Ariessence Pure PDGF+ and PDGF Microneedling at Body Balance Medical
Someone asked us about this in the comments of one of our ads, and it is a fair question. "PDGF" is not exactly a household term. Ariessence PDGF, sold as Ariessence Pure PDGF+, is a topical growth factor serum used during microneedling. Here is what it actually is, how it differs from blood-derived options like PRF, and why Body Balance Medical uses it the way we do.
Ariessence Pure PDGF+ is a lab-made (recombinant) platelet-derived growth factor serum, specifically PDGF-BB, formulated in a hyaluronic acid carrier. At Body Balance Medical it is applied topically during microneedling, not injected. This is an educational post rather than a sales page. If you want to be evaluated for treatment, apply for your assessment here.
- The PDGF-BB molecule has long-standing FDA-approved uses in wound care and bone regeneration, but the Ariessence cosmetic formulation itself has not gone through that same approval process for aesthetic use.
- PDGF microneedling is an option for patients who want growth-factor support without a blood draw, unlike PRF, which is prepared from the patient's own blood.
- All PDGF treatments at BBM are performed by Teresa Hernandez, MSN, FNP-BC, lead injector, applied topically only.
- BBM offers both PDGF and PRF / PRF EZ Gel. The right choice depends on your history and goals, not a one-size ranking.
What Is PDGF, and How Does Ariessence Pure PDGF+ Fit In?
PDGF stands for platelet-derived growth factor, a protein your body already makes. When tissue is injured, platelets release PDGF as a signal. It recruits fibroblasts and repair cells to the site, triggers cell proliferation, and promotes new blood vessel formation to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the area. That is the same wound-healing and tissue-repair process cosmetic dermatology tries to harness for skin rejuvenation.
Ariessence Pure PDGF+ takes that specific molecule, PDGF-BB, and manufactures it in a lab using recombinant protein engineering rather than drawing it from a patient's blood. The result is a pharmaceutical-grade serum in a hyaluronic acid carrier, designed for topical application during procedures like microneedling that create micro-channels in the skin. Every vial contains a known, consistent concentration. Unlike PRF, where the growth factor content naturally varies from patient to patient and visit to visit, Ariessence is standardized. It is not derived from the patient's blood, contains no platelets, and requires no blood draw.
Body Balance Medical, a LegitScript-certified clinic in Summerlin, Las Vegas, uses Ariessence as part of a supervised microneedling protocol.
FDA Status, Evidence, and Safety: Being Honest About What We Know
Three things need to stay separate here: the PDGF-BB molecule itself, its FDA-approved medical uses, and Ariessence Pure PDGF+ as a specific cosmetic product.
PDGF-BB has FDA approval in products like REGRANEX, a gel for chronic diabetic wound care approved in 1997, and GEM 21S and AUGMENT for dental and orthopedic bone regeneration. Decades of data support its role in healing and tissue formation in those specific, approved contexts. Those approvals do not extend to aesthetic medicine. Ariessence Pure PDGF+ as a branded topical serum has not gone through the FDA drug-approval process, and should not be described as FDA-approved for skin rejuvenation.
The evidence for PDGF specifically in cosmetic use is still early. A 2025 randomized, controlled trial of RF microneedling plus pure PDGF showed improved skin quality scores and reduced redness at 7 and 30 days, but it enrolled only 12 subjects with short follow-up. Worth knowing upfront: that trial was funded by Ariessence's manufacturer, and two of the listed researchers are employees of that company. That does not make the results meaningless, since industry-funded research is common in this field, but it is a data point to weigh rather than a substitute for the larger independent studies this treatment does not have yet.
