What to avoid in the 48 hours after a PRP session, and why each item is on the list.
Call (786) 738-9515No alcohol for 48 hours, keep caffeine to one or two normal cups for the first 24 hours, and avoid smoking, vaping and nicotine pouches for at least 48 hours. Resume your regular multivitamin the next day unless we told you otherwise.
Have a specific supplement or medication to ask about? Call (786) 738-9515.
Give it 48 hours. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, which increases scalp redness, swelling and bruising at the injection sites in exactly the window when we want the treated area calm.
It is also dehydrating, and dehydration makes the dull headache that some patients get after a scalp session noticeably worse. If you have an event you cannot move, tell us and we will schedule your session after it rather than before it.
One drink 12 hours after your session will not ruin your result. It just makes the first day less comfortable and the redness more visible.
You do not have to give up coffee. Keep it moderate for the first 24 hours, roughly one or two normal cups, and match it with extra water.
Caffeine is a mild vasoconstrictor and a mild diuretic. Neither effect is dangerous, but a heavy pre-workout, several energy drinks or six espressos on a day when you are already slightly dehydrated tends to produce headache and lightheadedness after a blood draw.
Practical order for treatment day: normal coffee in the morning, a full glass of water before your appointment, and a light meal beforehand. Coming in fasted and over-caffeinated is the most common reason someone feels faint during the draw.
If you take caffeine-containing pre-workout supplements, skip them for 24 hours, which lines up with the 24-hour pause on strenuous exercise anyway.
Nicotine constricts small blood vessels, and small blood vessels are the entire delivery system PRP depends on. It is the item on this list with the clearest link to a weaker result, not just a less comfortable recovery.
We ask for at least 48 hours off cigarettes, cigars, vapes, hookah and nicotine pouches after each session, and the same before it where possible. Patients who smoke throughout a PRP course generally see less density change than those who do not.
If you have been thinking about quitting, a PRP course is a reasonable anchor to start from, and our primary care side can help with that at (305) 676-8217.
Avoid ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin and other anti-inflammatories for about 48 hours unless a doctor prescribed them for you. PRP works through a controlled inflammatory healing signal, and anti-inflammatories blunt the signal you paid for.
For a headache or tenderness, acetaminophen is the usual choice. A cool pack over a clean cloth for 10 minutes at a time also helps.
Your daily multivitamin, vitamin D, biotin and iron can resume the next day. High-dose vitamin E, fish oil, ginkgo, garlic extract and turmeric affect platelet function, so pause them only if we specifically asked you to, and never stop a prescribed blood thinner on your own.
Bring your full list of prescriptions, over-the-counter products and supplements to your consultation so we sequence this for you instead of leaving you to guess.
Hydrate well the day before and the morning of your appointment. Better hydration means an easier blood draw and better platelet yield.
Eat a normal meal within a couple of hours of your appointment, come with a clean scalp and no product in your hair, and skip alcohol the night before.
Tell us if you have had a recent steroid injection, are on antibiotics, or are being treated for an active scalp infection. Any of those may change the timing of your session.
Mild tenderness, redness, tightness and slight swelling for 24 to 48 hours are expected. Itching in the first few days is common too.
Call the clinic if you have spreading redness, warmth, pus, fever, swelling that increases after day two, or pain that gets worse instead of better. Those are signs to be examined rather than managed at home.
We would always rather you call about something minor than sit on something that needed to be seen.
About 48 hours. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and dehydrates you, which increases redness, swelling, bruising and headache after treatment.
Yes, in moderation. Keep it to one or two normal cups for the first 24 hours and drink extra water. Skip caffeine-heavy pre-workout supplements for a day.
We ask for at least 48 hours off cigarettes, vapes and nicotine pouches. Nicotine narrows the small blood vessels PRP relies on and can reduce your result.
Yes, your regular multivitamin can resume the next day. Pause high-dose vitamin E, fish oil and ginkgo only if your provider told you to.
Avoid ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatories for about 48 hours unless they were prescribed. Acetaminophen is the usual alternative.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Teresa Moreno, DNP, founder of Paradise Medical Center. This article is patient education, not a substitute for an in-person evaluation. Always follow the specific instructions given to you at your appointment.
Paradise Medical Center Dermatology & Aesthetics — 8364 SW 8th St, Westchester, Miami, FL 33144.
Call (786) 738-9515