I Got PRF For Smoother Under-Eyes & The Compliments Keep Rolling In

Ever since the pandemic — and since turning 40 two years ago — I’ve been on a quest to make my face look as youthful, but not plastic, as financially and willingly as possible. To that end, in the spring of 2023, I got a lower blepharoplasty to get rid of my excessive under-eye bags. I reasoned that I had let my hair go gray (I am not a patient person when it comes to salon visits, after all), I was not going to let my under-eye bags belie my age.

And it worked, perfectly. My under-eye bags are gone. Sure, if I drink a lot of wine or eat a salt-heavy meal, I get a bit puffy, but nowhere near as badly as I looked and felt on a daily basis. Now, the problem is that I’m still a 42-year-old woman who has loved sunbathing since she can remember…I have wrinkles, just like the rest of us.

So my attention turned to minimizing my under-eye wrinkles, which seemed to pop under concealer no matter what I did. What, I wondered, could I do about it?

I went back to Skin Solutions Collective (the reputable med spa I ventured to when I was told I needed a lower bleph), and visited with Lauren Abramowitz, PA-C, a pint-sized whipper snapper of a board-certified physician associate who specializes in cosmetic dermatology, to walked me through my options.

For my skin texture, she recommended platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), a treatment where parts of your blood are injected into your skin. Her website states, “promotes natural skin healing and rejuvenation by releasing growth factors that boost collagen production, leading to firmer and more youthful-looking skin.” Plus, she noted, it was a super-cool process to witness.

And off I went with a date in the books and a plan for three treatments over the course of a few months.

What Is PRF & What Are Its Benefits?

When looking into this sort of treatment, you likely hear of two versions: PRF and PRP. What sets PRF apart from PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is that it’s prepared differently. With PRF, Abramowitz and her lovely team drew my blood, then spun it to release platelets and fibrin, which were then injected back into my face. “PRF has a thicker consistency [than PRP], which may provide a better scaffold for new cell growth for tissue regeneration and collagen production,” Abramowitz told me. “Compared to regular fillers, PRF offers a natural alternative that stimulates collagen production and tissue regeneration over time. Since the results from PRF are more natural-looking and provide gradual improvement, it is great for delicate areas like underneath the eyes.” PRF, she notes, is often used to help uneven skin tones, especially dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles — all of which I have basically all over my face. PRF can also be utilized to stimulate hair growth on the scalp, to help reduce acne scars, to minimize nasolabial folds and marionette lines, and to enhance the lips.

You might be thinking, why not just get fillers? Abramowitz, for one, isn’t a fan of using dermal fillers under the eyes. PRF is natural — it IS your own blood and platelets, after all — whereas dermal fillers, she notes, are a sugar-based molecule in a gel form that can migrate causing puffiness, discoloration and even malar edemas, or fluid-filled mounds. Fillers, she explains, can be difficult and uncomfortable to resolve, whereas PRF “comes with no strings attached.”

Personally, I was sold.

What It’s Like Getting PRF

Because PRF requires having your blood drawn, it’s best to go into your appointment super-hydrated — the more water in your system, the better chance of getting a lot of platelets to put back into your face. The whole procedure, from draw to insertion, takes a few hours. First, your blood is drawn, then your face is numbed so you feel the injections a lot less. While you sit and wait for the anesthetic to do its thing, the blood is spun in a centrifuge — I can confirm this is super cool to watch — and then it needs to settle and cool.

Abramowitz then inserted the PRF under and around my eyes, along my laugh lines aside my nose, and lightly under my neck. While yes, I went in for an under-eye fix, it seems that Abramowitz has a more holistic, full-face approach to getting the results you want, and I was on board with it.

I will say, it is painful. Yes, you’re numb, but if you find you can’t handle a Botox needle, you definitely can’t handle this. Because the doctor has to put the PRF so far under your skin, she really digs in there. She also gave me some extra zhuzhing, if you will, on my neck to help with lines, and while she went shallower there, it was painful as it wasn’t numbed beforehand.

The Aftercare

Immediately following my first treatment in April, I was definitely sore and looked puffy, especially as the day wore on. I also experienced slight bruising and swelling, which I hadn’t prepared for, for the next three or four days. So before my second treatment, I took a course of arnica and bromelain — which I remembered helped significantly after my lower bleph — and it made a huge difference in the “recovery.”

I was hanging outside on a beautiful evening in my neighborhood two weeks after my first treatment and two separate neighbors told me — completely unprompted — that I “looked great.” I asked them what they meant and they both said something to the effect of “you look like you but more lifted or something.” Hey, I’ll take it.

In all, I had three PRF treatments spaced roughly a month apart. Unlike other dermatological procedures at these medical spas, I was able to be out in the sun and get a tan (see aforementioned wrinkles under eyes), so you can do this in the heat of summer if you like.

My Takeaway

Six months in, and I see the biggest difference under my eyes. I no longer need under-eye concealer on an average day, which is a dramatic shift from just two years ago. I still have wrinkles under and along my eyes, but I’m chalking that up to being a factor of age and, more importantly, how I smile. I did feel like my skin was particularly lifted-looking in the immediate months after, and I’ve noticed that the lighter spots on my face have lessened.

This procedure is time-consuming, both day of and in the three repeated visits. It’s also expensive: Abramowitz told me she charges from $500 to $1,500 per session. I am, however, a fan of her approach: Not injecting filler or neurotoxins into my skin in favor of my own spun platelets to help with natural restoration.

A few of my friends asked me what I had done to my face. I’m not a precious person or a gate-keeper; I told them to give Abramowitz a call. So far, both who have gone to her are as happy as clams with their results, too.