PRP Facial for Acne Scars: One Patient’s Experience

A PRP facial uses plasma from your own blood, rich in platelets, and for acne scars it is usually paired with microneedling. A review of 14 studies found this made better-than-50% improvement about three times as likely as microneedling without PRP.¹ Below is how one patient described their sessions. It is one person’s experience.

What is a PRP facial, and how does it work?

A small amount of blood is taken from your arm and spun in a centrifuge to separate a layer rich in platelets, which carry natural growth factors.² Your doctor then places this plasma into the skin, with fine injections or during microneedling. It is all your own, so no foreign product goes into your skin.

Why pair it with microneedling?

The needles make tiny channels in the scarred skin, and the skin answers with fresh collagen. Plasma spread over those channels adds growth factors to help that repair. Your doctor may also place small amounts under deeper scars. Other treatments are often combined too, so ask which suits your scar type.³

What one patient told us on video

This patient had a few PRP sessions, six weeks apart, for mild acne. They said the sessions were uncomfortable, but they found the results noticeable and well worth it.

The change wasn’t immediate. Straight after treatment their skin was pink and mildly irritated, and a glow began to show after four to five days.

What the research says

Results vary, and they depend on your scars and your skin.

• In the same review of 14 studies and 472 patients, adding PRP to microneedling made clear improvement in scars about three times as likely (odds ratio 2.97), and patients were more satisfied. Severe redness and swelling were no more common, though few studies measured them. Most of the studies were split-face comparisons, and only 4 were randomised trials.¹
• An earlier review of 13 papers found adding PRP was linked to better scarring, higher satisfaction and less downtime, with the strongest support for PRP after fractional laser and less for PRP with microneedling.⁴
• The American Academy of Dermatology says some patients report diminished acne scars, but it still calls PRP for skin unproven, since there are few studies, and it isn’t clear why it works for some people and not others.²

What should you expect from a course?

For scars, most people have three to five sessions, roughly a month apart. This patient’s sessions were six weeks apart, and your doctor sets the gap for you. Scars keep softening for three to six months, and results can last up to about 18 months.²

Your skin can look pink and slightly puffy for a day or two. Some people find the treatment uncomfortable, so numbing cream is applied first. If you are worried about needles or pain, tell your doctor, as there are other options for scars.

Who shouldn’t have it?

Active acne needs to be under control before scar treatment begins.³ PRP isn’t suitable if you have hepatitis C, HIV, a blood cancer, skin cancer in the area, or take a blood thinner.² It also isn’t suitable with a blood or platelet disorder, an infection in the area, or during pregnancy. Your doctor checks this at your consultation.

How do I find out if PRP suits my scars?

Read our PRP treatment for face page for full details. Consultations are free at all 12 of our clinics, and you can ask for a female doctor. A dermatologist consultation has a fee.

Compare other acne scar treatments, or see a skin specialist in Karachi to find out if PRP suits your scars.

Medically reviewed by Dr Sadaf Saleem, Dermatologist, FCPS (Dermatology), PM&DC 62494-P; Dr Junaid Rabbani, Dermatologist, PM&DC 44510-S; and Dr Shegref Mushtaq, Dermatologist, FCPS (Dermatology), PM&DC 19827-N

1. Kang C, Lu D. Combined effect of microneedling and platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of acne scars: a meta-analysis. Front Med, 2022.
2. American Academy of Dermatology. Is platelet-rich plasma the secret to younger-looking skin?
3. American Academy of Dermatology. Acne scars: Diagnosis and treatment.
4. Hesseler MJ, Shyam N. Platelet-rich plasma and its utility in the treatment of acne scars: a systematic review. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2019.

Treatments in this article

Sessions, downtime and results for each, on its own page.

PRP Treatment for Face (Vampire Facial)Appointment: 45–60 minutes · Downtime: Redness or swelling for 1–2 days

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