A vampire face treatment is a facial that uses your own blood through a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) process to produce desired results.
How does it work?
A medical specialist will take a sample of your blood and put it in a centrifuge. Then, the blood will be spun in order to separate the plasma, platelets and blood cells (red and white) creating a Platelet-Rich Plasma. Platelets contain growth factors. If your body is in need of repair, these factors create a healing response and aid recovery. A vampire facial uses these repairing properties. Applying Platelet-Rich Plasma to the face helps create a healing process which focuses on stressed and ageing skin cells.
Thus, reducing signs of ageing. It’s also known to create new collagen which can help reduce acne and scarring as well as make the skin look overall healthier. The extracted blood is injected into the skin and through a micro-needling technique is pushed through the skin. This process creates small puncture holes which create a wound-healing response in the PRP.
Results from a vampire facial do not appear straight away, it’s an ongoing process as the skin is essentially healing itself.
What specifically does a vampire facial do?
By regenerating the cells in our skin, vampire facials help smooth out the skin and reduce signs of ageing as well as sun damage. It is also believed to help reduce acne or scarring. But also help achieve an overall fresher and more youthful look. It is found to brighten up dull- looking skin as well as improve skin tone and texture. If you wish to gain a more vibrant appearance, a PRP treatment might do just the trick.
Is this treatment invasive?
This facial doesn’t include any surgery and so isn’t considered an invasive procedure. The only discomfort noted is that you may get slight bruising from the blood extraction or the micro-needling process. The treatment has been described as generally painless. Numbing cream is applied to the face before the procedure.
Can this treatment be used for anything else?
Research has now led to PRP treatment being used to help relieve other medical issues, such as symptoms of menopause. Instead of the treatment being injected into the face, it’s injected into the vagina walls or the clitoris. This is being seen as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy. PRP injections are thought to better the growth and health of the vulva and vagina after menopause. Though the same wound healing response it can alleviate symptoms such as pain and dryness: during this time the vagina may lose moisture and elasticity due to a drop in oestrogen. But also may help with incontinence, some women experience bladder control issues as a result of a weakening of the pelvic floor. PRP is believed to tighten the muscles of the urethra, giving more control over the bladder.
In some cases, it is also being used to help with hormonal hair loss. Through extracting blood and using the concentrated plasma, which contains a higher number of platelets medical experts are able to revitalize different parts of the body. With PRP injections, some women have been able to minimize the effects of thinning hair from menopause.
A “vampire” treatment is interesting as it can be used for beauty and medical purposes. If you are looking to get a facial to help brighten up your skin, get rid of wrinkles or sun damage a vampire facial might be worth giving a go. However, if you are experiencing uncomfortable side effects from menopause discussing treatment such as PRP with your doctor could be something to look into.