Medically reviewed by Mark Strehlow, MD, Medical Director — September 2026
Many patients find us by searching for something better than PRP. For several years we offered platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for microneedling, hair restoration and sexual-wellness injections. We no longer offer it for anything. In every one of those treatments we now use umbilical cord–derived tissue products instead, and this page explains what changed, exactly how the two differ, and why our clinical team made the switch for every treatment we offer.
What PRP is
PRP is made from your own blood. We draw a tube, spin it in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and inject or apply the concentrated plasma. Platelets carry proteins involved in the body’s repair response, which is the rationale for using PRP in the skin, scalp and joints. It has been used in medicine since the 1990s and has a large, mixed body of evidence behind it.
What we use instead
Two umbilical cord–derived human tissue products, donated by screened mothers in the United States after full-term, scheduled cesarean births and processed by AATB-accredited tissue banks that are registered with the FDA:
- Tissue matrix products, a connective tissue matrix product and an extracellular matrix product (hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin and the other components of connective tissue), used in microneedling, scalp treatments, joints, and sexual-wellness injections for men and women.
- An extracellular vesicle (EV) product, used in Restorative IV therapy.
Both are minimally manipulated, free of DMSO and added chemicals, and tested for sterility lot by lot. Neither is a stem cell product, and neither is FDA approved; registration of the tissue bank is not approval of the product. Our regenerative treatments overview explains the products in more detail, including why we do not call them exosomes.
How they compare
| PRP | Umbilical tissue products | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Your own blood, prepared at each visit | Donated umbilical cord tissue, processed by a tissue bank |
| Blood draw | Yes, every session | No |
| Consistency | Varies with your age, health, hydration and the preparation method; two visits can yield different PRP | The same screened, lot-tested product each time |
| Rejection or allergy risk | Essentially none; it is your own tissue | Very small; donor tissue is screened and processed to reduce it, but the risk is not zero |
| Disease transmission risk | None (your own blood) | Very small; reduced by donor screening and testing, not eliminated |
| FDA status | Your PRP is not a regulated product; the centrifuge system is an FDA-cleared device | Registered as human cell and tissue products; not FDA approved for any use |
| Evidence | Decades of studies, mixed results, best for some orthopedic and hair uses | Early; mostly laboratory and small clinical series |
| Cost | Lower per session | Higher per session |
Why we changed
Three reasons, all of them things you can verify rather than take on faith.
PRP is only as good as the blood it comes from. Platelet counts and the proteins platelets carry vary from person to person and fall with age; the plasma of a patient in their sixties is not the plasma of a patient in their twenties, and the same patient can produce different PRP on different days. Most people considering these treatments are not in their twenties. A lot-tested tissue product is the same product every time, whatever your age or what kind of week you have had.
PRP depends on the preparation. Centrifuge systems, spin protocols and technique all change what ends up in the syringe. A tissue product arrives characterized and tested, with a lot number on the record for your treatment.
No blood draw. A small thing at one visit; a real one over a series.
Our clinical team weighed those differences and stopped offering PRP for every treatment we provide. Dr. Strehlow is glad to walk you through the comparison, and our own experience with both, at your consultation.
What neither one is
Neither PRP nor a tissue product is a treatment for a disease. Both are used to supplement and support your own tissue, with results that vary from person to person and cannot be guaranteed. If a skin, hair or joint problem needs a diagnosis, that comes first.
Frequently asked questions
Is this “better than PRP”?
It is what we chose over PRP, for every treatment we offer, for the reasons above: a consistent, tested product that does not depend on your age or your blood, and no blood draw. What we will not do on a web page is promise you an outcome; that conversation belongs at your consultation, with your history in front of us.
Are these exosomes?
Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle, and the EV product we use in Restorative IV contains them. But the product is not sold as an exosome product, and no exosome product is FDA approved, so we use the accurate name.
Next step
Call (913) 727-7700 or contact us to schedule a consultation.
The products we use are umbilical cord–derived extracellular vesicle and connective tissue products supplied by tissue banks that are FDA-registered and AATB-accredited. Registration is not approval. No exosome or extracellular vesicle product is FDA approved for any use, and we do not use these products to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This page is educational and is not medical advice. Individual results vary.