PRP and Cell-Based Treatments in Korea
PRP is prepared by spinning a sample of your own blood and using the concentrated portion in the skin or scalp. Around it sits a group of treatments marketed with words like stem cell and exosome, where the language is looser than the evidence, so this page is mostly about telling them apart.
What PRP is
Blood is drawn, spun in a centrifuge, and the platelet-rich layer is separated from the rest. That layer is then injected into the skin or scalp, or applied to the surface after microneedling. Because it comes from you, there is no question of an allergic reaction to a foreign material, and it cannot be stored or shared.
Platelets carry signalling proteins involved in healing, which is the reasoning behind using them. How much of that reasoning translates into visible change depends heavily on the indication and on how the sample was prepared — spin speed, kit, and whether the platelets are activated all vary between clinics, and there is no single standard.
Where it is used
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Pattern hair loss | The better-studied use, typically as a series alongside medical treatment rather than instead of it |
| Overall skin quality | Commonly offered for texture and dullness; expectations should be modest |
| Alongside needling or laser | Applied after the procedure, on the reasoning that the skin is receptive |
| Under-eye area | Used by some clinics, avoided by others because of the risk of lumpiness and irregularity |
How the words are used
“Stem cell” appears on menus for things that are quite different from one another: preparations of culture medium left over from growing cells, products containing cell-derived particles, and occasionally marketing applied to something with no cellular component at all. Treatments involving actual living cells are tightly regulated and are not a walk-in aesthetic service.
“Exosome” is more specific in the laboratory than in the clinic. In practice these are almost always applied topically immediately after needling or laser, because what may be injected is restricted and varies by country. A clinic that is vague about whether a product is being injected or applied is worth pressing on.
None of this means the treatments are worthless. It means the label is not information, and the useful questions are about the product rather than the category.
Who it suits
People who want gradual improvement in skin quality and prefer a material derived from their own blood, and people with early pattern hair loss being managed properly in other ways too.
Who it does not suit
It is not a treatment for laxity, for volume loss, or for established scarring, and it will not do the work of sun protection or of a medical acne plan. Bleeding disorders, anticoagulant use, active infection in the area, and some blood conditions are reasons to look elsewhere. Anyone hoping for a single dramatic change should not start here.
The session
Blood is drawn as for a routine test, then spun for several minutes while numbing cream works. The preparation is injected in small amounts across the area, or spread on after needling. Thirty to sixty minutes in total, most of it waiting.
Afterwards
Bruising at injection points, swelling for a day or two, and tenderness in the scalp if treated there. Redness settles within a day in most cases. Bruising is the most common inconvenience and can take a week to fade, so avoid planning it close to an event.
The course
Usually three or four sessions a month apart, then occasional maintenance. Because the effect is gradual and cumulative, the honest way to assess it is a standardised photograph before starting and another a couple of months after the final session.
What to ask
- Exactly what is being used — my own blood, or a manufactured product?
- If it is a product, what is it, where does it come from, and is it approved for this use here?
- Will it be injected or applied to the surface, and why that choice?
- What would tell us at three months that this is not worth continuing?
FAQ
Is PRP the same as a stem cell treatment?
No. PRP is a concentrated fraction of your own blood. Stem cell is used in clinic marketing for a range of quite different things, some of which contain no cells at all, so the word alone tells you very little.
Where is the evidence strongest?
It is generally considered better established for pattern hair loss than for facial rejuvenation, and studies differ in preparation method, which makes results hard to compare. Ask what a clinic is basing its expectation on.
What is an exosome treatment?
A preparation of cell-derived vesicles, in practice usually applied to the skin surface after needling or laser rather than injected. Regulation of what may be injected differs by country, so ask specifically which is being proposed.
What should I refuse?
Anything where the clinic cannot tell you plainly what the product is, where it came from, and whether it is approved for the use being proposed. An unclear answer is the answer.