Shopping Cart
Scar medicine · wound healing · clinical evidence
PRP for traumatic scars
Traumatic, surgical and burn scars arise in different biological settings. This article reviews clinical studies on platelet-rich plasma and clearly distinguishes open wound healing, early scars, mature scar tissue and combination procedures.
539 participantsin a meta-analysis of 11 randomised studies on postoperative scars, burn scars and keloids.
5 studiesmet the 2026 criteria of a review specifically on early post-traumatic scars and early keloids.
No uniformityPRP preparation, scar age, application and endpoints differ substantially.
Multiple settingsIntraoperative, intralesional, on open wounds, and in combination with laser or microneedling.
Injuries, operations and burns can leave visible scars. How a scar later appears and whether it causes symptoms depends, among other things, on the depth and location of the injury, the healing process, mechanical tension, possible infections and individual factors.
Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is being studied in connection with wound healing and scar development. Some studies report changes in scar quality or subjectively perceived symptoms. Other studies show no relevant difference compared with the respective control treatment.
How does a traumatic scar develop?
A scar forms when an injury extends into deeper layers of the skin and the original tissue cannot be fully restored in its previous structure. During wound healing, the body forms new connective tissue whose collagen fibres are initially denser and less regularly organised than in uninjured skin.
Even after the wound has closed, the scar remains biologically active. Over the following months, colour, firmness, thickness, elasticity and vascular supply may change.
FocusA scar is not a static end state but passes through a prolonged maturation phase.
Clotting and provisional wound closure.
Immune cells coordinate further healing processes.
Fibroblasts, blood vessels and matrix shape the early structure.
Collagen is reorganised over months.
Timing is crucial for assessmentIntraoperative use on an open wound, injection into an early scar and treatment of a scar that has existed for years are biologically different situations.
Which scar types are distinguished?
The term “traumatic scar” includes different appearances. This distinction is important when assessing studies.
They lie approximately level with the surrounding skin and change during maturation.
They arise when skin or subcutaneous tissue is lost.
Thickened tissue generally remains within the original wound boundaries.
The tissue grows beyond the original boundaries and may cause symptoms.
Particularly after burns, tissue shortening may impair mobility.
Acne scars are a separate field of researchThe current review of early post-traumatic scars excluded acne scars and stretch marks because they arise through different mechanisms.
How are scars medically assessed?
Observable features
Factors considered include age, cause, location, colour, vascularity, height, firmness, elasticity and mobility.
ColourThicknessElasticityVascularitySurfaceMobility
Patient perspective
Itching, pain, numbness, hypersensitivity and stiffness may differ from observer-based assessments.
Studies frequently use POSAS and the Vancouver Scar Scale. Patient-reported and observer-reported results should be considered separately.
Which procedures are described?
Especially in relation to hypertrophic scars and longer-term scar care.
Compression and measures to reduce skin tension.
Including corticosteroids, 5-fluorouracil and combinations.
Depending on the scar, laser, microneedling, cryotherapy or surgical correction may be used.
What is PRP?
Platelet-rich plasma as a heterogeneous blood product
PRP is obtained from the patient’s own blood. Centrifugation separates the blood components and prepares a plasma fraction with an increased platelet concentration.
Platelets contain signalling proteins, cytokines and growth factors. These biological relationships explain why PRP is being studied in scar research, but alone they do not constitute clinical proof of efficacy.
Biological basisExplains the research question.
Clinical evidenceMust be assessed in controlled studies.
Not a stem-cell therapyPRP is a platelet-containing blood product.
How has PRP been applied in studies?
Infiltration of wound edges or application before wound closure.
Injection into existing scar tissue, for example in early keloids.
Application after laser, microneedling or together with other procedures.
A combination result is not an isolated PRP effectIf a scar improves after laser plus PRP, the contribution of the individual components cannot be clearly determined without appropriate comparison groups.
What does the current overall analysis show?
A meta-analysis published in 2025 included eleven randomised controlled trials with a total of 539 participants.
Evidence ledger: 11 randomised studies
heterogeneous evidenceTime point3 months
Assessment
OSAS and Vancouver Scar Scale
Result
No statistically significant difference in observer-reported scar scores.
Time point6 months
Assessment
Patient Scar Assessment Scale
Result
Statistical difference in patient-reported items such as pain, itching or stiffness.
InterpretationNo uniform conclusion
Problem
Scar types, PRP preparation, application and endpoints differed.
Meaning
A patient-reported difference does not automatically prove a visible change in all scar characteristics.
What is known about early post-traumatic scars?
A scoping review published in 2026 examined PRP in early post-traumatic scars and early keloids within six months after epithelialisation.
1,325 records identified
Only five studies met the predefined criteria.
5 studies65 people treated with PRP
From RCT to case report
The evidence ranged from randomised studies to case series and a single case report.
PRP often inadequately characterised
Platelet concentration, leukocyte content and activation were often not fully documented.
Scar maturation as a confounding factor
Young scars change naturally. Without an appropriate control, the contribution of the intervention is difficult to separate.
no preventive monotherapyvarious accompanying procedures
What do studies on surgical scars show?
Setting
Investigation
Interpretation
Breast reduction
41 women, 82 vertical scars, PRP on one side and saline on the opposite side.
No significant influence on the final appearance.
Caesarean-section pilot study
100 women, intraoperative PRP versus usual care, assessed after 40 days.
