Platelet-rich fibrin, prepared from a small draw of your own blood in our Wellington office and used the same visit. No anticoagulant, no additives, nothing that did not come from you.
Medically reviewed by Anna Frisch, MD, PhD
Board-certified endocrinologist · Medical Director, Palm Beach Cosmetic Medicine
Last reviewed
PRF stands for platelet-rich fibrin. We draw a small sample of your blood into an additive-free tube, spin it at low force, and it clots naturally into a fibrin scaffold that holds your own platelets and growth factors in place. Nothing is added to the tube and nothing is added to you.
That scaffold is the whole point. Where a liquid preparation delivers its signal quickly and disperses, the fibrin matrix holds the material where it is placed and releases growth factors more gradually. In laboratory work measuring release over ten days, PRF released more in total across the full period.
Platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin both start the same way: a small draw of your own blood, spun in the office, used the same visit. What separates them is what happens in the tube.
PRP is drawn into a tube containing an anticoagulant, spun at higher force, and produces a liquid concentrate that delivers its growth factors quickly. PRF is drawn into an additive-free tube with no anticoagulant, spun at lower force, and clots naturally into a fibrin scaffold. In laboratory work measuring growth factor release over ten days, PRP released significantly more in the first fifteen to sixty minutes, and PRF released more in total across the full ten days. One is a faster signal. The other is a slower one held in place.
Neither is the upgrade. PRF is sometimes called second generation, which describes the preparation method rather than the results. Which one belongs in your treatment is a clinical decision about the area being treated and what you are trying to change, and it is made by Dr. Frisch as part of your protocol.
| PRP and PRF at Palm Beach Cosmetic Medicine | PRP | PRF |
|---|---|---|
| In the tube | Anticoagulant added | Nothing added |
| Spin | Higher force, often two spins | Lower force, single spin |
| What forms | Liquid concentrate | Fibrin scaffold that holds the platelets in place |
| Growth factor release | More in the first hour | More in total across ten days |
| White blood cells | Adjustable by protocol, including neutrophil-poor for delicate facial work | Inherently leukocyte-rich |
| Typically chosen for | Scalp series, hyperpigmentation, protocols needing a customised formulation | Under-eye and delicate facial areas, texture and crepiness, bio-filler |
| Regulatory status | Neither is FDA-approved as a treatment. The devices used to prepare them are FDA-cleared. Aesthetic use is off-label, which is lawful and standard. | |
Growth factor release comparison from Kobayashi et al., Clinical Oral Investigations, 2016. Leukocyte composition per the original leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin nomenclature. Whether higher leukocyte content improves aesthetic outcomes is unresolved in the literature and we do not claim that it does.
The fibrin scaffold holds the preparation where it is placed, which is the reason PRF is often selected over PRP for thin, delicate skin. Published studies of platelet preparations in the periorbital area report improvements in texture, crepiness and fine lines. The same literature finds that improvement frequently diminishes by around six months, so we plan a series and reassess rather than promising a duration.
Used for texture, tone and post-acne scarring. The published work on this specific combination is limited to a small number of studies, and we describe it as an option supported by early evidence rather than as an established standard.
A 2026 multicentre randomised trial in women with pattern hair loss compared PRP, injectable PRF and concentrated growth factors across four sessions, and reported greater hair-count improvement in the PRF and concentrated growth factor arms, with the lowest adverse-event rate in the PRF arm. That is one trial in one population, and PRP remains the more extensively studied option. Both are available and your protocol names which one and why.
Bio-filler is made by warming the plasma layer from your own draw so the albumin in it sets into a gel, then recombining that gel with liquid PRF. It adds volume using only your own blood, and patients searching for it online usually find it under the trade name EZ Gel. Coming to the practice this fall.
Every PRP protocol at Palm Beach Cosmetic Medicine is designed and supervised by Dr. Anna Frisch, MD, PhD, a board-certified endocrinologist. Day-to-day treatment, the draw, preparation, and application, is delivered by our credentialed care team, including Elizabeth Melendez, our medical aesthetician, trusted by Dr. Frisch to provide PRP, laser treatments, and personalized skincare with a patient-centered approach. You'll know exactly who is treating you and who designed your plan.
Board-certified endocrinologist. Designs and supervises every PRP protocol.
Medical aesthetician. Delivers PRP, laser treatments, and personalized skincare.
Candidacy is decided at consultation and depends on the area being treated, your medical history, and your current medications. Because PRF is made from your own blood, it is generally well tolerated, and that is a starting point rather than a guarantee.
The skin around the eye is the thinnest on the body, and treatment there carries more consideration than treatment elsewhere on the face. Expect swelling and the possibility of bruising for several days, and occasionally longer in that area. PRF is not appropriate during pregnancy or nursing, with an active infection at the treatment site, or with certain blood disorders or active malignancy. Individual results vary.
Consultations are complimentary and are with our medical team. Bring any questions about candidacy, which preparation suits the area you want treated, and how PRF fits into a longer plan.
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