Key Takeaways
- PDGF, or platelet-derived growth factor, is a protein that signals your skin to build new collagen and repair itself.
- Ariessence Pure PDGF+ is a lab-made version of PDGF that Dermacare uses to support skin rejuvenation without a blood draw.
- PDGF is applied topically after microneedling and laser resurfacing, and injected specifically for under-eye rejuvenation.
- Unlike dermal filler, PDGF under the eyes rebuilds your skin's own collagen rather than adding volume.
- PDGF-BB is also the active ingredient in four FDA-approved medical products used for wound healing and bone regeneration.
If your skin has started to look duller, feels less resilient, or seems to take longer to bounce back after a treatment, PDGF is one of the more promising ways to help it recover. This natural protein has become one of the most talked-about ingredients in regenerative aesthetics, showing up on treatment menus at med spas and plastic surgery practices nationwide as patients look for options beyond traditional fillers and injectables.
Dermacare offers Ariessence Pure PDGF+ across its San Diego and Orange County locations, paired with microneedling and laser treatments to support your skin’s own repair process. If you’re considering whether to schedule a PDGF treatment, learn more about what PDGF actually is, how it works, and how it compares to PRP, PRF, and exosomes.
What Is PDGF?
PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) is a natural protein that signals skin cells to build collagen and repair tissue. Lab-made versions are used in aesthetic treatments.
Your body releases PDGF from platelets whenever tissue gets injured, whether that’s a cut, a surgical incision, or the micro-channels created during microneedling. The protein acts as a messenger, calling in the cells responsible for rebuilding collagen. Aesthetic providers have adapted that natural process, using lab-made PDGF to support skin recovery without needing an injury to trigger it first.
How Does PDGF Work?
PDGF works by attaching to receptors on fibroblasts, the skin cells that produce collagen and elastin. Once it binds, those cells multiply and get to work rebuilding your skin’s support structure. PDGF also helps new blood vessels form, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the area while it heals.
Ariessence Pure PDGF+ uses a lab-made version of PDGF called PDGF-BB, one of three natural forms the protein takes in the body. PDGF-BB binds a wider range of those fibroblast receptors than the other forms do, which is part of why it triggers a stronger collagen response and why it’s the form used in the FDA-approved medical products below.
Manufacturing it this way means every dose delivers that same active form, instead of the variable mix your own blood would produce, so the dose stays consistent from one treatment to the next.
What Is PDGF Used For?
In aesthetic medicine, PDGF typically works as an enhancement to microneedling, laser resurfacing, and similar procedures rather than as a stand-alone treatment.
At Dermacare, Ariessence Pure PDGF+ is most often applied topically right after microneedling treatment sessions, when the skin’s micro-channels let it absorb more effectively, or worked into laser treatments to support recovery afterward.
Added this way, it supports overall skin texture and tone, speeds recovery, and encourages longer-term collagen production alongside whatever procedure it’s paired with.
PDGF Under Eye Treatment
The under-eye area shows aging early because the skin there is thin and doesn’t bounce back the way skin elsewhere on your face does. Ariessence under-eye treatment is injected specifically here, where it works from within to prompt collagen production rather than add volume.
This distinction matters if you’ve looked into under-eye filler options but want something more regenerative. Filler adds volume through a hyaluronic acid gel, useful when a hollow needs to be physically filled.
PDGF instead rebuilds the tissue itself over several weeks and tends to suit thinning, crepey skin better, while a deeper structural hollow may still respond best to filler. If deeper wrinkle folds are the bigger concern, under-eye wrinkle treatments are worth exploring first. A consultation can help you sort out which concern you actually have.
PDGF vs. PRP, PRF, and Exosomes: What's the Difference?
PDGF is one of several regenerative options patients ask about, alongside PRP, PRF, and exosomes. Each takes a different biological approach to skin repair.
| PDGF (Ariessence) | PRP | PRF | Exosomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Lab-made, recombinant PDGF-BB | Your own blood, centrifuged | Your own blood, spun into a fibrin matrix | Cell-signaling vesicles, often plant- or lab-derived |
| Blood draw required | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Concentration | Consistent, standardized dose | Varies with your platelet health | Varies with your platelet health | Consistent, standardized dose |
| Best suited for | Targeted collagen support, under-eye rejuvenation | General skin rejuvenation for patients comfortable with a blood draw | Similar goals to PRP, with a slower, longer-lasting release | A needle-averse option with broader cell-signaling effects |
None of these treatments is strictly better across the board. It comes down to whether you’d prefer relying on your own blood, using a standardized lab-made protein, or trying exosomes, which a 2025 split-face clinical trial found performed comparably to PRP for photoaged skin.
Is PDGF Safe and FDA Approved?
PDGF-BB, the growth factor in Ariessence Pure PDGF+, is the active ingredient in four FDA-approved medical products, including Regranex for diabetic wound healing and GEM 21S for periodontal bone regeneration, giving it decades of documented clinical use.
Ariessence Pure PDGF+ itself is listed with the FDA as a cosmetic product for topical use, not a drug or medical device like Regranex and GEM 21S, so it hasn’t gone through that same clinical-trial and review process. When it’s used by injection, as it is for under-eye rejuvenation, that reflects a provider’s clinical judgment rather than an FDA-reviewed indication. It’s made through recombinant technology, not donated blood or tissue, so there’s no disease-transmission risk.
What to Expect with PDGF at Dermacare
At Dermacare, your provider typically applies Ariessence Pure PDGF+ right after microneedling or laser treatments elsewhere on the face, letting it absorb through the channels the procedure creates.
For under-eye rejuvenation, it’s injected directly into the area during a focused office visit. Most patients see mild redness or swelling that resolves within a day or two, with results building gradually as collagen production ramps up. Providers generally recommend a series of sessions spaced a few weeks apart.
Frequently Asked Questions About PDGF
How Long Does PDGF Last?
Applied topically after microneedling or laser, the boost to skin quality builds over the following weeks as new collagen forms. Injected for under-eye rejuvenation, results also build gradually, and the regenerative effect can hold for several months before a touch-up is worth considering.
How Much Does PDGF Cost?
Nationally, PDGF treatments like Ariessence tend to fall somewhere between $450 and $1,000 per session, depending on the treatment area and whether it’s paired with microneedling or laser work.
Is PDGF a Filler?
No. PDGF doesn’t add volume the way hyaluronic acid filler does. It prompts your own skin to rebuild collagen instead.
Is PDGF Injection Safe?
Yes. PDGF injections use a lab-made protein with no donor blood or tissue involved, applied with the same precision used for other injectable treatments.
Ready to See What PDGF Can Do for Your Skin?
Whether your skin needs a boost after a laser or microneedling session or your under-eye area could use some regenerative support, PDGF gives Dr. Birchall and the Dermacare team another way to help your skin do what it already knows how to do. It works best as part of a personalized plan built around your skin’s actual needs.
Learn more about PDGF-enhanced microneedling sessions at Dermacare, and book your consultation online to find out if Ariessence Pure PDGF+ fits your skin goals.