Both start the same way, then diverge
PRF and PRP are both concentrated from your own blood, spun in a centrifuge to separate out platelets and growth factors. That is where the similarity ends – how each one is spun, and what is or isn’t added, produces two genuinely different substances with different behavior once applied.
The actual technical difference
PRP is typically spun faster, often with an anticoagulant added to keep it in a liquid state. That liquid form releases its growth factors quickly – largely within a day.
PRF is spun slower and without additives. That gentler process allows a fibrin scaffold to form naturally – a structure, not just a liquid – which does two things liquid PRP cannot. It releases growth factors gradually over roughly 7 to 10 days instead of dumping them in a single day, and it retains more of the stem cells that faster PRP processing tends to discard.
PRP delivers one strong signal, quickly. PRF delivers a sustained one, over the better part of two weeks.
Why the release timing matters for microneedling specifically
Microneedling creates thousands of microscopic channels and triggers a healing response that plays out over days, not hours. A single fast burst of growth factors from PRP is largely finished signaling before that healing process has gotten going. PRF’s gradual, multi-day release is a better match for the actual timeline of what microneedling is doing to the skin – which is the specific reason it’s used here rather than PRP.
What this means for your treatment
At KORA, SkinPen microneedling with PRF is $450 a session, including the blood draw and PRF application – it is not an upsell added to a cheaper base price. The blood draw itself is quick, and the PRF is applied directly to the skin immediately after the microneedling pass, while the channels created are still open.
PRF isn’t only used with microneedling
The same substance is also used as a standalone injectable in areas like the under-eye, where it is a genuinely different application from the topical use described here – injected rather than applied to the surface, with its own separate timeline and considerations. See PRF injections for that specific use.
Questions people ask
What is the actual difference between PRF and PRP?
Both come from your own blood, but PRF is spun slower with no additives, forming a fibrin scaffold that releases growth factors gradually over 7 to 10 days. PRP is spun faster, often with an anticoagulant, and releases its growth factors quickly, largely within a day.
Why use PRF instead of PRP for microneedling?
Microneedling triggers a healing response that unfolds over several days. PRF’s gradual release matches that timeline better than PRP’s faster, single-day release.
Does PRF retain more stem cells than PRP?
Yes. The gentler spin speed and absence of additives used for PRF tend to retain more stem cells than the faster processing typically used for PRP.
Is PRF included in the microneedling price or an add-on?
At KORA it is included – $450 covers the blood draw, the PRF preparation and the microneedling session together.
Is PRF only used with microneedling?
No. It’s also used as a standalone injectable, for example under the eyes, which is a separate application with its own timeline from the topical use described here.
Curious what PRF microneedling would do for your skin?
A nurse practitioner-led practice in Scottsdale, Arizona. SkinPen microneedling with PRF, $450 a session.
