PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) THERAPY

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) is not a miracle cure. But few individual treatment types on their own have produced as promising of results as PRP for such a wide variety of issues. From improving thinning hair, reducing signs of aging on the face, to healing damaged joints and even restoring sexual sensitivity in men and women, PRP has proven itself to be one of the key tools in our advanced portfolio of anti-aging approaches.

PRP Treatments - Newport Beach, with Dr. John Laura

PRP Therapy uses platelet rich plasma to address a number of health and wellness concerns, including injury recovery, hair loss and joint pain.

PRP at a Glance

PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. Blood consists of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Plasma is the liquid component of blood that includes proteins, nutrients, glucose, and antibodies, among other components. It provides a medium for red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to circulate through the body. Platelets, on the other hand, are the major clotting tool in your blood and are also called thrombocytes. They secrete substances called growth factors and proteins that regulate cell division, stimulate tissue regeneration, and promote healing.

The PRP rejuvenation treatment uses your own blood platelets to stimulate cell growth and collagen production. PRP therapy is used for facial rejuvenation, hair rejuvenation, joint healing, sexual sensitivity restoration, hand rejuvenation among other things.

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Dr. John Laura and his team take extreme pride in providing patients with the best experience in Orange County. We can’t wait to help you customize the perfect treatment plan just for you.

How Does PRP Therapy Work?

A small amount of blood is drawn from you for the treatment. This blood is transferred into a vial and placed into a centrifuge. The centrifuge rotates rapidly, separating the red blood cells from the platelets by pushing them to the bottom of the vial. Platelet poor plasma occupies the very top layer in the vial, followed by the platelet-rich plasma and white blood cells, together also called the buffy coat. The platelet poor plasma is then removed, and the vial is placed in the centrifuge again. This time, the centrifuge separates the white blood cells from the platelet-rich plasma, which is then extracted into a syringe for immediate treatment.


Each PRP therapy session is tailored to you personally, depending on your blood, your immune system, and treatment goals. Additives such as thrombin and calcium chloride may be added to the PRP to further stimulate clotting, activate the platelets and enhance the platelet-rich plasma’s regenerative properties. The PRP preparation is adjusted accordingly.

PRP therapy harnesses the healing and rejuvenating properties of your own body’s cardiovascular system. It is especially suited for application in these areas:

  • Facial anti-aging
  • Acne treatments
  • Preventing or reversing hair loss 
  • Joint recovery, mobility and pain management
  • Sexual health and well-being for both men and women

While the method might sound unusual, your body will immediately recognize the plasma as its own. This will naturally stimulate the repair processes that will help you reach your personal treatment goals. 

Every PRP therapy is different from the other, depending on your blood, your immune system, and the clinical preparation methods. Additives such as thrombin and calcium chloride may be added to the PRP to artificially stimulate clotting, activate the platelets and enhance the platelet-rich plasma’s regenerative properties. The PRP preparation differs depending on the treatment it is used for.

General PRP Treatments

At Dr. John Laura’s clinic, PRP plays an important role in our ability to address a wide range of age related issues. PRP can be combined with a variety of treatments including many for face, neck, decolletage, and hand rejuvenation. Talk to us about how PRP can help you in any of your anti-aging concerns.

PRP for Hair Rejuvenation

If you are losing hair that is resulting in a receding hairline, thinning on the crown, or thinning through the parting, then it is time you visit Dr. John Laura for PRP treatments. Excessive hair loss from the scalp leads to alopecia in both men and women. Unless it is treated, it can lead to complete baldness. Are you a victim of baldness? Are you tired of home remedies to treat hair loss? Have other treatments failed you? The PRP hair rejuvenation treatment might be for you. Your PRP hair rejuvenation treatment will start with a consultation with Dr. John Laura who will determine whether you are an ideal candidate for this procedure or not. You will be advised against the use of vitamins, blood thinners, and certain medications for at least two weeks prior to the treatment. Dr. John Laura also advises against smoking or the consumption of alcohol at least three days before the procedure. These are precautionary measures to avoid possible side effects from the procedure.

