Safety considerations for aesthetic nurses administering platelet-rich plasma

Abstract

Treatment with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been labelled with emotive terms such as the Vampire Facelift and dracula therapy, which have generated a significant level of media coverage in the UK and around the globe. However, it could be argued that the use of PRP is an example of procedures gaining popularity before an appropriate level of research has been completed. It is important to note that the majority of research carried out to examine the efficacy of PRP appears to be subjective, made use of small samples and has been based on specialities outside of medical aesthetics. To explore this issue further and outline essential safety considerations, the author will look at the critical issues surrounding the principles of PRP and particularly the questions arising when researching which PRP system to invest in.