Microneedling Booster Guide From Call of Beauty in Encinitas
Exosomes vs PRP: Two Ways to Supercharge Your Microneedling
Both boosters speed healing and improve results. One comes from your own blood. The other comes from a lab. Here's how they compare in the treatment room.
Exosomes
Lab-purified stem cell growth factors
PRP
Your own platelet-rich plasma
Both Options
$550 per session at Call of Beauty
Exosomes vs PRP for microneedling is the question our Encinitas patients ask most often when they're ready to move beyond basic microneedling. Both boosters take a standard collagen-induction treatment and push results further. Both cost $550 at Call of Beauty. Both work. But they work differently, recover differently, and suit different skin concerns.
Our RN injectors Jordanne Jordan and Olga Brener perform both treatments weekly, and they've seen firsthand how each one behaves on real skin over hundreds of sessions. This guide breaks down the science, the practical differences, and which one they'd recommend based on what your skin actually needs.
What PRP and Exosomes Actually Are
Before comparing results, it helps to understand what's going into your skin during each treatment. The names sound clinical. The concepts are straightforward.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) starts with a blood draw from your arm. Your blood goes into a centrifuge that spins it at high speed, separating red blood cells from the concentrated platelet layer. That golden-colored plasma is loaded with your own growth factors, the proteins that signal your body to repair tissue, build collagen, and grow new blood vessels. Your injector applies it directly onto your skin right after microneedling, so it absorbs through those thousands of open micro-channels.
Exosomes skip the blood draw entirely. These are tiny messenger particles derived from stem cells in a laboratory. Each particle carries growth factors, peptides, and signaling molecules directly to your skin cells. At Call of Beauty, we use premium BENEV exosomes, which are freeze-dried for potency and reconstituted right before your treatment. One vial contains billions of these particles.
The core difference: PRP uses your body's own healing toolkit. Exosomes bring in reinforcements from outside.
PRP: Your Own Growth Factors
A blood draw, a centrifuge spin, and you have concentrated platelets rich in growth factors unique to your body. No lab processing, no synthetic ingredients. Your biology does the work.
Exosomes: Stem Cell Messengers
Billions of lab-purified nanoparticles carrying growth factors, peptides, and anti-inflammatory signals. No blood draw required. Consistent potency every time, regardless of your age or health.
Microneedling Booster Comparison: PRP vs Exosomes Side by Side
Same price. Same microneedling device. Different biology driving the results.
When Our Injectors Recommend PRP
PRP microneedling isn't the flashy option. It doesn't have "stem cell" in the name. But it's a workhorse treatment that our RN team recommends for specific situations.
Olga tends to suggest PRP microneedling for patients who value the "all-natural" approach. Everything going into your skin came from your own body. No lab products, no synthetic components. For patients who are cautious about new technologies or prefer a treatment with decades of published research behind it, PRP is the safer bet philosophically.
PRP also works well for patients who are building a long-term treatment plan. It pairs naturally with other regenerative treatments (PRP is also used for hair restoration at our clinic), so patients already familiar with the blood draw process find the microneedling version easy to add.
The honest limitation: if you're over 50, your platelet count and growth factor concentration are lower than they were at 30. That doesn't mean PRP won't work for you. It means the results may be more gradual compared to a younger patient getting the same treatment.
When Our Injectors Recommend Exosome Microneedling
Stem cell exosome microneedling is the newer option, and it's quickly become the most requested microneedling upgrade at Call of Beauty in Encinitas. There are a few reasons our team reaches for it.
Jordanne often recommends microneedling with exosomes when a patient needs faster recovery. Event coming up in 3 days? Exosomes cut the red, puffy phase roughly in half. The anti-inflammatory properties kick in immediately, calming the skin while still driving collagen production underneath.
Exosomes also deliver more consistent results regardless of the patient's age. A 55-year-old gets the same concentration of growth factors as a 28-year-old, because the biology isn't coming from their own body. That matters when you're investing $550 per session and want predictable outcomes.
The premium BENEV exosomes we use at Call of Beauty contain billions of growth factor particles per vial. They're freeze-dried until the moment of treatment, which preserves potency. That consistency is the whole point: you get the same high-dose delivery whether it's your first session or your fourth.
100x More Growth Factors Than PRP
Pricing and Packages at Call of Beauty
Both treatments cost the same per session at our Encinitas clinic
Mixing PRP and Exosome Microneedling Sessions
Yes, you can alternate. Some of our patients switch between the two, and there's nothing wrong with that approach. You could start with PRP to see how your body responds, then try exosomes in your next session to compare. Or you could do three exosome sessions for the intensive collagen boost, then maintain with PRP every few months.
Encinitas patients weighing exosomes vs PRP for microneedling don't always have to pick one forever. Your injector can help you build a rotation that makes sense for your skin type and budget. Since both treatments cost $550 per session, the decision comes down to what matters more to you: fully natural biology (PRP) or concentrated potency with faster recovery (exosomes).
And if you're comparing microneedling boosters to other skin resurfacing options entirely, check out our microneedling vs chemical peel guide for a broader comparison.
What Results Look Like Over Time
Both PRP and exosome microneedling work by triggering your body's collagen production cycle. That process doesn't happen overnight. Here's a realistic timeline based on what our Encinitas patients experience:
Week 1: Healing Phase
Redness fades. With exosomes, most patients look normal within 24-48 hours. With PRP, expect 2-4 days of mild pinkness. Skin feels tighter as the initial healing response kicks in.
Weeks 2-4: Early Collagen Production
Skin starts feeling smoother. Fine lines soften. Pores look slightly smaller. This is the collagen remodeling phase where new structural proteins start filling in.
Weeks 4-8: Visible Improvement
Texture is noticeably better. Acne scars look shallower. Tone is more even. Patients who've done exosomes often notice this phase arrives a week or two earlier.
Months 3-6 (With a Series): Compounding Results
After 3-4 sessions, results stack. Each treatment builds on the collagen produced by the last one. This is where the buy-3-get-1-free package pays off. Patients who commit to a series see dramatically better results than those who do a single session.
One thing to keep in mind: a single session of either treatment will give you a glow and some improvement. But the real transformation happens with a series. That's true for both PRP and exosomes. Collagen takes time to build, and each session adds another layer of structural support. Whether you choose exosomes or PRP for your microneedling series at our Encinitas clinic, the compounding effect is where the real value shows up.
Exosomes vs PRP Microneedling: Your Questions
Not Sure Which Booster Is Right for Your Skin?
Book a microneedling consultation at Call of Beauty in Encinitas. Our RN injectors evaluate your skin type, your concerns, and your timeline, then recommend whether PRP or exosomes will give you the best results. Both options are $550 per session with a buy-3-get-1-free package available.
Choosing between exosomes and PRP for microneedling doesn't have to be complicated. If you want the fastest recovery and the most consistent potency session after session, exosomes are the pick. If you prefer keeping everything natural and using your own biology, PRP is a solid choice that's been around for years. Either way, you're getting a treatment that goes well beyond basic microneedling.
Related reading: Microneedling vs Chemical Peel: Which Treatment Gives Better Results?