Maybe it’s the hustle and bustle of it all, but I am a tired girl. Back in August I celebrated my 33rd birthday and lamented with my pals that while I don’t feel dread about getting older I do feel some about looking older. Your girl looks tired because she is tired. Over the past few years my undereyes have started to show a lack of volume with fine lines starting to settle in.
I initially contemplated filler but as someone who has never gotten any injectable cosmetic work done in the past the prospect did spook me a little bit. For myself, I wanted something that would make me look like the best version of myself, but also a bit more approachable for a first timer. Enter PRP, a treatment often added to filler to aid in the look of rejuvenation. Partnering with R·MEDYᴹᴰ Aesthetics by Vancouver Laser, I recently went into their Burnaby location to get PRP done, specifically for my undereyes. Below are my initial thoughts, before and after pics and final verdict.
Note: if you want to know more but don’t like needles, worry not! There are no images of needles. There is a bit of blood, but only at the injection spots, I won’t make you look at vials of blood.
SO WHAT IS PRP?
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. It stimulates your body to produce new collagen and tighten the skin. The platelets sends a message to your body to also regulate tissue healing to aid in the look of minimizing fine lines and amping collagen production. What makes PRP a bit more approachable than other injectors, such as filler or Botox? PRP is made by your own blood. Yep, you read that right, the call is coming from inside the house.
The way that it works is that a vial of your blood is drawn (out of your elbow ditch, much like when yo your blood is tested or donated) then is inserted into a high-tech machine called a centrifuge that spins your blood to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the other components of your blood.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
This is considered a very low-risk procedure because it’s your own blood used there is virtually no risk of allergic reaction. Because blood is being drawn though, it is important to stay hydrated and I would avoid drinking alcohol or consuming anything that may make your blood thinner.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
PRP is used for a lot of different conditions, ranging from pain management to cosmetic. Because it stimulates new collagen and faster healing, it’s a popular treatment for musculoskeletal injuries, post-surgical healing and even stiff joints. On the cosmetic side, PRP is sometimes used in full-face facials and is known as the Vampire Facial (we’ve all seen this very bloody Kim Kardashian pic, right?), concentrated on the undereye and even used to stimulate new hair growth.
THE PROCESS
My visit to R·MEDYᴹᴰ Aesthetic was LUXE. For anyone who knows me IRL they know it takes a lot for me to leave Vancouver proper, but this location is pretty much right next to the Skytrain so getting there was faster than getting to certain parts of Vancouver. The space itself is gorgeous and inviting with purposeful design everywhere you look.
First step, post consult, was to sit back and relax in a personal waiting room with a sink, comfy armchair with foot rest, snacks and a TV connected to Netflix while I waited for the numbing cream to settle in. It’s very thoughtful to have the snacks to keep you well fed and hydrated before drawing your blood while ample time for the numbing cream to set in is so necessary. I am not squeamish when it comes to needles but having the needle so close to my eyes definitely freaks me out.
The next step takes you into the room where the procedure is performed. From here they draw a vial of your blood and return with several smaller vials of the PRP to be injected into your skin. The actual injection itself looks freakier than it feels. Small injection points are made with a slightly thicker needle to make room for a thinner needle to essentially weave under your skin to deposit the PRP.
The team at R·MEDYᴹᴰ Aesthetic will determine how much you need for desired results (one of side actually got more than the other for me) and whatever they don’t use you get to take home with you to use as an eye masque – pretty high tech stuff, eh?
THE DOWNTIME
Look, it’s a needle going into your face, there is going to be some swelling. The swelling for me was pretty much immediate but very minimal. My friends compared it to what it would look like if I had just been crying while I had some slight bruising. Once the numbing went down I could feel some tenderness to the touch but overall the downtime was minimal. I have had laser facials that had a more complicated healing process than PRP. I was advised that the swelling may progress over the course of the next three days, but for me I found that day one was my most swollen.
THE FINAL VERDICT
Overall, I am so happy with the results. I still look like myself but I can feel and see the difference, especially when I wear concealer. The concealer just sits better and because the fine lines are less defined the creasing is minimal and better improved. The healing, like I said, was a piece of cake. I keep calling it “baby filler” even though that’s not what this is. PRP is a great option for anyone looking for something less invasive than filler but still want to add a touch of volume back into their undereyes. After only a week I have started to see improvements but since the process is actually telling your body to produce more collagen and elastin it can take up to a few weeks to even a few months to see full results. This is definitely something I would get done again in the future.
Read more about PRP Eyes available at R·MEDYᴹᴰ Aesthetics by Vancouver Laser here.
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