English
PRF under the eyes is a new skin rejuvenation treatment which uses your own blood to freshen up the skin under the eyes. PRF stands for Platelet-Rich Fibrin, which means platelet-rich fibrin. It may sound complicated, but we are going to explain it step by step in a simple way.
PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin) is an injection treatment that uses part of your own blood to stimulate skin rejuvenation. The treatment involves taking advantage of the blood's own healing components — mainly platelets (platelets) — to help the skin repair itself and form new collagen. Collagen is the protein that gives the skin firmness and elasticity. As we get older, collagen decreases, which can lead to wrinkles and flabby skin. With PRF, you can kick-start the skin's natural repair process.
Here's how it works in brief: A small amount of blood is taken from the patient, much like a regular blood test. The blood is treated in a centrifuge machine that spins it at a lower speed for a short time. This separates out a yellowish portion of the blood that is thrombocytic plasma (full of your platelets) as well fibrin — a protein that helps the blood to clot. This concentrated plasma contains lots of growth factors that the platelets release. The growth factors are like the skin's own “vitamins” that stimulate cell renewal, collagen production and healing. When PRF is injected back into the skin, the fibrin acts as a small natural mesh or jelly that retains the growth factors in the area and releases them slowly over several days. In this way, the skin under the eyes receives a long-lasting dose of nutrition and is stimulated to rejuvenate itself over time.
Simply put, PRF can be likened to giving the skin under the eyes a natural boost from within. It's your body's own healing cells that do the job, stuck in the right place. The method is very gentle and has been used in healthcare for a long time to heal injuries and build up tissue. In beauty care, it is used to slow down aging, increase skin quality and give radiance — all natural and without foreign substances.
The area under the eyes is one of the first places where many people notice signs of age or signs of fatigue. The skin there is thin and sensitive. PRF under the eyes can help with several common concerns in this area:
One usually chooses PRF under the eyes When you want a natural solution on the above problem. Since PRF utilizes the body's own substances, the treatment is safe and well tolerated. There is no addition of chemicals or fillers -- everything that is injected comes from your own blood. It also means that the risk of allergic reactions or rejection is basically non-existent.
Many people choose this treatment in their 30s and 40s, when the first signs of age appear under the eyes. However, even younger people with genetic dark circles or older people with more pronounced disorders may benefit from PRF. It fits both as preventive treatment to slow aging, and as corrective treatment to improve existing problems under the eyes. You can do PRF all year round, but keep in mind that the skin can be a little sensitive in the days after — so don't plan important events right after the first treatment.
In conclusion, doing PRF under the eyes to get a fresher, more rested and youthful look in a natural way. The treatment can produce subtle but noticeable improvements without it looking “done”, which is appreciated by many who want to avoid drastic interventions.
PRF treatment under the eyes is suitable for most people who want to improve the skin under the eyes in a gentle way. Here are some examples of who might be a good candidate:
However, there are some that not should do PRF treatment: If you have a serious blood disorder, problems with clotting (blood clotting ability), or are on blood-thinning medications, PRF may be inappropriate. This is because the treatment is based on your own platelets and clotting factors. Pregnant or breastfeeding women are usually advised against aesthetic treatments in general, including PRF, for precautionary reasons (however, there are no known specific risks of PRF in pregnant women, but this is usually expected).
Otherwise, the PRF under the eyes is a widely useful treatment. Young adults with early signs or older people who want to freshen up the eye area — most can benefit from PRF as long as they are in generally good health. A consultation with the clinic is always done first to assess whether you are suitable and if PRF can give you the results you desire.
You may have even heard of PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma), sometimes referred to as “vampire treatment”. PRF and PRP are closely related methods -- both use your blood for rejuvenation -- but there are important differences between them:
In short, PRF and PRP are similar treatments with the same basic principle — using your blood for rejuvenation. The main difference is the fibrin in PRF, which causes the treatment to act as a slow excretion of growth factors and a natural filler, which can produce more robust and longer-lasting results. PRP has been more proven for a long time and works great for many purposes, but PRF is often considered beneficial just under the eyes and in deeper wrinkles/cavities where volume and slow release are desired.
Both PRP and PRF are used in aesthetic treatments to rejuvenate and improve various areas. Basically, they can be used on same areas, but depending on the characteristics of the method, they are sometimes more popular for certain purposes. Here are some common uses and if it is usually done with PRF or PRP:
In summary, it can be said that PRP is widely used for general skin rejuvenation (face, neck, scalp) where one wants to spread nutrients into the skin, while PRF is often chosen for those areas where you need both rejuvenation and a little padding — mainly under the eyes, but also some lines on the face. Both are very versatile. An experienced clinic can sometimes combine PRP and PRF or choose the method based on your need. For example, you might do PRF under the eyes for volume, but PRP with microneedling on the rest of the face for radiance — all during the same visit. The important thing is that the right method is used in the right place.
