Regenerative Aesthetics™ (PRP, Microneedling, Exosomes) Accredited Training

Frequently Asked Questions: PracticalCME Regenerative Aesthetics Training

Clear answers on scope, accreditation, faculty, sterile technique, FDA regulatory posture, eligibility, and logistics. For the full 2027 state-of-the-art analysis, read Dr. Zengo’s October 2026 piece on Aesthetic PRP in 2027.

What is included in the PracticalCME Regenerative Aesthetics certification?

The Regenerative Aesthetics curriculum covers four complementary modalities taught as an integrated practice. Platelet-rich plasma preparation, isolation, injection for face scars and scalp hair restoration, and topical application post-microneedling. Variable-depth microneedling, standalone and in combination with PRP. Topical exosome application, used post-microneedling for growth factor delivery. Red LED and near-infrared photobiomodulation, as both adjunctive and standalone therapy.

Attendees receive 7.75 CME hours for the online didactic portion and a separate 5-hour Certificate of Completion for the live hands-on session. Course materials include patient consent forms, protocol sheets, and marketing templates downloadable for immediate practice use.

How does the hands-on experience differ by city?

Microneedling hands-on is taught at every one of the 16 PracticalCME Regenerative Aesthetics training cities.

PRP preparation, isolation, injection, and topical application are taught hands-on at ten clinical training sites: Boston, New York, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Orlando (Central Florida), Washington DC, West Palm Beach, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. At these clinical sites, trainees observe venipuncture performed by the host clinic’s staff, then practice the full post-draw workflow including centrifugation, platelet isolation, injection for face volume with or without dermal filler, scars, and scalp hair restoration, along with topical application post-microneedling.

At the remaining non-clinical sites, the hands-on component focuses on microneedling technique with extensive live instruction on PRP treatment planning for the face and scalp. PRP preparation and administration are covered in detail in the accredited online course at every location.

What makes PracticalCME’s Regenerative Aesthetics training the leader in 2027?

PracticalCME authored the first ACCME-accredited aesthetic platelet-rich plasma training in the United States in 2014. The curriculum has been revised continuously for twelve years as the clinical evidence, the FDA regulatory framework, and the standard of care have evolved. The 2027 version engages the current regulatory posture explicitly, incorporates the 2024 CDC updated infection control guidance, and references 60+ peer-reviewed primary studies throughout.

Three further differentiators: all faculty are state-licensed MDs or DOs with a minimum of ten years of injection experience. Live hands-on sessions are capped at five participants, typically three per MD instructor. At clinical training sites, real PRP is spun, isolated, and used in topical and injection applications under direct physician supervision.

Who teaches the live hands-on Regenerative Aesthetics sessions?

Every PracticalCME faculty member is a state-licensed MD or DO. Dr. Gregory Zengo, MD, FACOG leads the microneedling hands-on in Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, Phoenix, and Denver. The clinical training sites are led by the physicians who direct the training center in that city, including Dr. Wynne Huang in Boston, Dr. Marisa Viñas in West Palm Beach, Dr. Theresa Huyen in Central Florida, Washington DC, and Houston, Dr. Robert Caiati in New York, Dr. Thomas Lee in Los Angeles, Dr. Cory Gaiser in Cincinnati, and Drs. Alissandro and Rebecca Castillo in Charlotte.

Each city page lists the specific physician who will lead the session you register for, along with their state license information.

What is the FDA regulatory status of aesthetic PRP, and how does the course address it?

Autologous platelet-rich plasma is regulated by the FDA under 21 CFR 1271 as a human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based product (HCT/P). It qualifies for the 361 exemption when the preparation involves minimal manipulation and the product is used for homologous use in the same patient. The FDA has not approved PRP for aesthetic indications, so aesthetic use is off-label.

Off-label use of a biologic by a licensed clinician is legal in US medical practice when administered within state scope of practice, supported by documented medical judgment, and accompanied by informed consent that discloses the off-label status. The PracticalCME curriculum covers each of these requirements in detail, including state-specific scope of practice variation and the exact consent language a clinician should use.

