PRP, PRF, CGF, LPCGF and APAG: Decoding Regenerative Treatments
By Dr Muhammad Nadim (M.Biomed) · Medically reviewed by Dr Shirley Yuliana Kwee, MBChB (Glasgow), GDFM (NUS) · Updated 23 September 2026
PRP, PRF, CGF, LPCGF and APAG are different preparations made from a patient's own blood. Some concentrate platelets, some form a fibrin material, and others turn plasma proteins into a gel. Their clinical roles differ: a liquid used in a scalp treatment is not the same as a material considered for facial volume.
For patients, the useful question is not which acronym sounds newest. It is what the preparation contains, why it is being considered for a particular concern, and how much evidence supports that use.
At SOMA in Uluwatu, Bali, we explain these differences before discussing a treatment plan. This guide introduces the terminology without assuming that newer means better.
What does autologous mean?
Autologous means that the biological material comes from the same person who receives it. In this context, blood is collected, processed and used for that patient's care. It describes the source, not a guarantee of safety or effectiveness. Preparation and clinical judgment still matter.
The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration provides a useful explanation of PRP, PRF and related blood preparations.
PRP: Platelet-Rich Plasma
PRP is plasma with an increased concentration of platelets, as described in the US National Library of Medicine definition. Platelets participate in clotting and release proteins involved in tissue responses to injury.
Blood is usually collected with an anticoagulant and centrifuged to separate its components. The selected fraction remains liquid before activation or clotting. The number of spins, platelet recovery, final volume and white-cell content depend on the system and protocol. Yellow plasma is not automatically platelet-rich.
PRP is considered for selected hair-loss and skin concerns. In a randomised, placebo-controlled study by Gentile and colleagues, patients with androgenetic alopecia showed improved hair-density measures after a course of PRP. That supports discussion of PRP for suitable pattern hair loss, not a promise that it treats every cause of thinning.
For facial use, a clinical and laboratory study by Du and Lei reported changes in skin-quality measures after PRP injections. This is encouraging research, but it does not establish a universal result or prove that every combination with microneedling is more effective.
PRF: Platelet-Rich Fibrin
PRF is a family of preparations in which fibrin, the protein network involved in clot formation, plays an important role. Conventional preparation does not add an anticoagulant. Different protocols can produce a solid clot or a liquid preparation that subsequently forms fibrin.
Solid PRF and injectable PRF are therefore not interchangeable. Nor should every liquid obtained from a blood tube be called i-PRF. Timing, tube specifications and the centrifugation protocol determine the material being prepared.
An 11-participant study of injectable PRF for facial rejuvenation reported improvements in some skin measures and patient satisfaction. It was small and uncontrolled, and not all measured changes were statistically significant. It cannot establish that PRF is superior to PRP or equivalent to a long-lasting filler.
CGF: Concentrated Growth Factors
CGF describes a preparation method that can produce a fibrin-rich clot containing blood-derived components. The solid material can be fashioned into a membrane. Its physical form makes it relevant to selected local surgical and wound applications, rather than simply being another liquid facial treatment.
Research includes a randomised trial of CGF during surgical tissue expansion. Findings in that setting should not be treated as proof that CGF removes acne scars or produces the same results in routine facial injections.
The name concentrated growth factors does not tell you the measured concentration of every factor. The final material, intended use and supporting evidence matter more than the name.
LPCGF: the Liquid Phase of Concentrated Growth Factors
LPCGF is the liquid preparation associated with a CGF workflow. It is described in technical aesthetic protocol information for mesotherapy and skin-quality applications.
It is not a straightforward synonym for PRP. Nor does the name prove that it contains fewer platelets, more growth factors or a purer secretome. Those claims require analysis of the actual preparation.
Published laboratory research on LPCGF and periodontal-ligament stem cells provides a biological rationale for further study. It is not a human trial proving facial rejuvenation or hair regrowth. At SOMA, the discussion centres on the intended skin-quality role and the limits of the available evidence.