It is natural to wonder How the treatment itself is done — does it hurt? what does it look like? Here we describe a typical PRF treatment under the eyes, step by step:
Blood test: First, you are allowed to leave a small sample of blood, most often from the fold of the arm. It involves a few teaspoons of blood, approximately 10—20 ml (depending on how many areas to be treated). This moment passes quickly, just a stab in the arm as in normal sampling.
Centrifugation: The blood is placed in a centrifuge -- a machine that spins the test tube at high speed. For PRF, spin a little slower than for PRP, for about 5—8 minutes. During centrifugation, the blood is separated into layers. The uppermost golden yellow part is the plasma with fibrin and platelets (PRF). Staff of the clinic take out this part with a syringe. Everything is done sterile and carefully. When the handler is done, they have a syringe loaded with your own concentrated plasma.
Preparation of the skin: While the blood is being prepared, you can have anesthetic cream applied under the eyes so that the area goes numb a little. The skin is also thoroughly cleaned with disinfection to avoid infection.
Injection of PRF: Now it's time to inject PRF into the lower eye area. The therapist uses a very thin needle. Often a couple of small punctures are made per side, just under the skin in the area where you want the effect (e.g. where dark circles are visible or where the skin is thinnest). Thanks to the anesthetic, this almost painless — many feel only a slight pressure or ant sting. The injection itself passes quickly, in a matter of minutes it is ready. The therapist can massage lightly on the area afterwards to distribute the plasma right under the skin.
Aftercare directly: You are allowed to press lightly with a compress. Sometimes a cooling jelly pad is given under the eyes to reduce any swelling. Then it's ready! The entire visit, from the time you enter until you leave, usually takes around 45—60 minutes, of which the injection moment itself is only a small part of the time.
Immediately after treatment: You can be a little swollen and possibly a little red under the eyes the first hours and up to a couple of days. Some even get small bruises from the needle stick — the skin under the eyes is thin so this is not uncommon. However, this is temporary. Swelling and bruising usually disappear within 2—4 days. Many people can cover any bruises with a little concealer after the first 24 hours if necessary. The positive is that since no foreign material has been injected (just your own blood), the reactions are usually mild.
Subsequent weeks: PRF stimulates the skin to renew itself, but that process takes some time. One should not expect a magical change right away. In the coming weeks However, the growth factors begin to do their job: they trigger the cells of the skin to produce new collagen and repair damaged areas. Many people notice that the skin under the eyes gradually becomes smoother and healthier within 2—4 weeks of treatment, with continued improvement up to 2—3 months. For some, a subtle improvement is already visible after about two weeks, for others it takes a little longer — it is individual.
Repeat as necessary: A single PRF treatment may provide some improvement, but usually a series of treatments is recommended for optimal effect (more on that in the FAQ). You may need to come back after about a month for the next session, depending on the treatment plan you have set up.
Summarized: A PRF treatment under the eyes is relatively quick and easy to implement. You usually sit in a comfortable chair in the meantime. Stings from blood tests and injection are the only moments that can be felt a little, but with anesthesia, the discomfort is minimal. No major recovery is required — many can go back to their usual activities the same day or the day after. It is therefore a smooth clinic treatment that provides natural results over time, without surgery.
Many people have questions before trying a PRF treatment. Here we answer some frequently asked questions:
No, most people do not experience the treatment as painful. The needle itself feels a bit grand (sort of like mosquito bites). In addition, the clinic most often uses anesthetic cream under the eyes before injection, which makes you hardly feel anything at all. Afterwards, the area may feel a little sore if you press it, but it's not an intense pain.
It is usually recommended to course of treatment in 3 treatments for the best results. These spread out every few weeks (often ~4 weeks in between). Some may need 4—5 treatments depending on the initial condition and how the skin responds. When you get the results you want, you usually do maintenance treatments about 1-2 times a year to maintain the effect. However, this depends on individual factors — some find the effect to last a long time and are content with occasional refills, while others may take a new course after a year.
Not immediately, but gradually. In the first few days after treatment, you may actually look a little worse due to swelling or bruising — this is normal and temporary. The real results begin to show after a few weeks when the skin has had time to produce collagen and new cells. Many see noticeable improvement around 2—3 weeks after the first treatment, and then the improvement continues. The full effect of a single treatment is usually noticeable after about 2—3 months. If you do several treatments in one course, the results are based on each other. Be patient — PRF works in the quiet inside of the skin, and suddenly one morning you may notice that you look fresher than you did before!