On the cancer question specifically, since it is the one people worry about most with any growth factor: REGRANEX does carry an FDA boxed warning connected to cancer mortality risk, added in 2008. That warning is tied to a specific pattern of use, namely patients using three or more tubes of REGRANEX for chronic, long-term daily treatment of large open wounds, which works out to several milligrams of PDGF-BB delivered repeatedly over weeks. A single 0.5 mL syringe of Ariessence contains roughly 0.15 mg, applied once, topically, during a microneedling session. That is a very different exposure pattern than the one the warning addresses. A broader safety review of rhPDGF-BB across its approved uses, including data from over 150,000 treated orthopedic patients, has not identified a genotoxic effect. We think it is more honest to tell you the warning exists and explain why it does not map onto how this product is used here, rather than imply no such warning exists at all.
Because injectable use of PDGF for aesthetic purposes does not yet have that same evidence base, BBM uses it only as a topical adjunct during microneedling, never as a stand-alone injection.
How PDGF Microneedling Works at Body Balance Medical
PDGF microneedling at BBM means the microneedling procedure itself, plus a timed topical application of Ariessence Pure PDGF+ onto the open micro-channels, performed in-clinic in Summerlin by Teresa Hernandez, MSN, FNP-BC.
- Assessment. Teresa reviews your skin health, medical history, and specific concerns including tone, fine lines, acne scarring, and textural roughness.
- Skin preparation. The treatment area is cleansed and prepped.
- Microneedling. Controlled micro-injuries are created across the treatment area.
- PDGF application. Ariessence Pure PDGF+ is applied while the channels are still open, allowing the growth factor and hyaluronic acid to reach the upper dermis.
The PDGF is not injected. The combination of mechanical stimulation and biochemical signaling may support collagen and elastin production and improve skin structure, though results build gradually rather than appearing overnight. Ariessence can be selected alongside other regenerative options at BBM, including PRF or PDRN, but Teresa will recommend one primary strategy per session based on your history and goals. For full treatment details, see the microneedling page.
PDGF vs. PRF: Two Paths to the Same Goal
Many people weighing these options are really trying to decide between an autologous approach, meaning one that uses your own blood, and a lab-made one. Here is the honest breakdown. Neither column is the correct answer for everyone.
| Ariessence Pure PDGF+ | PRF / PRF EZ Gel | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Recombinant, produced in cultured cells from a human gene sequence | The patient's own blood |
| Blood draw required | No | Yes |
| Growth factors included | PDGF-BB only, at a standardized dose | Multiple, with a fibrin scaffold allowing slower release |
| Dose consistency | The same concentration every session | Varies with platelet count, hydration, age, and medications |
| Formulation | Four ingredients: water, sodium acetate, hyaluronic acid, and the PDGF-BB dimer | Determined by the patient's own biology on the day |
| Delivery at BBM | Topical, during microneedling | Topical, injected, or as EZ Gel |
PRF comes from your own blood, spun in a centrifuge. Its fibrin matrix allows a slower release of growth factors over time, and it contains PDGF alongside other signaling molecules. The trade-off with any blood-derived option is a broader mix of growth factors but less dose-to-dose consistency, since the content depends on your own biology that day.
Body Balance Medical offers both paths. Some patients prefer skipping the blood draw and want standardized dosing. Others want an entirely autologous option. Neither is inherently better, and it depends on your situation. For the blood-derived option in more depth, read PRF microneedling: benefits, process, and results explained, or explore skin rejuvenation options at BBM more broadly.
Why Body Balance Medical Uses Topical PDGF, Not PDGF Injections
It is worth being precise about what "off label" actually means here, because it applies more broadly than just injections. The FDA has cleared microneedling devices to improve the appearance of acne scars and wrinkles through the mechanical effect of the micro-injuries themselves. The agency is explicit that microneedling devices are not cleared as a delivery system for any substance, including drugs, cosmetics, or blood-derived preparations. That is true industry-wide. Anything applied during microneedling, ours included, sits in that same off-label space. It is a normal, accepted part of how aesthetic medicine uses these devices under physician supervision, not a mark against the practice.
