Platelet Rich Plasma Training Charlotte, NC

Frequently Asked Questions: PracticalCME Regenerative Aesthetics Training in Charlotte

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 does the Regenerative Aesthetics certification include?

Four complementary modalities taught as an integrated clinical practice. Platelet-rich plasma preparation, isolation, injection for face volume (with or without dermal filler), scars, and scalp hair restoration, plus topical application post-microneedling. Variable-depth microneedling, standalone and in combination with PRP. Topical exosome application post-microneedling for growth factor delivery. Red LED and near-infrared photobiomodulation.

Attendees earn 7.75 online CME hours and a separate 5-hour Hands-On Certificate of Completion, for 12.75 total contact hours. Downloadable patient consent forms, protocol sheets, and marketing templates are included.

How is the Charlotte hands-on different from microneedling-only sites?

Every PracticalCME training city teaches microneedling hands-on. The Charlotte training site is one of ten clinical sites where PRP is also taught hands-on: Boston, New York, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Orlando (Central Florida), Washington DC, West Palm Beach, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

At the Charlotte clinical site, blood draw is performed by the host clinic’s staff while trainees observe. Attendees then practice the full post-draw workflow: centrifugation, platelet isolation, injection for face volume with or without dermal filler, scars, and scalp hair restoration, and topical application post-microneedling. At non-clinical PracticalCME training sites, the hands-on focuses on microneedling technique with extensive live instruction on PRP treatment planning. PRP preparation and administration are covered in detail in the accredited online course at every location. PracticalCME does not teach phlebotomy.

What stands out about PracticalCME’s 2027 Regenerative Aesthetics curriculum?

Three structural factors. PracticalCME authored the first ACCME-accredited aesthetic PRP curriculum in the United States in 2014, and has revised it 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.

All faculty are state-licensed MDs or DOs with at least a decade of injection experience. Live hands-on sessions are capped at five participants at most sites and at four participants in Charlotte, typically two per MD instructor at the Charlotte site. Real platelet-rich plasma is spun, isolated, injected, and applied topically under direct physician supervision at the Charlotte clinical training site.

Which physicians lead the Charlotte live hands-on sessions?

The online curriculum is authored and delivered by Dr. Gregory P. Zengo, MD, FACOG, Founder and Medical Director of PracticalCME. Dr. Zengo authored the first US CME-accredited aesthetic PRP training in 2014.

The live hands-on in Charlotte is co-directed by Dr. Alissandro Castillo, MD and Dr. Rebecca Appleton Castillo, MD, a two-physician team. Both are board-certified physicians licensed in North Carolina. Having two faculty members on the floor during a four-attendee cap means a two-to-one trainee-to-physician ratio for every session.

What is the FDA regulatory status of aesthetic PRP?

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?

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

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 a sterile technique and licensure problem that trained clinicians prevent through protocol, not a PRP problem.

Does the course cover injected or topical exosomes?

Topical application 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.

PracticalCME does not teach injection of any biologic other than fresh spun activated autologous PRP. While marketed, injected exosomes, stem cells, and other growth-factor 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 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 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.

How many attendees are in each Charlotte hands-on session?

The PracticalCME Charlotte clinical training site caps the live hands-on session at a maximum of four participants, below the five-attendee cap at most other PracticalCME locations. With two co-directing physicians on the floor (Drs. Alissandro and Rebecca Castillo), the Charlotte site routinely runs at a two-to-one trainee-to-physician ratio.

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 four or fewer with two physicians present, every attendee performs the full procedure under direct one-on-one physician supervision.

Which licensed providers can enroll in the 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.

What products and equipment are provided for the Charlotte hands-on, and can I bring my own patient?

Yes. At the Charlotte clinical training site, 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.

Attendees may bring their own patient for supervised injection under faculty oversight. Many providers find this valuable for building confidence before performing the procedure in their own practice.

Is financing 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.