How does the course address sterile technique and the 2024 CDC infection control updates?

Following the 2024 CDC investigation of HIV transmissions linked to PRP procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medspa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published updated guidance on infection control for autologous blood-derived aesthetic treatments. The PracticalCME curriculum incorporates this guidance throughout the sterile technique sections.

Specific coverage includes aseptic handling of blood products from draw through centrifugation, closed-system processing protocols, single-use component standards, workspace separation when multiple patients are treated on the same day, equipment sterilization between patients, waste disposal, standard operating procedure documentation, and medical director oversight framework. The 2024 case was not a PRP problem. It was a sterile technique and licensure problem that trained clinicians prevent through protocol.

Does the course cover injected or topical exosomes?

Topical only. The FDA has issued safety communications regarding injected exosome products marketed for aesthetic use, and there are currently no FDA-approved exosome products for any indication. The PracticalCME curriculum teaches topical exosome application applied directly to the skin surface after microneedling has opened delivery channels.  We do not teach any injection of other stem cells or growth factors other than fresh spun activated PRP, because while marketed, these other products are NOT FDA approved for injection.

The course covers product selection criteria in the current unregulated exosome marketplace, the regulatory posture that distinguishes topical from injected use, informed consent and documentation for emerging biologic adjuncts, and combination protocols with microneedling and PRP for layered growth factor delivery.

What CME credit is available and from which accrediting bodies?

The online portion of the Regenerative Aesthetics course is accredited through the joint providership of Global Education Group (Global) and PracticalCME, LLC. Global is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credits by profession:

• Physicians (MD/DO): 7.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.
• Physician Assistants: 7.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits via AAPA reciprocity.
• Nurse Practitioners: 7.75 AANP contact hours.
• Registered Nurses: 7.75 ANCC contact hours.
• Dentists: 7.75 AMA certificate for licensing board equivalency, where scope allows.

Because the PRP treatments use the patient’s own platelets, no pharmacology hours are required for this course. The live hands-on component awards a separate 5-hour Certificate of Completion that documents supervised contact hours but is not CME.

What is the maximum class size for the hands-on, and what is the faculty-to-trainee ratio?

Every PracticalCME live hands-on session is capped at a maximum of five participants. A typical class has three attendees per MD instructor, which supports direct one-on-one supervision through the full hands-on workflow.

This cap is a quality decision, not a logistics constraint. Many competitor training programs run hands-on classes of ten to twenty attendees sharing one or two models, where observation substitutes for personal injection practice. At five or fewer, every attendee performs the full procedure under direct physician supervision.

Who is eligible to take the PracticalCME Regenerative Aesthetics training?

The course is open to Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Physicians (MD and DO), and Dentists where their legal scope of practice allows platelet-rich plasma injection and microneedling. Scope varies by state and by license type. The curriculum covers scope-of-practice variation across states in detail.

Completing a training course does not alter the legal scope of practice for the attendee’s licensure. Each attendee is responsible for confirming their state or jurisdiction’s rules before enrolling and before offering any procedure in their own practice.

Is product and equipment included for the hands-on, and can I bring my own patient?

Yes. At clinical training sites, the host clinic provides blood products drawn by its own staff, FDA-cleared centrifugation equipment, closed-system PRP collection components, microneedling devices and single-use cartridges, red LED equipment for demonstration, and all consumables needed for each attendee to complete the full PRP preparation, injection, and topical application workflow. At non-clinical training sites, PracticalCME provides microneedling devices, cartridges, and all consumables for microneedling hands-on practice.

Attendees at clinical sites may bring their own patient for supervised injection under faculty oversight, which many providers find valuable for building confidence before performing the procedure in their own practice.

What financing options are available for the Regenerative Aesthetics training?

PracticalCME offers Affirm financing at checkout, with rates as low as 0% APR for 6 months for qualified applicants. Terms are subject to Affirm approval. Longer repayment terms are available at standard APR for those who prefer monthly payments over a longer window.

The accredited online course is accessible immediately upon purchase, and the hands-on component can be scheduled at any of the 16 US training cities at the attendee’s convenience within the two-year access window.