What Are Cellular Therapies, and Which One Is Right for You?

Cellular therapies are a group of treatments that use your own blood, your own tissue, or laboratory-prepared cells and cell products to support the repair processes of the skin and tissue. They do not add volume like fillers and do not relax muscles like botulinum toxin; in the skin, the target is skin quality: elasticity, fine lines, scars and redness. On this page I separate the classes, explain which comes to the fore for which goal, and where the evidence is strong and where it is limited. Each class has its own page; the decision is made at consultation.

I am a specialist in anaesthesiology and reanimation; blood sampling, venous access, sterile technique and injection safety are core areas of my training. I perform cellular treatments within this framework, carrying out every step of preparation and application myself.

What cellular therapy is not

None of these treatments changes volume or shape. For hollowing of the cheeks, loss of jawline definition or a deep nasolabial fold, the right tool is a filler; for overall firmness of facial tissue, biostimulators. I do not recommend cellular treatments as a solution to volume or shape problems; I plan them with skin quality as the goal and with the level of evidence written out plainly. If the problem is sagging or a hollow, I point to those pages first.

“Stem cell treatment” is also the wrong name for most of what is on this page. Some of the classes below do not involve cell transplantation (Sanakin, PRP, exosomes); fibroblast treatments deliver mature skin cells; micrografts contain progenitor cells and tissue particles; only SVF is a cell mixture that also contains stem cells. I do not call any of them stem cell therapy.

The classes: source and content

I consider PRP in selected cases; the micrograft and SVF pages are informational.

Which one is right for whom?

The decision is made by goal, not by product:

In treatments prepared from your own blood, the decision depends on the goal: when inflammation and redness are in the foreground, the serum enriched in anti-inflammatory proteins comes to the fore; when tissue stimulation and revitalisation are the aim, platelet-rich plasma does. The final choice is made at consultation.

With autologous cell treatments, the decision depends on time: when weeks of laboratory culture are acceptable, cultured fibroblasts come to the fore; when same-day completion is preferred, micrografts or SVF do. The final choice is made at consultation.

How they differ from neighbouring classes

Mesotherapy and polynucleotide (salmon DNA) products supply building blocks to the tissue: hyaluronic acid, amino acids, polynucleotides. Cellular treatments either carry signals (exosomes, PRP, Sanakin) or deliver cells (fibroblasts, micrografts, SVF). Neither is “more advanced” than the other; they are tools for different goals and can be planned in sequence when needed. For knee and joint problems the framework is on the pain treatment page; for hair loss, the methods are compared on the hair loss treatment page.

Being honest about the level of evidence

In cellular treatments the level of evidence varies markedly from class to class. For cultured autologous fibroblasts there is a placebo-controlled randomised trial ¹. For PRP on the scalp there is a meta-analysis of randomised trials reporting an increase in hair density; the studies are heterogeneous and the evidence is of low quality ². For exosomes, a review of registered clinical trials reports a lack of standards in product definition, dosing and reporting ³. Controlled human studies on the use of Alloblast, micrografts and SVF in the skin are limited; for Sanakin’s skin indications I rely on my clinical practice. Reference ¹ is affiliated with the manufacturer of the product studied. Alongside studies reporting improvement there are studies reporting limited benefit or lacking a control group; I say so on each page and give no percentages without a source.

Process and session plan

• Blood-derived (Sanakin, PRP): blood draw, same-day preparation, injection. Sanakin involves a 3-hour wait.
• Ready products (exosomes, Alloblast): consultation, application on a suitable day.
• Tissue-derived (autologous fibroblasts, micrograft, SVF): tissue or fat harvest; a 4–6-week laboratory phase for fibroblasts, same-day application for the others.
• The number of sessions depends on the class and the goal; it is written on each page. The effect is not immediate: changes are reported within weeks, and within months for cell treatments.

The procedure and pain management

Topical anaesthetic cream is standard. Because I am an anaesthesiologist, I treat pain management as a separate part of the procedure.

Cooling is added when needed; what you feel is a brief sting and mild burning. The blood draw is a standard venous access; tissue and fat harvesting are done under local anaesthesia.

Aftercare

First 24 hours

• No make-up on the treated area
• No hot showers, sauna, hammam or steam
• Avoid heavy exercise
• No alcohol
• Do not sleep face-down (facial treatments)
• Do not touch the injection points; do not squeeze or massage the bumps

First 48 hours

• Avoid direct and prolonged sun exposure
• No facial massage, skincare treatments or energy-based device treatments

Expected findings Small bumps (papules) at the injection points lasting 12–24 hours are expected and show that the product has settled in the skin. Mild swelling, tenderness or bruising lasting a few days may occur. Around the eyes, bruising is slightly more likely than on the rest of the face.

