PRP/PRFM Microneedling in Irvine, CA performed by Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD

Laser & Skin Resurfacing · Irvine, CA

PRP/PRFM Microneedling in Irvine, CA, by Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD

Microneedling paired with Selphyl PRFM from your own blood, to rebuild collagen rather than only resurface.

Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD
Medically advised by Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD15+ years in cosmetic dermatology
MD · 15+ yearsIrvine, CA
Book a ConsultationSee Results
One clinicianPhysician performed, from the blood draw to the final pass.

Price

$699

90 minute session

Preparation

PRP or Selphyl PRFM

decided at consultation

Performed by

Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD

not delegated

Downtime

About a day

flushed, similar to light sunburn

Typical course

3 sessions

spaced 4 to 6 weeks, for texture and scarring

Overview

PRP/PRFM Microneedling in Irvine

Microneedling creates controlled channels in the skin. Adding a platelet preparation from your own blood at the same visit is what people usually mean by a PRP facial.

At Spectrum the preparation is either conventional PRP or Selphyl PRFM. Dr. Munib chooses based on the skin and what is being treated, and explains which one she is using and why.

This is a skin quality treatment. It works on texture, tone, early lines and some acne scarring. It does not add volume.

Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD

Medically advised by Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD · Physician, Medical Director

Read this first

A PRP Facial Is Not One Treatment

PRP facial is a name that covers several different procedures. Some clinics apply platelet-rich plasma topically after needling. Some inject it. Some use platelet-rich fibrin matrix, which is a different preparation again. All three get advertised under the same words and at very different prices, so comparing quotes between clinics tells you less than it appears to.

What happens here is specific. Blood is drawn in the treatment room, spun, and either used as PRP or activated with calcium chloride into Selphyl PRFM. Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD decides which one suits your skin, prepares it herself, and does the needling in the same visit. The material is never handed to another person and never sits waiting.

That matters more than it sounds. Spin parameters, whether the preparation is activated, and how long it sits between the draw and the skin all change what reaches the tissue. Two clinics can both say PRP microneedling and be doing noticeably different things, and the variation usually sits in the preparation rather than in the needling itself.

There is also a legal line. Microneedling with a blood-derived product is the practice of medicine in California. It cannot be delegated to an esthetician regardless of who is supervising, which is why this treatment sits with Dr. Munib and the superficial facial work sits with Leah.

0

Steps delegated to another clinician

2

Preparations available, chosen per patient

15+

Years in cosmetic dermatology in Irvine

4.97★

Across 441 patient reviews

One case, read closely

Microneedling with PRFM for Acne Scarring

Acne scarring treated with microneedling, PRFM and subcision by Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD at Spectrum Skin Clinic, Irvine.

Read the texture across the whole cheek, not one scar. Rolling scars soften as the tethering underneath is released and the skin remodels over weeks. Anyone showing you a same-day photograph after needling is showing you the flush.

See All Results

Microneedling with PRFM and subcision. Subcision is a separate procedure performed in the same session, so this result reflects both and not PRFM alone. Individual results vary and are not a prediction of your outcome.

Microneedling with PRFM & Subcision Before & After | Acne Scar Improvement (Side View)

How the session runs

What Happens on the Day

About 90 minutes, most of it preparation and numbing rather than needling.

01

Blood draw

Collect the sample

A standard draw, done in the treatment room.

02

Preparation

Separate the platelet fraction

Centrifuged and, for PRFM, activated with calcium chloride. Dr. Munib handles this herself.

03

Numbing

Comfort

Topical anaesthetic, about 20 to 30 minutes.

04

Needling

Create the channels and deliver the material

Depth is set by area. Thinner skin around the eyes and mouth is treated differently from the cheeks.

90 minutes

Session length

Texture and scarring usually need three sessions spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart

How PRP/PRFM Microneedling Works

The needling passes create microchannels and a controlled healing response. The platelet preparation is applied while those channels are open.

Conventional PRP is a liquid platelet concentrate prepared with an anticoagulant. Selphyl PRFM begins as PRP, then calcium chloride converts fibrinogen into fibrin and the material sets into a matrix that holds the platelets rather than releasing everything at once.

Why the needling depth is set by area

Skin thickness is not uniform. The cheek tolerates a depth that would be wrong around the eyes or mouth, and treating the whole face at one setting is how people end up with unnecessary downtime in the thin areas.

Depth is adjusted region by region during the session.

What the skin does afterward is a healing response over weeks rather than an immediate change. Anyone promising a visible result on the day is describing the flush, not the treatment.

Is this the right treatment

What It Treats, and What It Does Not

Good for skin quality. Wrong for volume.

Presenting concern
What may help
What is weighed first
Rough texture, dullness, enlarged looking pores
Core indication. This is what it does best.
How much downtime you can take around work or events
Early fine lines
Reasonable, with realistic expectations about degree.
Whether the lines are static or only appear on movement
Acne scarring
Suitable, often combined with subcision at the same visit.
Scar type. Rolling scars respond better than ice pick scars
Under-eye hollowing
Not this. Injection reaches a plane that needling does not.
Whether the problem is skin quality or lost volume
Deep folds and volume loss
No. This is a filler conversation.
Whether filler is appropriate at all
Active inflammatory acne
Not while it is active. Needling through inflamed skin is a poor idea.
Treating the acne first, then addressing scarring

Combined approaches

What It Is Sequenced With

Scarring in particular is usually a combination rather than one treatment.

