DR. ANNIE FLORA, Aesthetic Dermatologist, Laser & Hair Transplant Surgeon

Acne  or pimples as they are commonly called, is nothing but a block in the outlet of the oil secreting glands a.k.a sebaceous glands, going in for bulging of the glands, causing irritation to the surrounding skin, resulting in acne. Acne presents at different stages: When the oil gland is blocked, it first starts as a comedone, either a white head or black head stage. Some of them then progress to the papule stage. Later when it gets infected, the pustule forms.      Comedone stage: Papular Stage Pustular Stage:   Nodulocystic  Stage: Acne can occur due to    PCOS,    Cushing’s syndrome    Lithium, Cortecosteroid tablets, etc    Cosmetic usage    Steroid cream MISUSE on the  face ( for skin lightening)    Seborrheic Dermatitis    Pre-menstrual flare of acne When the acne heals, it can normally disappear or leave behind a brown spot, or a scar which can be depressed like a pit, or elevated in case of hypertrophic scar or leave behind red

PRP, or platelet rich plasma has been viewed with awe as the new magic wand in the field of aesthetic dermatology . Why has it gained so much importance, I will just review. Platelet rich plasma is nothing but our own body's defence mechanism in restoring balance at any sight of disturbance in the body. Platelets can be taken as tiny packs full of growth factors. They can be called as photons of restoration. Pre PRP Scalp Preparation:   Patient has to wash his/her scalp with antibacterial shampoo on the day of the procedure. Once in the clinic, a numbing cream is applied to the scalp to make the procedure comfortable for them. This stays for an hour. After this, the procedd of preparation of PRP starts. Procedure:  In PRP, a person's whole blood is drawn, mixed with anticoagulant and subject to centrifugation (spinning), to separate the blood components into RBCs below, PRP in the middle and Platelet poor plasma above. This central zone is then removed and recentrifu