PRF is a procedure that draws your own blood, spins it, and uses a fibrin mass containing platelets on the skin. Unlike fillers, which place a material made outside the body, the material is made from blood drawn that day.
3-line summary
1. PRF is a blood procedure that uses fibrin containing platelets, and a process of culturing stem cells and putting them in is not included.
2. The name resembles PRP, but PRF makes a fibrin mesh without adding a drug that keeps blood from clotting.
3. Changes in periocular texture and fine lines have been reported, and reports have continued that those changes weakened around half a year. Redness, swelling, and bruising at the blood-draw and injection sites follow.
Fibrin is made from blood drawn that day
The material of PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin) is fibrin, the mesh that forms when blood clots. When blood is spun, layers separate, and platelets and white blood cells are trapped in that mesh. The paper that first organized this wrote that the mesh is made without mixing a drug into the blood. The author list of that paper includes the physician who first introduced this method.
PRF is a blood procedure that uses platelets and fibrin. A process of taking stem cells out of the body, expanding their number, and putting them back is not included. The starting point differs from procedures that collect cells from fat, and the comparison continues in the NovaStem, SVF, and PRF comparison.
The preparation process differs from PRP
Similarly named PRP (platelet-rich plasma) also starts from your own blood. Where they diverge is whether a drug is added, how many times the blood is spun, and how fast growth factors are released.
| Item | PRF | PRP |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | No drug that keeps blood from clotting is added | Adding one is the usual method |
| Separation | Once, relatively slowly | Stronger spins, including two spins |
| Form | Fibrin mesh | Platelet concentrate in plasma |
| Growth factors | Reports of release over several days | Reports of rapid early release |
A comparison review that collected only periocular studies wrote that evidence gathered toward PRF for texture and fine lines, and toward PRP for pigment. The literature did not rank the two.
From blood draw to application, it is finished in one visit
PRF is not a product made in advance and then used; it is prepared by a same-day blood draw. A dermatology society recommendation wrote that drawn blood is spun immediately, and the liquid form is placed that day. A storage step of keeping leftover material is not part of this procedure. The same-day sequence is aligned with the PRF procedure information.
| Step | What is done that day |
|---|---|
| Blood draw | Blood is drawn from a vein |
| Separation | It is placed in a centrifuge at once and layers are separated |
| Application | The fibrin layer is placed in the target area |
| Storage | The prepared material is used that day and is not kept |
Sensation at the placement site is reduced with topical anesthetic, a cold compress, and a nerve block if needed. When the starting material changes, as with blood, fat, or manufactured products, the preparation questions also change, so material differences continue in the source-material guide.
Texture change and duration
A literature review of PRF placed around the eyes collected changes in skin texture and fine lines and a thinned-looking quality. Reports have continued that those changes weakened around half a year. In facial studies that used PRF alone, some recorded change only through around three months.
To use the same week as microneedling or laser, the schedule is set after aligning interval and order. Quotes vary with blood-draw volume, application area, and number of sessions, and the question items can be seen in cost factors.
Swelling and bruising at the blood-draw and injection sites
The material used today is your own blood. This is a different issue from immune rejection when another person’s cells are used. Swelling, bruising, and infection from the blood draw and injection remain as they are.
Redness, swelling, and bruising at the injection site, and tenderness at the blood-draw site, commonly follow. If warmth spreads and fever remains, or if hives or shortness of breath appear, notify the treating clinic immediately. Shared contact criteria are aligned with the procedure safety information. Alcohol and exercise in the recovery week are adjusted using the guide to alcohol after treatment and the guide to exercise after treatment.
Platelet function disorder, a markedly reduced platelet count, sepsis, anticoagulant use, severe systemic disease, blood cancer, and recent fever are items the recommendation listed as things to avoid.
Questions to write down before the consultation
Whether the blood draw and centrifugation, the layer that is placed, and the contact for adverse reactions are left in writing is what determines same-day safety. Write down the items below so the explanation does not leave blanks.
- □ Whether the material used today is from your own blood draw, and whether a drug that keeps blood from clotting is added
- □ Whether centrifugation is done immediately after the blood draw, and whether the prepared material is used that day
- □ Where platelet and bleeding disorders, and the list of anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory pain medicines, and steroids, are written down
- □ Where pregnancy, breastfeeding, active infection, and recent fever are written down
- □ Whom to contact when redness or swelling grows or fever appears
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Is my own blood really drawn and used?
Yes. The material is made that day from your own venous blood draw. A process of drawing blood in advance or using another person’s blood is not included.
Q2. Do the blood draw and injection hurt?
The blood draw is similar to a routine blood test. The placement site has a sting and tenderness, and sensation is reduced with topical anesthetic, a cold compress, and a nerve block.
Q3. Is one session enough?
It is not presented as a one-session plan. There are reports of placement over several sessions at intervals of several weeks, and the number is set to match skin condition and application area.
Q4. Can it be combined with laser or microneedling?
To use the same week, days are split so recovery does not overlap. Current procedures and medications taken are disclosed first, then the schedule is set.
Q5. Can it be received during pregnancy?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding periods are kept free of aesthetic procedures when the schedule is made. Separate from platelet disorders, sepsis, and anticoagulant use, this is disclosed from the planning stage.
Results, duration, and suitability vary with individual skin condition, age, and lifestyle, and the same outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Procedures may cause temporary redness or swelling, and contraindications may apply, so please confirm these during your consultation.
This article is general information and does not replace individual medical care. Please confirm diagnosis and treatment suited to your condition during a consultation.
Sources
- Sollitto et al., literature review comparing periocular PRP and PRF (2025) — Verified scope: abstract + PMC full text. No Europe PMC retraction or expression of concern. No author conflicts of interest. Design limitations: 14 included papers, periocular only. Did not select superiority of one side. Report that PRF texture change weakened around half a year. Adverse reactions were temporary redness, swelling, and bruising. Background phrases ‘growth factors up to 2 weeks’ and ‘stem-cell stimulation’ are not findings of this review.
- Dohan et al., PRF technical concept (2006) — Verified scope: abstract only. Not a Europe PMC retraction (2007 commentary only). Design limitations: technical paper in the oral and maxillofacial field. Did not measure facial aesthetic effects. Authors include the researcher who first introduced this method (Choukroun). The body of this article uses only the range ‘fibrin is made without mixing a drug into the blood’.
- Dashore et al., dermatology recommendation on PRF preparation and use (2021) — Verified scope: abstract + PMC full text. No Europe PMC retraction or expression of concern. No author conflicts of interest. Design limitations: expert recommendation (consensus statement). Contraindications, same-day use, liquid form is not stored. Growth factors 14 days is a quoted sentence. Blood-draw volume, centrifuge values, and hemoglobin criteria were not placed in this article.
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