The history of PRP

Anyone who associates PRP with aesthetic treatments today can easily overlook the fact that the method comes from a completely different field. Its roots lie in transfusion medicine, where platelet concentrates were used decades ago to treat life-threatening conditions.

Milestones at a glance

1. 1970s
   Roots in transfusion medicine

   PRP did not originate in aesthetics but in transfusion medicine. Platelet concentrates were used to compensate for a deficiency of platelets.

2. 1972
   Platelets as a tissue adhesive

   Matras describes the use of platelets as a means of supporting wound healing in surgical procedures.

3. 1986
   Concentrate protocols

   Knighton and colleagues describe structured protocols for platelet concentrates for the first time and coin the term for the body’s own platelet-derived wound healing factors.

4. 1987
   Use in cardiac surgery

   Ferrari and colleagues use platelet-rich plasma in cardiac surgery as an autologous source to reduce blood loss during the operation.

5. 1997
   The term PRP becomes established

   Whitman and colleagues introduce the term platelet-rich plasma into the scientific literature. From here, the method spreads into other specialist fields.

6. 1998
   Breakthrough in oral and maxillofacial surgery

   A working group led by Robert Marx formally introduces PRP to improve bone regeneration. This moves the method beyond transfusion medicine into regenerative medicine.

7. 2006
   First study on hair loss

   A publication describes the use of PRP for hereditary hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) for the first time. It compares treated and untreated areas and sparks a broad professional debate.

8. from 2010
   Arrival in aesthetics

   PRP becomes more widespread in facial rejuvenation, for fine lines and in hair medicine. At the same time, more advanced preparations such as ACP and CGF emerge.

From emergency medicine to regeneration

The wider prehistory goes back to early transfusion medicine. As early as 1818, the first documented blood transfusion from one person to another was carried out, and in the middle of the twentieth century haematology used platelet concentrates to compensate for a deficiency of platelets. The idea of working specifically with the platelet-rich fraction of the blood is therefore considerably older than its current use in aesthetics.

The common thread of this development is the realisation that platelets can do more than clot. They carry growth factors that trigger healing processes. What was initially used to reduce blood loss and close wounds gradually came into focus as a means of tissue regeneration.

In hair medicine and skin treatment, PRP is thus a comparatively young application of an old idea. The preparation methods have been refined over the years, which has led to the terms in common use today, such as ACP and CGF.

Read more: What is PRP? · PRP, ACP or CGF?