Vampire facials may sound scary, but they are certainly not. Vampire facials do, however, involve some blood. The vampire facial was made famous by the well-known media profile Kim Kardashian. What is a vampire facial, and does it have something to do with vampires? The word out there is that vampire facials are the fountain of youth, but is it true, or is it simply another skincare myth?
It is essential not to let the name fool you. The skincare routine is performed during daylight hours, so don’t worry. The vampire facial is just the term that is used to describe the use of a patient’s blood Platelet Rich Plasma done with micro-needling. The vampire facials have been very effective in treating many skin concerns; from uneven skin tone, acne scars to preventing aging. You may get similar results to treatments such as the fotona laser treatment which is designed to tighten and smooth out the skin.
The micro-needling will encourage the skin to resurface and turn over the cells. At the same time, the Platelet Rich Plasma works at stimulating the production of new elastin and collagen. The result gives you less visible wrinkles — fine lines and minimizes the appearance of scarring. The overall skin quality will be improved, and the overall tone and texture of your skin will be evened out. An alternative to popular dermal fillers treatments, this treatment works well for lines around your mouth, and dark circles under the eyes.
How is it done?
While it may sound serious, it isn’t very terrifying at all and is relatively painless. The treatment will begin with the first needle pinch and the drawing of blood. The downtime is only around two to three days. When you arrive home from your procedure, numbing cream will be applied to ensure a level of pain that is comfortable. A small amount of blood is taken from your arm, like a routine blood test. The blood will then be spun down into a centrifuge, so the red blood cells from the plasma are separated. Your plasma is a component of the blood that is rich in platelets that are needed for the procedure. The face will be cleaned, and the micro-needling will be performed with the plasma infused into your skin tissue. The needles are working to push the plasma into the layers of the skin.
It will depend on the individual requirements of the patient as to whether the doctor goes one step further and injects the plasma into the skin around the eye and mouth, which are spots prone to visible aging. This treatment is the same as any other medical procedure. There will be preparations beforehand, and you need to ensure you follow all the doctor’s orders and aftercare instructions. As your blood is used in this procedure, there are not as many precautions that you need to be taking.
You need to keep an eye on the areas and watch for swelling. Your face will become a little swollen and flushed after the treatment, but anything more abnormal needs to be reported to the doctor. In order to reduce the post-procedure swelling, you need to avoid strenuous activity for a few days and use a couple of pillows underneath your head, so your head remains slightly propped while you are sleeping.
All procedures like this one will come with their good and bad features, but whether this procedure is right for you will be determined on what you need the procedure for in the first place. Always consult a trusted professional!