The PRP hair rejuvenation treatment begins with some blood drawn from you, transferred to a tube, and placed in a centrifuge. Dr. John Laura will mark the area on your scalp where hair needs to be restored. The marked area on your head is cleaned using a disinfectant and numbed using local anesthesia. The plasma, which is rich in platelet is drawn into a syringe and injected into your scalp and the site is cleaned thoroughly again.

After the treatment, you will be advised to stop taking vitamins, blood thinners and other contraindicated medicines for three to seven days. The PRP hair rejuvenation treatment is a non-surgical treatment that takes just a few minutes of your time. You may experience some tenderness, a feeling of tightness and minimal pain in the area of the injection, but the result of this treatment is worth the applaud as it helps regrow and thicken existing hair follicles with no downtime and minimal discomfort.

PRP Treatment for Joints

Every person experiences pain in the joints caused by an injury or by bone degeneration. While in some cases, the pain subsides, in other cases, it gets worse. The wear and tear of the joints lead to severe pain and problems such as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is very common with aging. But at some point, you may experience it at a very early stage in life. The excruciating pain makes it impossible to do the day to day activities. Several patients like you are turning to PRP injections to treat joint pain. They are taking advantage of the blood’s natural healing properties to repair the damaged tendons, ligaments, cartilage, muscle, or even bone.

The platelet-rich plasma injection treatment for joints is an outpatient procedure that takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Your treatment procedure begins with a consultation with Dr. John Laura, who will start with a physical examination. He will then review your medical history, your present medical condition, medications, allergies, and family medical history to determine whether you are a suitable candidate for the treatment. He may also suggest changing some medicines and a blood test.

If you are a suitable candidate, a treatment plan is created based on the physical condition of your joint. The number of treatments required is also decided. Blood is drawn from your body to prepare the PRP injection. If several numbers of treatments are recommended, a single blood draw may be recommended during the first visit. Fresh PRP is used in the first injection, and the remaining PRP is frozen for future use. Some experts believe that freezing and thawing PRP negatively affects its usefulness. Dr. John Laura recommends using fresh blood for each treatment.

Once the PRP is ready, the affected joint area is cleaned with a disinfectant. A gel is applied to the skin in the area to be injected. An ultrasound probe, when pressed against the gel-covered skin, projects a live image of the joint on the screen. Using this as a guidance tool, Dr. John Laura will inject a small amount of PRP into the joint capsule using a syringe needle. The ultrasound is used to ensure precise injection. Once the PRP is inserted, the injected area is cleaned and bandaged. You may feel tightness and swell at the injected area. You may also feel some pain for two to three days after the treatment. These side effects are very common as the PRP stimulates a series of biological responses.

Are You a Suitable Candidate for the PRP Injection?

There are no universally adopted criteria that dictate who is the right candidate for the PRP joint treatment procedure. Most professional physicians believe that the below guidelines help determine if you are a suitable candidate for the procedure or not:

  • Osteoarthritis or your joint pain affects your daily activities
  • More conservative treatments listed below are eliminated due to medical reasons or have failed you.
    • Physiotherapy to strengthen the joint muscles
    • Joint aspirations do not provide adequate relief or are not appropriate
    • Steroid injections have not helped you in relieving the pain, or you have been asked to avoid steroid injections
    • You are sensitive to anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, or they do not give you adequate relief

You may not be a suitable candidate for this treatment if:

  • You are an active or passive smoker
  • You are an alcoholic and a drug user
  • You use blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder
  • You have cancer, blood pressure, thyroid problems or any medical condition that may worsen or spread with injections
  • Your joint pain/osteoarthritis is severe
  • You have any infections or skin disease
  • You are anemic
  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding

You are advised to consult Dr. John Laura regarding your health condition and allergies as it will help determine if you are suitable for this procedure. Failing to tell him about any of the problems listed above may lead to side effects or the treatment not being fruitful. It is our mission to give you the best results with PRP. Precision is of utmost importance during the PRP joint treatment, therefore we recommended to visit an experienced doctor such as Dr. John Laura.