support blood flow and tissue health, with the goal of firmer, more reliable erections and improved sensation. The honest status: patients commonly report meaningful improvement, but the formal evidence base is still early — smaller studies, not large trials. It is offered at Age Well Dr as part of our regenerative practice, with that caveat stated up front.
UsuallyPRP — typically a single treatment, reviewed at follow-up
And where PRF began: dental and oral surgery. L-PRF membranes are laid over extraction sockets, bone grafts, and implant sites to support healing — the field Dr. Choukroun developed PRF for, and still its most routine surgical use. Age Well Dr is a medical practice, not a dental one; it is included here because no honest account of PRF skips it.
Regenerative medicine, in short videos
Short explainers from our clinic — stem cells, exosomes, and how these therapies fit together — live on the Age Well Dr YouTube channel.
The process
What treatment involves
Evaluation
Your physician reviews the area, your history, and your medications, and tells you honestly whether PRP or PRF fits — and which one. If the problem is beyond what platelet therapy can help, they’ll say so.
Draw & spin
A small blood draw — similar to routine labs — then 10–15 minutes in the centrifuge while the concentrate is prepared fresh. PRP stays liquid; PRF begins forming its fibrin matrix.
Treat & go
The concentrate is injected into the joint, tendon, or scalp, or applied with microneedling. Numbing is used where appropriate. Most patients are back to normal activities the same day, with soreness for a day or two at most.
Preparing for treatment
A short prep list
Platelet therapy uses your own blood, so the quality of the draw matters. The basics your provider will confirm:
- NSAIDs need a pause. Ibuprofen, naproxen, and similar anti-inflammatories blunt platelet function — the very thing being concentrated. Your provider will set the window; acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the usual alternative.
- Never stop a prescribed blood thinner on your own. Anticoagulants and antiplatelet medication affect both the draw and the result — tell your provider, and any change is their call, not yours.
- Hydrate well the day before and the day of — a good blood draw is an easier one, and hydration supports the plasma volume being collected.
- Skip alcohol for 24–48 hours around treatment, and eat a normal meal beforehand — no fasting needed.
- For scalp or facial treatment, arrive clean — washed hair or a clean face, no heavy styling products or makeup over the treatment area.
- Tell your provider about platelet or blood disorders, any active infection, or a recent steroid injection near the treatment area — all three change the plan.
Candidacy
Who PRP / PRF may — and may not — be for
Because the product is your own blood, candidacy is less about the concentrate and more about the problem being treated and the state of your platelets. The honest shape of it:
More likely to be a candidate
- Mild to moderate joint arthritis, wanting a non-surgical option before considering bigger interventions
- Tendon or ligament pain that hasn’t settled with rest, therapy, and time
- Early to moderate hair thinning, while follicles are still active
- Wanting an autologous-only treatment — nothing synthetic, nothing donated
- Realistic expectations: gradual improvement over weeks, not an overnight fix
When we’ll likely say no — or not yet
- Low platelet counts or platelet dysfunction — the raw material isn’t there to concentrate
- Active infection, at the treatment site or anywhere in the body
- Blood disorders or severe anemia — your physician will review your labs and history first
- Damage too far gone for platelet therapy — advanced joint destruction may need stem cells, or honestly, a surgeon
- Elective aesthetic treatment during pregnancy — deferred, as with most elective procedures
Questions
PRP & PRF — FAQ
What is the difference between PRP and PRF, in one breath?
Both concentrate your own platelets from a blood draw. PRP is spun with an anticoagulant so it stays liquid, and releases its growth factors in a quick burst. PRF uses no anticoagulant and a slower spin, so it forms a fibrin scaffold that traps platelets and white blood cells and releases growth factors gradually over about 7–14 days. Liquid and fast, versus scaffolded and slow.
Is PRF better than PRP?
Not across the board — they suit different jobs. PRF’s slow release and zero additives make it attractive for skin, under-eyes, and surgical sites. PRP is liquid, precisely injectable, and has the deeper research base for joints, tendons, and hair. Claims like “10× more growth factors” oversimplify: preparation methods vary so much between clinics that the honest difference is form and release pattern, not a single multiplier.
Does it hurt?
The blood draw feels like routine lab work. Injections vary by area: joints and tendons involve a brief pinch and pressure; scalp and facial treatments use numbing to keep them comfortable. Mild soreness or swelling at the treatment site for a day or two is common — it’s often part of the healing response the treatment is trying to trigger.
How many sessions will I need, and when will I see results?
Hair and skin protocols usually run about 3 sessions spaced 4–6 weeks apart, then maintenance. Joints are often 1–3 injections; tendons frequently just one. Results build gradually — tissue remodeling takes weeks, so improvement is typically judged at 6–12 weeks, not the next morning.
How long do results last?
It varies by use and by person. Joint and tendon patients commonly report benefit lasting 6–12 months or longer. Hair results need maintenance sessions to hold, because the underlying pattern of hair loss continues. Skin improvements from collagen remodeling are gradual and cumulative across a series. Your physician will give you a realistic maintenance picture at consultation.
Can PRP or PRF be combined with stem cells or exosomes?
Yes — combination protocols are standard in regenerative practice. On our own therapy ladder, PRP is the step for mild arthritis and tendon injuries, and PRP + stem cells pair growth factors with advanced cellular signaling for more significant damage. Platelets deliver the instructions; stem cells add the workforce.
Is PRP or PRF FDA-approved?
The centrifuge systems used to prepare PRP are FDA-cleared devices, but PRP and PRF themselves are not FDA-approved treatments or cures for any specific condition, and most clinical uses are off-label. That doesn’t make them experimental in the colloquial sense — PRP has been used clinically since the 1990s — but no outcome can be guaranteed, and results vary.
Is it safe, since it’s my own blood?
Autologous preparation removes the rejection and allergy concerns that come with donor or synthetic products — there is nothing foreign to react to. The remaining risks are those of any injection: temporary soreness, bruising, and a small risk of infection, minimized by sterile technique. Candidacy still matters: platelet disorders, active infection, and certain medications can make treatment inadvisable, which is why evaluation comes first.