The Use of Autologous Serum in Dermatology

Autologous serum is a component taken from patient's blood after centrifugation to be used for the same patient. Lately, growth factors (GF) found in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely used as an alternative therapeutic modality in various medical fields. The benefits of using autologous serum effectively include reduced risk of hypersensitivity or allergic reactions as well as the reduced risk of transmission of infectious diseases; however, in practice, the availability of products with GF is still limited. This study aimed to review the latest evidences of using autologous serum therapy in dermatology. We searched and screened the study papers of past 5 years (2015 - 2020) through Pubmed Medline for the following topic: "Risks and benefits of autologous serum in the field of dermatology." The initial search obtained 333 papers, of which only 14 met the inclusion criteria: these included five papers on dermatology, seven on ophthalmology, and one paper each on plastic surgery and orthopedics. PRP serum contains GF, vitamins, hormones, and other components. GF contained in PRP is an effective therapeutic modality to be used in dermatology for wound healing, skin rejuvenation, acne scar, and androgenic alopecia. (SKINmed. 2022;20:97-104).