APAG: Activated Plasma Albumin Gel
APAG refers to a gel prepared from plasma proteins, including albumin, using controlled processing. Its proposed role is selected volume support. It belongs in a different conversation from liquid scalp or skin treatments.
APAG and PRF are not synonyms. Fibrin formation and heat-induced albumin gel formation are different processes. Some research preparations combine an albumin gel with unheated PRF; results for those mixtures should not automatically be attributed to every APAG protocol.
A laboratory study of albumin gel and liquid PRF found that heating affected growth-factor activity. This is one reason the exact preparation matters. A related 60-patient trial of plasma gel for atrophic acne scars reported improvement with the tested treatments, but does not establish identical results for every plasma-gel product.
Autologous origin does not remove injection risks. Suitability, anatomical knowledge and a plan for complications remain important.
Which preparation fits which concern?
Hair density calls for a scalp assessment first. PRP has direct clinical research in pattern hair loss; it should not be replaced by another preparation on the assumption that all blood-derived products have the same evidence.
For skin texture and fine lines, the question is whether an autologous preparation adds something useful to the overall plan. For acne scars, stretch marks and surgical scars, the scar type determines the main treatment. A liquid preparation or plasma gel may be an adjunct in selected cases, rather than a universal scar-removal treatment.
For volume concerns, plasma gel has a different intended role from PRP. For home skincare, a personalised cream is a topical formulation, not an injectable treatment. None of these descriptions establishes an intravenous longevity indication.
Are these treatments unavailable in other countries?
Not as a single group. Availability, legal classification and the particular use must be separated. The following distinctions are more useful than a claim that a treatment is simply unavailable overseas.
Australia
PRP and PRF are not subject to a blanket ban. TGA guidance describes regulatory pathways and circumstances in which exemptions may apply. More extensive processing or a different use can change the requirements. Equipment registration is not proof of clinical benefit.
Singapore
The Singapore Medical Council states that non-listed aesthetic procedures need appropriate classification before they can be performed outside a formal approved clinical trial. This does not justify calling every PRP procedure banned, but it means an overseas treatment name cannot be assumed to represent a routinely permitted aesthetic service in Singapore.
United States
A specific regulatory distinction concerns combination procedures: the FDA says microneedling devices are not approved to deliver PRP or other products into the skin. That is not a statement that PRP is unavailable throughout the United States.
Germany, Spain, Italy and other EU countries
The EU Cosmetics Regulation, Annex II, entry 416 prohibits cells, tissues or products of human origin in cosmetic products. A cream containing a human blood-derived ingredient therefore cannot be assumed to be an ordinary lawful retail cosmetic in the EU. This is not a blanket prohibition on medical autologous procedures; classification and applicable medical rules are separate questions.
United Kingdom and Dubai/UAE
We have not established a country-wide absence of APAG, LPCGF or patient-specific blood-derived skincare in these markets. Ask about the exact preparation and intended use rather than relying on an unfamiliar name as evidence that it is unavailable.
Availability in Bali does not, by itself, establish permission to carry a personalised biological preparation into another country. Discuss follow-up and any take-home product before travelling.
Frequently asked questions
Is PRF better than PRP?
Not automatically. A comparison needs the same clinical concern, clearly defined preparations and meaningful patient outcomes. Different composition alone does not establish a better result.
Is LPCGF another name for PRP?
No. LPCGF identifies a liquid CGF preparation. Ask the clinic to explain what it contains and which protocol is used rather than treating the names as interchangeable.
Is plasma gel the same as a PRF filler?
Not necessarily. A plasma albumin gel and a fibrin preparation are different materials. Some techniques combine them, which makes a precise description important.
Can I choose a treatment before a consultation?
You can identify the concern you want to address. The preparation should follow the assessment, not the other way around.
Discuss the options at SOMA
Explore our PRP facial information and PRF information, or contact SOMA in Uluwatu to discuss your skin, scalp or volume concerns.
This article is patient information, not an individual treatment recommendation. Research and international regulatory information were checked in September 2026. Local permissions and the exact clinical protocol must always be confirmed.