Concern
Often pairs with
Why
Rolling acne scars
Subcision at the same visit
Releasing the tether does something needling alone cannot.
Skin quality plus under-eye hollowing
Injectable PRFM under the eye
Different plane, different delivery. They are not interchangeable.
Pigment alongside texture
A pigment directed treatment, sequenced rather than stacked
Treating both at once raises the risk of an inflammatory response.

Candidacy

Who May Be a Candidate

This suits people who want to work on skin quality using their own biology, without filler or a neuromodulator, including patients treating acne scarring.

It is not suitable during active infection in the area, with certain blood disorders, or while anticoagulated. A series is usually needed, so one session gives only a partial answer.

How Dr. Munib decides

Skin type, what you want changed, whether acne is currently active, and whether scarring is present. Depth, preparation and the number of sessions follow from that, and pregnancy or breastfeeding is handled individually.

Likely a good fit

Rough texture, dullness, enlarged looking pores, early fine lines, and acne scarring where a short series is acceptable.

Where it is limited

It adds no volume, so hollows and deep folds are a different conversation. Active inflammatory acne means treating that first. Ice pick scarring responds less well than rolling scarring. One session gives a partial answer.

What happens

What to Expect Afterwards

Timepoint
What happens in the tissue
What you see
During
Microchannels created, platelet preparation applied
Pressure and vibration. Uncomfortable in places, not painful.
That evening
Inflammatory phase
Flushed, similar to a light sunburn. Skin feels tight.
Day 2 to 3
Early repair
Redness fading. Some patients feel slightly rough or dry.
Week 2 to 6
Remodelling
Texture and tone change gradually. This is where the result actually appears.
After a series
Ongoing remodelling
Cumulative change. A single session does less than three.

Expect to look flushed on the evening of treatment, similar to light sunburn. The visible benefit arrives weeks later, not on the day, and anyone describing an immediate glow is describing the flush.

Risks

Risks and Side Effects

Using your own material removes some risks. Handling and technique still matter, which is why this is not delegated.

Redness and flushing

Expected. About a day for most patients.

Swelling

Mild, more noticeable around the eyes and mouth.

Infection

Uncommon. Sterile preparation and handling are the reason.

Post-inflammatory pigmentation

More likely in deeper skin tones if sun exposure follows treatment. Depth and aftercare are adjusted for this.

Less change than hoped

Possible, particularly with a single session or with scarring that needs a different approach.

Expected downtime and realistic outcomes are covered before the first session.

Why this is not delegated

The handling of platelet material between the draw and the skin is where preparation quality is won or lost. Dr. Munib does all of it.

Platelet preparation devices are cleared for blood separation. Facial use is off label, which is lawful physician practice and not a clearance for this purpose.

Aftercare

First 24 hours
Nothing on the skin except what Dr. Munib gives you. No makeup.
First 48 hours
No heat, saunas, hot yoga or heavy sweating.
First week
Daily sunscreen and no deliberate sun exposure.
First week
Pause retinoids and acids until the skin feels normal again.

Cost

What Affects Your Cost

PRP/PRFM microneedling is $699 for a 90 minute session.

Texture and acne scarring usually need three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart. Series pricing is discussed at consultation rather than quoted in advance, because the number of sessions depends on what is being treated.

Pay monthly with

What to expect

How Long Does the Result Last?

The change is gradual and it looks like better skin rather than a treatment. Texture first, then tone.

Most patients see the clearest difference between weeks two and six after a session, and more after a short series. Results are not permanent. Skin continues to age and maintenance is a reasonable conversation once you have seen how yours responds.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

It combines microneedling with platelet therapy from your own blood. At Spectrum, Dr. Munib uses Selphyl PRFM, which releases growth factors as the skin heals to rebuild collagen for smoother texture and tone.

Dr. Munib uses Selphyl PRFM (platelet-rich fibrin matrix) rather than basic PRP. The fibrin holds platelets in place and releases growth factors over days instead of minutes, which can give a steadier collagen response.

Numbing cream is applied first, so most patients feel pressure rather than pain. Mild redness like a sunburn follows for one to three days.

Skin often looks fresher within a week, with collagen-driven improvement building over four to six weeks. Texture and acne-scar goals usually need a short series.

Because it uses your own platelets, the main risk is contamination from poor handling, which is why it must be physician-performed in a sterile setting. Reported outbreaks traced back to unlicensed spas, not the treatment itself. Dr. Munib screens your history first.

It improves overall skin quality: dull or rough texture, early fine lines, uneven tone, enlarged-looking pores, and some acne scarring. It does not add volume.

PRP/PRFM microneedling is microneedling plus your own platelet preparation, aimed at skin quality. Injectable PRFM places the platelet preparation into a specific area such as the under-eye. Dr. Munib decides which fits your goal, or whether neither does.

Cost depends on the number of sessions and whether it is combined with subcision, filler, or a resurfacing device. Dr. Munib gives transparent pricing at consultation.

It can be, with planning. Most patients look flushed for a day or so afterwards and the skin settles over the following days, with gradual change over several weeks. Timing relative to an event is decided at consultation with Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD.

Irvine, CA

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Medically advised by Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD. Last reviewed 2026-09-04.

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