As scary as the name vampire facial sounds, this is a relatively pain-free treatment which triggers collagen production by using our own blood.
It is a blood-based procedure; however, it isn’t as invasive as you would think; they get their name through the process of drawing the blood from your arm. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Bar Refaeli and Rupert Everett have all undergone the ‘Vampire’ Facial with positive and skin-improving results.
Vampire facials have many benefits for the skin, including reducing and improving scarring, smoothing lines and wrinkles and improving sun damage and pigmentation.
The method we use is called I-PRF, which stands for Injectable Platelet Rich Fibrin. This has been used by doctors to heal injured joints like the ankles, knees and elbows for many years with great success.
It can also be used as a hair regrowth treatment being injected into the scalp for people that suffer from hair loss and hair thinning. It is also recommended post-hair transplant and as maintenance thereafter to keep the hair follicles healthy and stimulated.
Benefits of i-PRF:
● Stimulates new cell growth
● Improves skin tone and texture
● Improves the skin’s complexion
● Tighter and firmer skin
● Improve the appearance of acne scarring
● Reduce the size of pores
● Give you a youthful glow and smoother skin
PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin) and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) are two different techniques used for Vampire Facials. We use the newer and more advanced method of PRF. The blood product in PRF is spun at a lower speed than that used for PRP, and this means that we get a higher amount of growth factors within the platelets, which have more skin rejuvenation and wound healing capabilities than the standard PRP. The fibrin also traps the growth factors within the skin, which are then released slowly over a much longer period.
This means that after the vampire facial is performed, the good work continues as the fibrin continues to stimulate collagen production long after the treatment has been finished. The serum we inject back into the skin is mainly made up of plasma, fibrin and growth factors.
Platelets are crucial to the skin and body’s healing process and release molecules that stimulate the cells responsible for tissue repair. The treatment itself is extremely safe, and there is minimal recovery time needed. There is no need for any anaesthetic and no long-lasting trauma to the skin.
As the Vampire treatment is using your own platelets, there is absolutely no risk of allergies or adverse reactions, which makes it a very safe treatment. Sometimes you may experience some redness or swelling post-treatment, but this usually subsides within 24 hours and is the body’s response to heal and protect the skin.
These facials are more of a medical than a cosmetic treatment, this is due to the blood being taken at the beginning of the treatment. During the procedure, your blood is drawn, usually between 12-24ml depending on the area to be treated. It is then spun in a machine called a centrifuge, and this will separate the platelets from the blood, leaving us with a protein-rich fibrin serum to inject back into the skin. The skin is then numbed, and we microneedle it back into the skin. If anyone has any areas to focus on, then we can use a small mesotherapy needle to inject more delicate areas like under the eyes and around the mouth.
Once the PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin) is inside the skin, it stimulates the regeneration of the old, weakened skin cells and promotes the growth of new collagen and elastin, revealing brighter glowing skin. After your initial course of three treatments, we recommend having one every 12 weeks as maintenance.
Most people will notice an improvement of the skin’s texture after 2 or 3 weeks, and full collagen regeneration can be seen after 3 months, and results can last anything up to 12 months.
Overall, Vampire Facials are a great way to keep the skin looking youthful with very little downtime. If you already have microneedling as your regular facial treatment, this will take it to the next level and give you more intense results.
