Remember when you had terrible acne in your teens? Or that time you fell off your bike and scraped your knee? Even if you can’t identify with those specific memories, chances are that you’ve gotten a scar or two at some point in your life. New or old, those bumpy, pitted, and discolored blemishes can be an unsightly smudge on your overall aesthetic. The good news is that there’s a way to get rid of your scars safely and naturally. 

Ellen TeBos, FNP-BC, and her experienced staff at Glow Up Aesthetics in Kalamazoo, Michigan, specialize in giving you the look you want, and sometimes that means erasing the past with PRP scar reduction. 

The skinny on scars

If you’re a living, breathing human, you’re at risk for developing at least one scar in your lifetime. Most commonly, scars appear after a scrape or burn, but they also develop after surgery, severe acne, or infections like chickenpox. 

If your skin becomes stretched, like during pregnancy or after weight gain and loss, you can see the resulting scars criss-crossing your skin You may even have conditions like keloid scars or epidermolysis bullosa, which cause your skin to be highly susceptible to scarring. 

A scar, no matter what has caused it, is your body’s response to injury or damage to the deepest layers of your skin. Your skin responds to the injury by producing collagen to repair the wound. 

Scar tissue forms over time, but the fibers differ from the surrounding skin tissue, which makes your scar stand out against the rest of your skin.

You can dab on some makeup, wear long shirts and pants, and do other things to hide your scars, or you can invest in our advanced PRP scar reduction. 

How PRP scar reduction works

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) scar reduction starts with a sample of your blood. Your blood contains super-healing factors called platelets. These platelets show up at the scene of an injury and begin the healing process by stimulating the production of the proteins collagen and elastin. 

We concoct a highly concentrated solution of these platelets by putting a sample of your blood into a machine called a centrifuge and separating the platelets from the rest of your blood. 

There are two ways we can deliver the PRP: microneedling or injection. 

We use microneedling to make microscopic pricks in your skin, just deep enough to kick your body into its natural healing process. The PRP solution is then massaged into your skin, and the platelets help produce collagen and elastin that begin regenerating healthy cells. 

There’s also the option of simply injecting the PRP directly into the scar and surrounding tissue through a very fine needle. 

With support from the PRP, your body is better able to build new, healthier cells and smooth out your scar. After an evaluation and discussion with our providers, we determine which method is right for you. 

Candidates for PRP scar reduction

The best part about our scar reduction is that virtually anyone can get it regardless of gender or skin tone. Because PRP is derived from your own cells, the chances of you rejecting it are slim to none. There are a few circumstances that might prevent you from getting this treatment including:

• Pregnancy
• Skin conditions like eczema or rosacea
• History of poor wound healing
• Skin radiation in the past twelve months
• The use of certain acne treatments
• Being prone to scarring

Talk to us about your complete medical history so we can decide whether PRP scar reduction is for you. 

Sometimes scars are painful reminders; at other times you can wear them like badges of honor. Either way, there’s no reason you need to live with the past. When you’re ready to see your scars fade away for good, call our office or schedule an appointment online.