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How We Use PRF at Nōvuu Med Spa: EZ Gel, Hair Restoration, and Microneedling with PRF in Pikesville, MD

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 21:27:12 GMT

How We Use PRF at Nōvuu Med Spa: EZ Gel, Hair Restoration, and Microneedling with PRF in Pikesville, MD

Most patients who ask us about PRF have already seen it on TikTok. Usually it's a syringe of gold-colored gel and a caption about “natural filler.” What almost nobody can tell you is what's actually in the tube, why the spin speed matters, or why we'd recommend it enthusiastically for one concern and talk you out of it for another.

So here is the unglamorous version of how we use platelet-rich fibrin at Nōvuu Med Spa in Pikesville, MD, across the three treatments patients ask about most: PRF EZ Gel, PRF for hair restoration, and microneedling with PRF.

What PRF Actually Is

PRF starts the same way a routine lab draw does. We take one to three tubes of your blood, depending on what we're treating, and spin them in a centrifuge for about ten minutes.

The difference between PRF and the older PRP protocol comes down to what we leave out. PRP tubes contain an anticoagulant and get spun fast. PRF tubes contain nothing at all, and we spin them slower. Your blood is allowed to begin clotting naturally, which builds a soft fibrin scaffold. Platelets, white blood cells, and stem cells get caught inside that mesh instead of washing out.

That scaffold is the whole point. PRP dumps its growth factors quickly. PRF holds onto them and releases them gradually over roughly a week to ten days, which is closer to how healing actually works in your body. Nothing goes into the syringe that didn't come out of your arm.

PRF EZ Gel: Our Biofiller

EZ Gel adds one extra step , but it makes all the difference in our EZ Gel for filler .

After the spin, we draw off the top plasma layer, which is about 60 percent albumin, and heat it to 75 degrees Celsius for ten minutes before cooling it back down. The heat denatures the albumin and restructures it into a dense, moldable gel. Published work on this heating protocol found it produces a uniform gel with a substantially longer degradation time than untreated PRF , which is why the technique took off. Then we mix the untouched platelet layer back in, so you get the slow-release growth factors plus the structure.

Where we use it: under-eye hollows, temples, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, the backs of the hands, and crepey skin along the jawline. The under-eye is the most requested area by a wide margin, and it's the area where a soft autologous gel behaves better than a stiff synthetic product.

Where we don't use it: if you want a projected cheek, a defined chin, or a sharp jaw, EZ Gel is the wrong tool and we'll tell you so. The volume it provides is subtle. Expect mild swelling for 24 to 48 hours, real change around week four, and peak collagen response somewhere between weeks eight and twelve. Most patients do a short series and then come back for maintenance.

PRF for Hair Restoration

For thinning hair , we numb the scalp and inject liquid PRF in a grid pattern through the affected zones. Appointment time is about an hour for our PRF for hair restoration .

The best candidates are people catching it early: a part that's widening, temples that are receding, diffuse thinning on the crown, or postpartum shedding that hasn't bounced back. If a scalp is smooth and shiny with no visible follicles, the follicle is gone and no injection is bringing it back. We’ll always have that conversation at the consult rather than after you've paid for four sessions.

The bulk of the published research is on PRP, not PRF, and a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found PRP significantly increased hair density at three and six months compared to placebo , though the authors noted meaningful variability between studies. PRF is a newer generation of the same concept with less trial data behind it. We use it because the slow growth-factor release makes biological sense and because our patients respond, not because there's a mountain of PRF-specific literature.

Microneedling with PRF

Standard microneedling creates thousands of controlled micro-channels in the skin so it rebuilds collagen. Adding PRF means we push your own growth factors directly into those channels while they're still open.

We recommend the combination for acne scarring, rough texture, enlarged pores, dullness, and early crepiness around the eyes and mouth. Patients who add PRF to microneedling usually report that redness settles faster and skin looks better sooner than with needling alone.

Plan on 24 to 48 hours of redness, similar to a moderate sunburn. Most people need a series spaced several weeks apart, and we frequently combine it with EZ Gel in the same visit since we've already drawn the blood. You can read more about the device, comfort, and protocol on here .

Who We Turn Away

PRF is autologous, so allergic reaction isn't a concern, but other things are.

We'll pause or decline treatment for active bleeding disorders, low platelet counts, blood thinners without clearance from your prescriber, an active skin infection or cold sore in the treatment area, recent isotretinoin use, and pregnancy or breastfeeding. Heavy smoking blunts the results considerably. And PRF is not FDA-approved as a dermal filler. It's your own blood, processed in our clinic and returned to you, which is a different regulatory category entirely.

