Platelet- rich plasma has earned considerable attention in aesthetic medicine in recent years. It is a treatment derived from your own blood cells, namely the platelets and growth factors that aid in repair. Intuitively it makes sense to use the body’s innate system of growth factors to enhance and modulate cell activity in a targeted manner.

Many aesthetic physicians are using PRP to improve cosmetic procedures, such as fat transfer, facelifts, and laser resurfacing.  The "vampire facelift", also called Selphyl actually uses PRP injections to rejuvenate the face.

There has been published evidence that PRP does improve the recovery after laser resurfacing.  Below, a patient is shown before and 5 days after ActiveFX fractional skin resurfacing with PRP.  The benefits seem to include faster skin regrowth and less redness. 

Read more about PRP treatments with laser resurfacing on a PRP treatment blog post by Dr. Kotlus here. 

Nonsurgical fat reduction is all the rage this year because of the 2 major players on the market, CoolSculpting and now Liposonix.  What's the difference between the 2?

CoolSculpting reduces fat by freezing the fat cells.  It uses a vacuum to pull skin and fat between two cooling plates that carefully control the temperature to a point that injures the fat cells.  On average, a 25% reduction in fat layer thickness is seen in that area after a 1 hour treatment. It requires that the treatment area has some flexibility so the cooling plates have access to the fat cells.

Liposonix uses ultrasound energy to injure fat cells in a precise manner.  The focused ultrasound beams can zap the cells and a consistent layer of fat is reduced (not a percentage of the fat).  It does not require the skin to be flexible.  

Both procedures have no significant downtime and the best results are usually seen in about 8-12 weeks. They don't quite compare with liposuction for body shaping, but the results are dramatic and without any surgery. 

You can read more about Liposonix on the Allure website here, or call if you want a one-on-one, free consultation. 

This video demonstrates the properties of cohesive gel used in modern silicone breast implants. Read more about breast augmentation here.

Have you wondered what you would look like if you had a cosmetic surgery procedure? The Vectra camera from Canfield Imaging allows you to see into the future, after a rhinoplasty for example.  Allure Medical Spa was the first in Michigan to offer the Vectra 3d simulation camera and the reviews have been outstanding.