This can vary, but it is estimated that the effect of a PRF/PRP course lasts for approximately 12—18 months. That doesn't mean everything is as blown away after that time, but skin improvement can gradually diminish as natural aging occurs. With good skin care, sun protection and healthy lifestyle, the effect can last longer. Doing occasional maintenance treatments every year can significantly prolong the results. Some feel that they do not need maintenance until after two years, while others do small touch-ups already after 6—12 months — this is individual.
PRF under the eyes is generally very safe because one uses body weight material. The most common side effects are Temporary and local, such as swelling, redness, or small bruises in the treatment area. These usually disappear within a few days. The risk of infection is minimal if the treatment is carried out correctly and sterile — you are always instructed to keep the area clean and avoid poking. Allergic reactions are extremely rare (there is nothing “foreign” for the body to react to). An unusual risk is that you may get a small knot or unevenness where the plasma was inserted, but because it is your own fibrin, such irregularities usually regress on their own when the fibrin breaks down. Overall, complications very unusual, especially if the treatment is carried out by medically trained personnel.
Many doctors and patients believe that PRF gives better results just under the eyes. The reason is the slow release of growth factors by fibrin and that PRF acts as a light filler, which suits the delicate eye area. Studies and experience suggest that dark circles and cavity improve more long-term with PRF compared to PRP. However, PRP is also effective for skin improvement and some clinics still use PRP under the eyes, especially if it is already part of a facial treatment. But if the question is which generally considered sharpest for lower eyes, so much points to PRF as the favorite thanks to its composition.
Yes, it goes excellently. PRF under the eyes can be combined with other aesthetic treatments for an overall improvement. Example: Some do PRF under the eyes while doing PRP or microneedling on the rest of the face. Others might combine PRF with a little botox in the crow's kicks around the eyes (botox removes wrinkles, PRF improves skin -- they work in different ways). It is also possible to combine PRF with hyaluronic acid fillers in other areas if you wish, but you usually do not mix filler and PRF on same place at the same time. Your clinic can advise on what is suitable to combine based on your goals.
PRF treatments are now offered in many aesthetic clinics and dermatology surgeries. Be sure to choose a serious clinic with medically trained personnel (doctor or nurse) who perform injection treatments. You can ask at consultation if they have experience with PRF under the eyes. As the method has become more popular, more clinics have taken it in. Price and layout may vary slightly (see next item on cost). Feel free to do research, read reviews and feel confident with the clinic of your choice.
An important practical question: How much does a PRF treatment cost? The cost may vary depending on the clinic, geographic location, and how many treatments you do. Below is an approximate price picture:
In Sweden, an under-eye PRF treatment typically costs around 1,500 to 3,000 kronor per time. Many clinics charge around $2,000 to treat both lower eyes. Some luxury clinics in big cities may charge more, while some clinics may offer lower price. For example, one clinic has listed the price 1 990 kr for PRF under the eyes, while another might take around 2,500 kr. The price level may also depend on how much PRF (how many tubes of blood) is needed and whether it is combined with something else.
Since it is usually recommended to do several treatments, many places offer package prices. For example, a clinic can give ~ 10% discount if you buy a package of 3 treatments at once. So if one treatment costs SEK 2,000, three can cost around SEK 5,400 in packages instead of SEK 6,000. It may be worth asking about the package price or the course price.
Compared to other treatments: The price for PRF is in a similar level to that of PRP, sometimes marginally higher because PRF is newer and considered more advanced. Compared to traditional under-eye fillers (tear trough-filler with hyaluronic acid), PRF is usually in the same price range or slightly below. Fillers under the eye can cost ~3,000-5,000 kr per time, but need to be done less frequently. PRF, on the other hand, is natural and part of a course of treatment. All in all, PRF is an investment in the quality of your skin.
Other areas: If you were to treat larger areas with PRF, such as the entire face or scalp, the cost will be higher per time as more material and time is consumed. For example, the PRF for the whole face can be around SEK 2,500-3,500, and the PRF for hair loss may be SEK 3,000-4,000 per session, depending on the extent. Under the eyes is a small area, so the price per area is relatively lower.
Remember that price is not everything — it is important that the person performing the treatment is competent. Sometimes a slightly more expensive clinic with a good reputation can be worth the money for you to have peace of mind and good results.
PRF under the eyes is a safe and natural way to look fresher and fresher. You use your body's own resources to rejuvenate the skin, which is appreciated by many who want to avoid unnecessary chemicals or surgical procedures. If you're tired of dark circles or fine lines under your eyes, PRF may be worth considering — it's a science-based treatment that's already helped many people get a more rested look with relatively little effort. Always consult a professional clinic to see if PRF is right for you, but for most people it is an exciting option in the quest for fresher eyes.