Within that space, BBM's specific choice is to keep PDGF topical rather than injected. The evidence that exists on PDGF in aesthetics, limited as it currently is, has been generated using topical post-procedure application, including the clinical trial referenced above. Injectable use of PDGF for aesthetic purposes exists in the field, but it does not have that same evidence behind it yet. Teresa's protocol follows where the data actually is, not where the marketing is.
If a patient asks about PDGF injections specifically, Teresa will walk through the current evidence, explain why BBM does not offer that route today, and talk through alternatives such as PRF, PRF EZ Gel, or other established options. Protocols get revisited as new data comes in.
Who Might Consider Ariessence Pure PDGF+ with Microneedling?
Suitability depends on your overall health, medications, and specific goals, assessed in person at the Summerlin clinic.
Concerns where PDGF microneedling comes up most:
- Fine lines and early loss of skin firmness
- Acne scars and textural roughness
- General skin quality support for patients who are already good candidates for standard microneedling
Good candidates typically want growth-factor support but prefer to skip the blood draw, have had inconsistent results with blood-derived options in the past, or are drawn to a standardized dose.
Who may need a different approach: patients with active skin infections, unstable medical conditions, a history of keloid scarring, or those currently in cancer treatment. These are reasons for a cautious or deferred conversation with Teresa, not an automatic no.
Results build gradually, since collagen production happens over weeks to months rather than overnight. Most patients complete a series of sessions for meaningful change, with minimal downtime per visit. If you are unsure where to start, an in-person assessment with Teresa is the way to weigh PDGF against standard microneedling, PRF, PDRN, chemical peels, or other options side by side. If your main concern is skin texture and tone, that page maps the full range of treatments against what each one actually addresses.
Body Balance Medical is a LegitScript-certified medical clinic in Summerlin, Las Vegas. Every PDGF and regenerative treatment is performed by a licensed provider, not an unsupervised technician.
FAQs About Ariessence Pure PDGF+ at Body Balance Medical
Is Ariessence Pure PDGF+ the same as PRF?
No. Ariessence is a single recombinant growth factor, PDGF-BB, made in a lab. PRF is a concentrated portion of your own blood, containing many growth factors and other cells held in a fibrin scaffold. Outcomes can overlap, since both support collagen and healing, but the source, composition, and dosing consistency are different. Ariessence requires no blood draw and delivers the same concentration every session. PRF offers a broader mix of signaling molecules that varies with your own biology. Neither is inherently better for every person.
Can I use PDGF products at home instead of in the clinic?
Over-the-counter growth factor creams are typically very different from the pharmaceutical-grade serum used in-office, often with lower or less-characterized active ingredients applied to intact skin. BBM's Ariessence protocol is designed for immediate use after controlled microneedling, while the micro-channels are open, under provider supervision. It is not dispensed as a home-use product or as an at-home microneedling add-on.
How many PDGF microneedling sessions will I need?
Most patients are evaluated for a series, spaced several weeks apart. The exact number depends on your baseline skin condition, age, and whether PDGF is combined with other treatments. Session count and spacing are determined at your in-person assessment rather than sold as a standard package, since the right answer varies more than most clinics acknowledge.
Does PDGF microneedling replace chemical peels or laser treatments?
Not necessarily. It is one tool among several. PDGF microneedling can stand alone or be staged alongside options like chemical peels or laser resurfacing, depending on your skin type, downtime tolerance, and goals. BBM often builds a plan around multiple modalities over time rather than relying on one approach for everything.
How can I find out if Ariessence Pure PDGF+ is right for me?
Start with the microneedling page for treatment details, then apply for your assessment at the Summerlin clinic to go over your medical history, current medications, and realistic expectations with Teresa Hernandez, MSN, FNP-BC.
Curious If PDGF Microneedling Is Right for You?
Every treatment plan starts with an honest assessment rather than a sales pitch. Talk with Teresa about your skin goals, your history, and whether PDGF, PRF, or something else is the better fit.
Apply for Your Assessment