Halloween will be here soon, which means that it’s time to get bloody — with the vampire facial that is. If you have noticed that your skin appears more dull or worn, it could be a sign of the natural aging process taking hold of your skin. To combat imperfections such as wrinkles, age spots and volume loss, nonsurgical treatment with the vampire facial can aid in your skin looking more youthful. By using your own blood platelets to rejuvenate your skin, you can regain that vibrant glow, which will help take years off of your appearance.
Originally used by orthopedic surgeons and athletic doctors as a way to accelerate the healing of injured tissues, the treatment is now popular in the cosmetic field due to its ability to revamp aging skin and has been coined the “vampire facial” due to its use of platelet-rich plasma (or PRP) injections. It’s a system that uses your body’s own processes to not only boost your complexion, but also increase your skin’s overall health. It sounds too good to be true, but it’s offered right here at the Maas ClinicTM. Here’s how it works.
Creating the ideal face shape
While it’s not always necessary, your vampire facial may be combined with hyaluronic acid fillers in order to restore volume to the face and help the skin look more plump. Dermal fillers such as Restylane or Juvederm can be used to lift the cheeks and smooth away fine line wrinkles, which can improve the effectiveness of the vampire facial once it is initiated.
Extracting your PRP
The vampire facial is made effective with the use of PRP, which is extracted from a blood sample taken before the start of your treatment. Your blood is placed into a centrifuge and spun until the platelets are separated from the white and red blood cells. This high concentration of platelets contain a multitude of growth factors that work specifically to heal the damaged skin cells responsible for your aging features. Additionally, the platelets induce collagen production, which is a natural healing agent that generates new skin cells when stimulated.
Preparing to get bloody
The PRP needs to be re-administered in order for it to enhance your skin, which is commonly done by way of a series of injections to the face. A numbing cream is applied first, and a narrow needle is then used to inject the blood back into your body. Oftentimes, PRP injections are accompanied by a micro-needling procedure that creates small dermal wounds in the skin. The appearance of these slight injuries tricks the body into thinking it needs to supply the skin with even more natural healing properties which, when combined with the growth factors from PRP, makes the enhancement more profound.
One of the biggest benefits of a vampire facial is the lack of downtime that’s associated with the procedure. Although you might think that you need to take a few days off with all the blood that’s involved, you can actually return to your normal routine the very next day. You will need to protect your skin for a few days following treatment, and it’s recommend that you receive a vampire facial every month for three months if you want the most promising results, but afterwards you will only need a facial once a year to maintain your youthful skin.
To learn more about the vampire facial or to find out whether the procedure is right for you, contact the Maas ClinicTM today at 415-567-7000 and schedule a consultation!
