PRP vs PRF: what the extra letter actually changes
Same blood draw, different spin, genuinely different behaviour. Which one you want depends on whether you need a burst or a slow release.
Alla Yusim, RN, MSN, FNPAesthetic medicine · 7819 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11214Both start identically: a standard blood draw, the same as routine labs. What separates them is what happens in the centrifuge, and that difference decides how the growth factors reach your tissue.
The mechanical difference
| PRP | PRF | |
|---|---|---|
| Spin | Fast, with an anticoagulant | Slow, no anticoagulant |
| Result | Liquid plasma | A soft fibrin gel |
| Growth factors | Released quickly | Released over 7–10 days |
| White cells | Variable | Retained |
| Best delivered by | Injection or microneedling | Injection, especially deeper |
Because PRF is spun without an anticoagulant, it clots naturally into a scaffold. That scaffold sits in the tissue and releases growth factors gradually rather than all at once. PRP delivers a stronger immediate signal; PRF delivers a longer one.
Which for what
Skin quality and texture
PRP, driven in through microneedling channels. The immediate burst pairs well with the controlled injury of needling — you want the signal at the moment the wound-healing response starts, not spread over a week.
Under-eyes
PRF has the edge. The scaffold adds a very small amount of structure alongside the biological effect, and the slower release suits an area where you want gradual change and no swelling spike.
Hair thinning
PRP is the better-studied option, and it is what most published protocols use. Three sessions a month apart, then maintenance every four to six months. Results are measured at three months, not three weeks.
What neither of them does
Neither adds meaningful volume. Neither lifts. Neither replaces filler or radiofrequency. If you have laxity, PRP is not the treatment — it improves the quality of the skin you have, not the amount of collagen holding your jawline up.
What it costs here
PRP with microneedling is $600 per session; PRP facial and PRP for hair loss are both $600. A course of three is the standard recommendation for any of them, and the honest framing is that a single session is a nice glow, not a correction.
Common questions
Does it hurt to have blood drawn?
It is an ordinary venous draw, the same as routine bloodwork. The treatment itself is done after topical numbing.
How soon will I see something?
Three to twelve weeks. Anyone promising a visible change next week is describing swelling, not regeneration.
Is it safe?
It is your own blood, so there is no rejection risk and no foreign material. The risks are those of any injection: bruising, swelling, and — rarely — infection.
Can I do it if I take blood thinners?
Tell us at the consultation. Anticoagulants and regular anti-inflammatories both affect the platelet response, and the plan is adjusted accordingly.
This guide is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace an in-person assessment. Treatments described are performed by Alla Yusim, RN, MSN, FNP at Skin in Focus LLC, 7819 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11214.
Ask Alla Yusim directly.
A consultation is thirty minutes, complimentary for new clients, and ends with a plan and a price — not a package you did not ask for.