PRP Vampire Facial: How Does It Work?

A recent trend on the rise that has been seen done to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian is known as the “vampire facial”. The medical name for the procedure is platelet-rich plasma facial (PRP) and involves the use of one’s own concentrated blood to help rejuvenate their skin. One of the reasons for its popularity is the versatility of benefits for different age groups. It can help with acne scars and prevent the aging process, or help older people with their fine lines and wrinkles.

A study on PRP skin treatment in women showed that after six treatments of the vampire facial, there was significant facial rejuvenation with an improvement of skin turgor and thickness of the dermal and epidermal layers. Another study demonstrated that the use of PRP improved the skin’s protectiveness against irritants, elasticity, and texture. The utilization of PRP is not limited to the face. There is evidence showing an increase in collagen formation and reduction of wrinkles when the PRP treatment was performed on UV damaged hands of women in their late forties. PRP is effective in reducing wrinkles and elasticity because it signals the body to create more fibroblasts in the skin, which are cells that produce collagen.

How Does it Work?

During this procedure, a person’s blood is drawn from their arm and placed in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the rest of the blood. The platelets are then used for the facial because they are believed to stimulate collagen and elastin growth. To get the maximum benefit from these growth factors, the skin is pricked with a micro-needling device that pricks 8,000 times per minute, allowing the skin to be exposed to even more of the PRP. This procedure basically tricks your skin into thinking that there is an injury so that it will repair itself, even though there was nothing to repair in the first place. After the facial is over, one’s face will have a red film of blood over it because the micro-needling brings blood to the surface. These images of celebrities with blood on their faces have been circling social media, and gaining their fame by being called the vampire facial.