Additional advice for blood, tissue and fat harvest sites and for intra-articular treatment is on the relevant page.

Safety and anatomy

Because allergic reactions can occur rarely, treatments are carried out under medical supervision.

Temporary redness, small bumps and bruising may occur at the injection points. Treatments are performed with sterile technique and are postponed if there is an active infection in the area. The risks at blood, tissue and fat harvest sites and the safety of intra-articular treatment are described separately on the relevant pages.

Regulatory status: The closed-system kits used for treatments prepared from blood and tissue are medical devices assessed under CE and TİTCK frameworks; cell cultures and ready cell products are manufactured in licensed laboratories. Approval belongs to a product and to a specific indication, not to a technique or to a physician.

Who is not suitable

Treatment is not performed, or is postponed, in the following situations:

• Active infection or inflammation in the treatment area
• Autoimmune disease in an active phase
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Known hypersensitivity to the product components
• Uncontrolled chronic illness
• Untreated bleeding disorder or unregulated anticoagulant use

I do not perform these treatments during active cancer treatment. For a person with a history of cancer, I make the decision together with the treating specialist.

Contraindications specific to blood, tissue or fat harvesting and to intra-articular treatment are listed on the relevant page.

Without being a medical contraindication, I also consider expectation and treatment to be mismatched in these situations:

• People expecting a marked change from a single session or within a short time
• People whose actual need is a change in volume or shape — cellular treatments do not add volume, and filler is assessed
• People expecting a result from a cellular treatment alone in marked sagging or deep pitted scars
• People with an undiagnosed skin condition — a dermatological assessment comes first

Suitability is determined by consultation in every case.

Pricing

Under the applicable regulations, price information cannot be published on our website. The cost of a treatment depends on the product used, the technique chosen and the extent of the treatment. You can call the clinic for detailed information.

Frequently asked questions

Is cellular therapy different from fillers?

Yes. Fillers add volume and shape; cellular treatments target skin quality and add no volume. If the problem is hollowing or a deep fold, fillers come to the fore; if it is thin skin, scars and loss of elasticity, cellular treatments do.

Are cellular therapies stem cell treatments?

Mostly not. Sanakin, PRP and exosomes do not involve cell transplantation; fibroblast treatments deliver mature skin cells; micrografts contain progenitor cells; only SVF is a cell mixture that also contains stem cells. I do not describe any of them as stem cell therapy.

Which cellular therapy should I choose?

The decision depends on the goal: Sanakin when redness and inflammation are in the foreground, PRP for general revitalisation, exosomes for scarring, hydration and dullness, and fibroblast treatments when cell support for wrinkles and loss of elasticity is the aim. The final choice is made at consultation.

How many sessions do cellular therapies take, and when do they work?

It depends on the class; some are single-session, some require a series. The effect is not immediate; it is reported within weeks, and within months for cell treatments. I give no timelines or percentages without a source.

Can cellular therapies be performed with a history of cancer?

I do not perform these treatments during active cancer treatment. For a person with a history of cancer, I make the decision together with the treating specialist.

Planning your visit

My clinic is in Nişantaşı, Şişli, on the European side of Istanbul, approximately 45 minutes from Istanbul Airport.

For cellular therapies I suggest planning a stay of two to three days: arrival, consultation and treatment, and departure. Some of these treatments are planned as more than one session, and cultured fibroblasts require a separate biopsy visit. The first step takes place in Istanbul, and we plan the schedule of the following visits together according to your travel arrangements, with remote follow-up in between. Flying is generally appropriate 24 hours after an injectable treatment.

Consultations are conducted in English. Follow-up after you return home is arranged remotely, and I remain reachable for any questions during the period in which the result develops.

Dr. Ömer Fatih Şahin — Specialist in Anaesthesiology and Reanimation Diploma Registration No: 113606

Published: 2026-09-21 · Last updated: 2026-09-28 This content has been medically reviewed by Dr. Ömer Fatih Şahin.

References

1. Smith SR, Munavalli G, Weiss R, Maslowski JM, Hennegan KP, Novak JM. A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of autologous fibroblast therapy for the treatment of nasolabial fold wrinkles. Dermatol Surg. 2012;38(7 Pt 2):1234–1243. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22409385/ — Two authors are paid investigators for the manufacturer and one is a member of its medical advisory board; the study is affiliated with the manufacturer.
2. Kieling L, Konzen AT, Zanella RK, Valente DS. Is autologous platelet-rich plasma capable of increasing hair density in patients with androgenic alopecia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. An Bras Dermatol. 2024;99(6):847–862. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39013743/
3. Wang Y, Zhu J, Ma Q, et al. Trends in mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles clinical trials 2014–2024: is efficacy optimal in a narrow dose range? Front Med. 2025;12:1625787. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41048938/