What a PRF Treatment Looks Like at Our Pikesville Clinic

Eat beforehand and drink water. Skip alcohol the night before and skip NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) for a few days if your physician agrees.

At your appointment we draw your blood, spin it while you numb, and treat. Most PRF visits run 60 to 90 minutes door to door. You'll leave slightly pink and possibly a little swollen, and you can go back to work the same day for most treatments.

We see patients from Pikesville, Owings Mills, Mount Washington, Reisterstown, and throughout the Baltimore area. If you're not sure which PRF treatment fits your concern, or whether PRF is the right call at all, book a consultation and we'll give you a straight answer .

Summer Skincare Routine Essentials: Why SPF, Vitamin C, and Retinol Matter Most in Pikesville, MD

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 14:46:44 GMT

Summer Skincare Routine Essentials: Why SPF, Vitamin C, and Retinol Matter Most.

Baltimore summers are hard on skin. Between the humidity, the sun exposure, and the sweat that comes with just walking from your car to the office, a skincare routine has to work harder from June through September than it does the rest of the year. If you're in Pikesville or anywhere else in Baltimore County, this is the season to get serious about three things: SPF, vitamin C, and retinol.

At Nōvuu Medspa, we hear some version of the same question all summer: "Do I actually need all three?" Yes, and each one is doing a different job. Skip one and the other two end up fighting an uphill battle.

SPF Is the One Step You Cannot Skip

Sunscreen is the only step in a skincare routine that prevents damage instead of treating it after the fact. We recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day, even on cloudy days, and reapplying at least every two hours when you're outside. Broad spectrum matters because it blocks both UVB rays, the ones that burn you, and UVA rays, the ones that quietly age your skin even through a car windshield or on a gray day at the pool in Owings Mills.

Most people apply too little and reapply too rarely. A nickel-sized amount for your face is the standard dermatologists actually recommend, not the thin swipe most of us are used to.

If you're already dealing with sun damage, dullness, or the kind of uneven tone that shows up after a summer of pool days, our DermaGlo Hydrofacial is one of the fastest ways to reset your skin before you commit to a consistent SPF habit.

Vitamin C Serum: Your Morning Backup

Vitamin C serum doesn't replace sunscreen. No product does. But it does something SPF can't: it works as an antioxidant, helping your skin fight off the free-radical damage from sun exposure and pollution before that damage turns into fine lines and dark spots. Applied under sunscreen each morning, vitamin C also helps even out the discoloration that Baltimore's humid summers tend to bring out, especially for anyone already prone to melasma or sun spots.

Not all vitamin C serums are created equal, though. Look for a stable formulation, ideally with L-ascorbic acid, packaged in a dark or airtight bottle. If your serum has turned yellow or brown, it's oxidized and has stopped doing its job. That's the most common reason we hear "vitamin C doesn't work for me," when really the bottle gave out weeks ago.

Retinol: Save It for Nighttime, Not Vacation

Retinol is the ingredient people either swear by or avoid completely in summer, and the truth sits in between. Retinol speeds up skin cell turnover, which improves texture, fine lines, and pigmentation over time. It also increases your skin's sensitivity to the sun, according to the American Academy of Dermatology . That doesn't mean you have to quit it from June to September. It means you use it at night, pair it religiously with SPF the next morning, and ease off in the days before a beach trip or a long day outdoors.

If you're new to retinol, or your skin tends to get irritated easily, start with two to three nights a week and build up slowly. Jumping straight to nightly use is the fastest way to end up red, flaky, and convinced retinol "just doesn't work" for you.

Building the Routine, Not Just Buying the Products

Order matters as much as the products themselves. A basic summer routine: cleanse, vitamin C serum in the morning (retinol at night instead), moisturizer, then SPF as the last step before you walk out the door. Apply sunscreen before your serum has fully absorbed, or skip the order altogether, and neither product works as well as it should.

Members of our Nōvuu Skin Membership get two complimentary full-size medical-grade skincare products a year, built around exactly this kind of routine, on top of a free annual Hydrofacial and 15% off services.

Ready to Build a Routine That Actually Works?

If a Baltimore summer has your skin looking tired, or you just want a routine that's working instead of guessing, book a skincare consultation at our Pikesville office. We'll look at what your skin is actually doing, not just what aisle the product came from.