There’s Nothing Scary About the Future of PRP

Leslie Fletcher is the founder and CEO of InjectAbility Clinic and Institute. Catch her presentation, “Elevate Your Injectables, It’s as Easy as P.R.P.,” at Modern Beauty Con, on May 6, 2023, at the Boston Park Plaza. 

Among those in medical aesthetics, Leslie Fletcher, NP-BC, rarely needs an introduction. She was named the Best Aesthetic Nurse in the United States in 2019, and her clinic was voted best medspa in the world by her peers at the My Face, My Body Awards. 

So it was a thrill to chat with her about the growing popularity of platelet-rich plasma injections, which, due to social media and the memorable moniker “vampire facial,” are quickly becoming one of the most in-demand services at medspas throughout the country.

Just how new is PRP? And why is it gaining traction now?

Leslie Fletcher: I first discovered it in Europe over 10 years ago. Once it made its way over here, I think Instagram, along with before-and-after photos, have propelled the technique to the forefront.

The thought of using blood can be scary to some. How do you educate clients about the process? 

LF: I let them know it’s no different than getting one tube of blood drawn at the doctor’s office. It is an autologous substance [their own]. Sometimes that makes it less scary. 

How do you attract clients to the treatment? 

LF: As mentioned earlier, some like the fact that it’s “natural.” This is a selling point. However, before-and-after results photos are the only way to sell this procedure. 

How do you recommend medspas grow their PRP business? 

LF: More than other services, education on the technique and its mechanisms of action—along with before-and-afters—is paramount.

What are services and/or products you recommend to complement PRP treatments?

LF: I recommend biostimulators and exosomes. And for hair rejuvenation: nutraceuticals.

What should the range of prices be? 

LF: The cost of the tube plus your time to administer. Approximately $500 to $800 per treatment, unless adding onto an existing microneedling—then our office doubles the cost of the tube, plus regular microneedling fees. 

Is there a particular client age or skin type that matches the service the best? 

LF: Patients under 70 will have the best chance of true collagen stimulation—and PRP is good for all skin types. 

What is the recommended recovery time?

LF: I recommend two to three days. Typically, there is rarely any bruising due to the hemostatic properties of PRP. Swelling, however, can be extreme. They may need to be aware of the overcorrection with PRP injections.

Some people have called it a “miracle filler.” Is that a correct term?

LF: That would be hyperbole. PRP does not act as a filler. It’s simply not a filler. It’s a collagen stimulator and skin booster helping to brighten and thicken the dermis, which, if that is what the patient needs to correct, could appear to work as a filler. 

Leslie Fletcher is the founder and CEO of InjectAbility Clinic and Institute. Catch her presentation, “Elevate Your Injectables, It’s as Easy as P.R.P.,” at Modern Beauty Con, on May 6, 2023, at the Boston Park Plaza.