Patient-reported POSAS scores were more favourable; other endpoints were not consistently clear.
Meta-analysis 2026
5 randomised studies with 366 women, 336 in the skin-scar synthesis.
Pooled POSAS scores favoured the PRP groups; individual endpoints were heterogeneous.
Limit transferabilityData on intraoperative use in caesarean scars cannot be directly transferred to other operations or mature scars.
What do studies on burns show?
In burns, open wounds, skin grafts, split-thickness donor sites and later burn scars must be distinguished.
Randomised double-blind study
No significant difference was found in graft take, epithelialisation or scar quality after three, six and twelve months.
Small randomised study
More complete epithelialisation and lower pain scores were reported on day eight.
Open wound healing in focus
Some studies reported shorter healing times and lower scar scores; many primarily investigated open wounds.
Separate wound closure from scar maturation
Accelerated epithelialisation does not automatically prove a long-term change in the subsequent scar.
What is known about hypertrophic scars and keloids?
Keloids and hypertrophic scars are not biologically identical. The 2026 review found only two randomised PRP studies on early keloids. PRP was compared with botulinum toxin, triamcinolone, 5-fluorouracil or verapamil.
Comparator treatments influence interpretation“Better” or “worse” always refers to a specific comparison, a particular scale and a defined protocol.
What do combinations with laser or microneedling show?
A current systematic review of ablative fractional CO₂ lasers combined with PRP summarised studies on chronic scars. Several studies reported more favourable clinical ratings or shorter downtime than laser treatment alone.
However, a combination study does not answer the question of the isolated effect of PRP.
What safety data are available?
In the small studies on early post-traumatic scars, no consistently documented serious adverse events were reported. The caesarean-section meta-analysis likewise reported no serious safety events attributed to PRP.
Depending on the procedure, pain, bruising, swelling, bleeding, skin irritation and infections may nevertheless occur.
Small studies can capture rare or long-term risks only to a limited extent.
Why do study results differ?
Blood volumePRP tubesAnticoagulantRCF and run timesingle- or two-stagePlatelet concentrationLeukocyte contentActivationInjection volumeApplication depthScar typeScar ageNumber of sessionsAccompanying proceduresAssessment scaleFollow-up
The lack of standardisation is a major reason why the results are only partly comparable.
PRP tubes and centrifuge in technical context
A documented PRP preparation process depends, among other things, on the tube system, anticoagulant, relative centrifugal force, rotor radius and run time.
Technical module: two components of a PRP workflow
The mention describes technical product characteristics and not suitability or efficacy for a particular scar application.
Vi PRP-PRO
According to the product information, made of borosilicate glass with sodium citrate and separation gel. A technical standard value of 1,200 × g for seven minutes is specified.
- Material
- Borosilicate glass
- Additives
- Sodium citrate and separation gel
- Reference value
- 1,200 × g · 7 minutes
Hettich EBA 200 MD
The MD version has an integrated eight-place fixed-angle rotor. The manufacturer specifies 8 × 10 ml, up to 6,000 rpm and 3,461 × g.
- Rotor
- 8-place · fixed angle 33°
- Capacity
- maximum 8 × 10 ml
- Maximum
- 6,000 rpm · 3,461 × g
No combined indication approvalMentioning the two products together describes technical workflow components. It does not constitute approval as a combined scar-treatment system.
Frequently asked questions
Can PRP completely remove a traumatic scar?
Studies assess changes in colour, thickness, elasticity, symptoms or scar scores. Complete and reliably reproducible removal is not supported by the current evidence.
Have young and old scars been studied in the same way?
No. The literature includes intraoperative use, early scars within a few months and scars that have existed for longer periods.
How many PRP sessions were carried out?
Protocols range from a single intraoperative application to several intralesional sessions or combination procedures.
Has PRP been studied alone or together with other procedures?
Both. A substantial part of the literature, however, concerns combinations with laser, microneedling, silicone, corticosteroids or other procedures.
Why are PRP tubes and the Hettich EBA 200 MD mentioned?
They are cited as technical examples of a professional PRP preparation process. This does not imply any statement about a specific scar application.
Summary of the evidence
PRP for traumatic scars is the subject of clinical research. Studies include open burn wounds, split-thickness donor sites, fresh surgical wounds, early post-traumatic scars, hypertrophic scars and keloids.
Some studies report more favourable patient-reported assessments or short-term changes. Other randomised studies find no significant difference in objective scar scales or final appearance.
Different scar types, small participant numbers, varying PRP protocols, combination procedures and limited follow-up make interpretation difficult.
Sources and further literature
- Platelet-rich plasma for immature post-traumatic scars and early keloids: A scoping review
- The Efficiency of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Treating Post-Burn and Surgical Scars
- PRP and vertical scars after breast reduction
- Intraoperative PRP for post-cesarean scar healing
- PRP after cesarean section: systematic review and meta-analysis
- PRP in deep dermal burns
- PRP at split-thickness skin graft donor sites
- PRP and fractional CO₂ laser for chronic scars
- Vi PRP-PRO product information
- Hettich EBA 200 MD manufacturer information
Medical notice: This article presents published study results, professional reviews and technical relationships for informational purposes. It contains no recommendation for or against a specific treatment and does not replace a medical examination, diagnosis or individual treatment decision. Product references relate exclusively to technical aspects of PRP preparation.