PRP for the face and under-eye area uses a concentrate prepared from your own blood to improve skin quality where creams and lasers reach their limit. It is offered at Sage Dermatology, a dermatologist-led clinic at Yonge and Wellesley in downtown Toronto.
What PRP is
A small volume of blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge to separate platelet-rich plasma from red cells. Platelets carry growth factors involved in tissue repair. Injected into the skin, that concentrate stimulates fibroblasts to produce collagen over the following weeks. Nothing synthetic is introduced, and because the material comes from you, allergic reaction is not a concern.
The under-eye area
Thin, crepey skin and dark shadowing under the eyes are among the most common reasons patients ask about PRP. Injected superficially across the tear trough and lower lid, PRP thickens the skin over several months, which softens the bluish show-through of underlying vessels and improves texture. It is a different tool from filler: filler adds volume immediately and holds it, while PRP changes the quality of the skin itself and works gradually. Some patients do best with one, some with a combination, and part of the consultation is establishing which problem you actually have. Hollowing from volume loss will not respond to PRP alone.
The rest of the face
Across the cheeks and midface, PRP is used for overall skin quality — fine crepey lines, dullness and early laxity. It is often combined with microneedling or radiofrequency microneedling in the same session, where the channels created by the needles allow the plasma to reach the dermis directly and the two treatments reinforce each other.
What to expect
A session takes about 45 minutes including the blood draw and preparation. Topical anaesthetic is applied first. Expect swelling and some bruising around the eyes for three to seven days; the under-eye area bruises more readily than the rest of the face, and it is worth planning around a social calendar. Results build over two to three months as collagen forms, and a course of three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart is typical, with maintenance once or twice a year.
What the evidence supports
PRP for facial skin quality is supported by a reasonable body of published work, though studies vary in how the plasma is prepared and how results are measured, which makes direct comparison between them difficult. The realistic expectation is a moderate improvement in skin texture and thickness, not a dramatic change. Anyone describing it as a replacement for surgery or filler is overstating what it does.
Cost and coverage
PRP is a cosmetic treatment and is not covered by OHIP. Cost depends on the number of sessions and whether it is combined with microneedling; the fee is confirmed at your consultation, and we provide receipts for health spending accounts.
Booking
No referral is needed. Call 416.792.0159 or email info@sagedermatology.ca. Sage Dermatology is at 591 Yonge Street, Units 202 and 203, steps from Wellesley subway station, with underground parking on Gloucester Street. Plan your visit.