PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections are used to accelerate healing in damaged joints, tendons, muscles, and skin. The treatment concentrates your own blood platelets to deliver a high dose of natural growth factors directly to an injury or treatment site. The most common applications include knee osteoarthritis, tendon injuries, hair loss, and facial rejuvenation.
How PRP Works
Your blood is drawn, placed in a centrifuge, and spun at high speed to separate the platelets from other blood components. A standard preparation uses about 10 milliliters of blood and runs through two rounds of spinning over roughly 35 minutes. The result is a concentrated solution containing about six times the normal platelet count found in whole blood, with 86% to 99% of platelets recovered and still viable.
Platelets are best known for clotting, but they also release growth factors that drive tissue repair. The concentrated plasma delivers several of these at once: factors that stimulate new blood vessel formation, promote collagen production, attract immune cells to clear damaged tissue, and trigger cell growth in skin and connective tissue. When injected into an injured area, this cocktail essentially amplifies your body’s existing repair process.
Knee Osteoarthritis and Joint Pain
The most widely studied use of PRP is for knee osteoarthritis. According to Mayo Clinic physicians, PRP injections produce a 60% to 70% chance of success, with success defined as at least a 50% improvement in pain and function lasting 6 to 12 months after the injection. A 2021 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that pain scores and functional measures generally favored PRP over saline injections, particularly when researchers looked at longer-term outcomes.
The evidence isn’t uniformly positive. A 2020 randomized trial found no difference in functional outcomes or pain scores at 12 months, and a 2017 study reached similar conclusions. The mixed results likely reflect differences in how PRP is prepared, the severity of arthritis being treated, and how outcomes are measured. Still, for people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis who want to delay or avoid knee replacement, PRP is one of the more promising injection options available.
Tendon and Ligament Injuries
PRP is frequently used for chronic tendon problems that haven’t responded to physical therapy. Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), Achilles tendinitis, patellar tendinitis, and rotator cuff injuries are among the most common targets. The logic is straightforward: tendons have poor blood supply, which makes them slow to heal. Injecting concentrated growth factors directly into the damaged tissue can jumpstart a repair process that has stalled.
Athletes helped popularize this use, and it remains a go-to option in sports medicine clinics. PRP is also sometimes injected into partially torn ligaments and into surgical sites to support post-operative healing, though the evidence for these applications is still developing.
Hair Loss
PRP has become a mainstream treatment for androgenetic alopecia, the pattern hair loss that affects both men and women. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that after three monthly sessions, hair density in PRP-treated areas increased by roughly 20 hairs per square centimeter compared to baseline. That translates from about 151 hairs per square centimeter to 171, measured three months after the final session.
A 13% increase in density won’t transform a bald scalp, but for people in the early to moderate stages of thinning, the results can be noticeable. Most clinics recommend an initial series of three to four monthly injections, followed by maintenance sessions every few months. PRP for hair loss works best as a complement to other treatments rather than a standalone solution.
Facial Rejuvenation and Skin Treatment
PRP facials, sometimes called “vampire facials,” involve injecting or microneedling PRP into the skin of the face. Some patients report reduced wrinkles, plumper skin, improved complexion, and diminished acne scars. However, the American Academy of Dermatology is candid about the state of the science: there’s little evidence to confirm it works, and little to confirm it doesn’t. Few rigorous studies have been conducted because the FDA doesn’t require the large clinical trials that would settle the question.
Dermatologists still have basic unanswered questions, including why PRP appears to give some patients younger-looking skin but not others, and how many treatments are needed for optimal results. If you’re considering PRP for cosmetic purposes, it’s worth understanding that you’re paying for a treatment with mostly anecdotal support.
What the Procedure Feels Like
The entire appointment typically takes under an hour. A small blood draw comes first, followed by about 35 minutes of processing time while the centrifuge runs. The injection itself takes only a few minutes. Some providers use a local anesthetic or numbing cream at the injection site, but many patients describe the discomfort as mild, similar to any other injection.
Soreness, swelling, and stiffness at the injection site are normal for the first few days. You’re generally encouraged to move and use the treated area right away, since controlled exercise promotes the healing response PRP is designed to trigger. The critical restriction is avoiding anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and prescription options like celecoxib (Celebrex) for two to six months after the injection. These drugs suppress the exact inflammatory healing cascade that PRP relies on. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is typically fine for managing post-injection discomfort.
Safety and Side Effects
Because PRP comes from your own blood, allergic reactions and rejection are essentially nonexistent. The most common side effects are temporary: pain at the injection site, minor swelling, and bruising. Infection is possible with any injection but rare with standard sterile technique.
PRP is not appropriate for everyone. People with severe anemia, low platelet counts, abnormal platelet function, active systemic infections, or active cancers should not receive PRP injections. These conditions either compromise the quality of the plasma or create risks that outweigh potential benefits.
Cost and Insurance Coverage
PRP is almost always an out-of-pocket expense. Medicare does not cover PRP injections for any condition, and most private insurance plans follow suit. The cost varies significantly depending on the body part and the clinic. On average, each injection runs about $1,000. Research from 2020 pegged knee injections at roughly $728 per treatment, while 2024 estimates put ankle injections at about $712 annually and hip injections closer to $1,712.
For conditions that require a series of injections, like hair loss protocols calling for three to four initial sessions, the total cost can add up quickly. Some clinics offer package pricing, and costs tend to be lower in non-metropolitan areas. Since you’re paying entirely out of pocket, it’s worth comparing prices across providers and asking exactly what’s included in the quoted fee.