When PRP Goes Large (aka, Alice’s latest neck-tightening treatment)

I’m sure you know about PRP, or Platelet-Rich Plasma treatment. It’s where you have a small vial of blood taken from your arm, centrifuged to separate the clear, skin-reviving plasma (which is rich in your very own growth factors and exosomes) from the red blood cells, then re-injected into your face or body. Well, PRP just got an upgrade, thanks to a device that uses Meta-Cell Technology. I know, I know, it sounds like pseudo-scientific nonsense. Still, this clever contraption, the size of a desktop printer, uses light and heat to amplify the effects of the PRP before it is injected, so you’re getting a much more potent product in the syringe. And naturally, when a newspaper suggested I visit Dr Sophie Shotter and try this latest neck-tightening treatment,  I jumped at the chance. 

What’s MCT x Exosomes?

A cutting-edge regenerative treatment where your own plasma-derived exosomes are extracted, amplified using Meta-Cell Technology™ (MCT), and reinjected to boost cellular repair, collagen production and skin firmness. I tried it to see what it could do for the slack skin under my jawline. I did have to tell the paper before we started this four-month experiment that I don’t exactly have a ‘turkey neck’ but given my age – 63 – it could always use a bit of help.

What happens during treatment? 

Blood draw, processing, then reinjection. A sample of blood is spun in a centrifuge to separate out the platelet-rich plasma, which is then treated in the MCT device to increase the concentration of growth factors and stimulate the release of huge numbers of exosomes. The injections feel similar to any other: small, quick and annoyingly uncomfortable. There are a lot of them, particularly in the neck, so I was glad of the numbing cream. It’s completely fascinating from a biotechnical perspective and surprisingly straightforward as a treatment.

What were the results? 

Three treatments, one month apart, were recommended. I didn’t notice much initially, but by the final session both Dr Shotter and I could see a genuine improvement. Imaging analysis one month after the final session (that’s the picture above, done with an Aura imaging device) confirmed that my jawline looked tighter and there was a visible reduction in the loose skin beneath my chin. The change is subtle rather than dramatic, a matter of millimetres of improvement, but unmistakable. For older skin, which is often harder to improve, I found the result impressive. Skincare and home devices cannot achieve this degree of tightening. For sure, it’s not equivalent to a surgical neck lift, but it has made that floppy skin firmer and tighter – which is good news in my book,

Cost: £1,050 a session (three sessions recommended) with Dr Sophie Shotter

I was commissioned by the Daily Mail to review this treatment as press. The longer article I wrote for them is linked here (behind a paywall). Want to find out more about other treatments that could help your neck? Head to our dedicated neck wrinkles concern page.