A Vampire Facial is a procedure used to help improve skin tone, elasticity and texture and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring. The treatment combines microneedling with superficial PRP application to the face, neck, and chest region. Both PRP and microneedling trigger the body’s natural healing response, stimulating the release of tissue growth factors, resulting in an increased production of collagen and elastin. For more pronounced skin deficits (smile lines, acne scars), PRP may be injected deeper into targeted areas for more of a “filling” effect, this procedure is referred to as Vampire Facelift.
Patient Pre-treatment Instructions:
- Drink plenty of fluids in the 24 hours prior to your treatment.
- Eat something within 2-3 hours of your treatment. Do NOT come fasting.
- Do not put on any makeup, creams, oils prior to treatment. If coming from work, clean face with a mild cleanser (e.g., Cetaphil) prior to treatment.
You will have anesthetic cream applied to your skin. Please inform the doctor before treatment if you:
- Have any known allergies or sensitivities to topical anesthetics (e.g., Novocain used at the dentist)
- Have particularly difficult veins for blood draws.
- Suffer from anxiety or panic attacks.
The procedure will take 1-1.5 hours depending on how many areas are treated.
Potential Risks
- Bruising
- Allergic response to topical anesthetic creams
- Pain at injection sites
- Very small risk of infection if combined with other facial dermal fillers
Contraindications
You should not have PRP treatments done if you have any of the following conditions:
- Facial Cancer
- Melanoma
- Systemic Cancer
- On Chemotherapy
- Hepatitis
- Chronic Steroids
- Thrombocytopenia (i.e., low platelets)
- Active facial infection
- Chronic Aspirin or NSAID Therapy
- Anticoagulation
Vampire Facial Procedure Details
Please arrive with cleansed skin.
- “Before” pictures will be taken.
- Topical anesthetic will be applied
- Face covered w/ occlusive wrap (30 minutes)
- Blood drawn & taken out of the room for processing into PRP.
- Topical anesthetic removed with a warm towel
- Microneedling performed
- PRP applied to face and massaged in by provider
Vampire Face Lift Procedure Details
- Injection of PRP into pre-determined, targeted areas.
- PRP to remain on face for 1.5 hours to allow for pores to close.
- Follow-up care reviewed with patient.
Patient Post-Treatment Instructions
- Avoid washing face x 90 min after procedure.
- After treatment, if cleansing & moisturizing skin at home, use gentle, non-toxic products.
- If you received injections, ice the region (frozen peas/veggies ideal) for the next 24 hours, for no more than 10 minutes at a time.
- You can eat after the treatment.
- Bruising may occur in the area around injection sites and may persist up to 7-10 days.
- Make-up may be worn to cover-up bruising.
- You should not expect any significant pain. There may be soreness around injections sites.
- You may take NSAIDS (Advil or Tylenol as needed).
- Makeup application over micro-needled areas should ideally be avoided for the next 24 hours.
- Avoid exfoliation, picking at scabs until skin has healed, approximately 7 days.
- Use mineral-based sunscreen (i.e., titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) and avoid direct sun exposure for 7 days.
Expected Results
Vampire Facial (PRP +dermal filler): You will likely notice an increased “glow” to your skin within 24-48 hours following the treatment. Gradually over the next 2-4 weeks, improvements in the skin quality become more evident and persistent, generally peaking at about 8 weeks, and persisting for up to 1 year. Since the treatment stimulates the body’s own collagen production, results diminish with your body’s natural aging process.
Vampire Facelift (PRP with Microneedling + PRP injections): You will notice swelling and changes in skin texture around sites of injection for the first few days following injections. The swelling will then decrease over a few weeks, after which you will notice a gradual improvement in skin texture and wrinkle reduction over the next 2-4 months, noticeable after 3-4 weeks. There is an increased risk of bruising and swelling from this procedure, most notably around eyes.
General Recommendations
3 initial treatments, spaced approximately 4 weeks apart, are recommended for best results. Maintenance treatments should be done every 6 – 12 months, depending on sun exposure, lifestyle factors (i.e., smoking, etc.), and individual aesthetic goals. Follow-up appointment 4 weeks after initial visit or repeat treatment
