Facials have been a staple in the medispa industry for decades. But over the years, the types of facials being offered have become more advanced and more effective due to the increase in technology and treatment options. One that has gained popularity in the last couple years, thanks to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, is the Vampire Facial also known as the PRP facial. It's a commonly asked for treatment that is well known for is rejuvenating and anti-ageing properties.
What is a PRP Facial?
A PRP facial is a medical aesthetic treatment that uses the patients very own platelets to achieve the anti-ageing effects. PRP stands for platelet rich plasma and is an advanced skincare treatment that harnesses your body’s own natural power to heal itself. The reason it is referred to as the Vampire Facial is that the entire process starts with a blood draw (similar to a vampire).
Your blood can be broken down into 4 components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. Using a centrifuge, these components can be separated and the platelets and plasma can be extracted. This is the magic formula.
The Benefits of a PRP Vampire Facial
1. Increased Collagen Production
One of the main benefits of the PRP Facial is the increase in collagen and elastin production. As we age, our bodies naturally slow the rate of collagen production (sorry, this starts around age 25). It continues It continues to decline at a significant rate for the rest of your life unless we intervene with treatments that help to stimulate the production.
The treatment promote collagen in two ways. Through the mechanical stimulation and through a biological mechanism. The device being used, whether it is a microneedling pen or a needle, will promote the skin to increase collagen production by agitating the cells. This will also help to break down scar tissue and promote an even texture to the skin. The PRP will amplify the effects and reach the lower levels of the skin for a long lasting and deep healing treatment. PRP helps to draw growth factors and other healing agents to the area to supply the building markers for collagen production.
As soon as your skin is penetrated with the microneedling pen, existing collagen in the are beings to heal the skin. At the same time, your body starts to grow new, stronger, healthier type I collagen. This high quality collagen takes a time to grow and will continue to grow for weeks post prp treatment. However, you will notice immediate skin tightening from the PRP and the results will just continue to improve.
2. Reduced Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Lines and wrinkles are among the most common reasons people seek anti-ageing treatments. While some lines are created through muscle movement, others form due to skin folds and
skin laxity. To reduce these common signs of ageing, we need to increase the rate of cellular turn over. We need to promote the production of new skin cells and the recycling of old skin cells. Through this, new collagen and elastin are formed eliminating fine lines and wrinkles. Ultimately, this leads to skin tightening and the reduction in appearance of deeper folds.
3. Tighter, Firmer Skin
As stated previously, collagen is essential for skin health as well as skin firmness. There are various day to day factors that effect our skin such as age, sun damage, and wind damage that leads to sagging skin. A unique feature of ageing is thinning skin. Certain areas of the face are more prone such as lip and cheeks to thinning and can be more noticeable. While collagen plumps up the skin, some people may try to use a vampire facial to plump up their lips. Consult with your doctor before attempting to plump or volumize areas as fillers may be a better option.
4. Improved Moisture Retention
We lose water everyday through our skin. Damaged skin or thin skin loses more water than most. Think of a sunburn, it loses a lot of water. A strong skin barrier helps to retain important moisture. Add added effect of the PRP facial is it helps to unclog pores. This allows topical moisturizing creams to better penetrate the skin and enhance overall skin quality. Plus, smaller and less visible pores have a beautiful aesthetic look.
5. Enhanced Skin Tone and Texture
A major concern for many people is tone and texture, especially when it comes to scaring. If you suffer from acne scars, surgical scars, stretch marks, hyper pigmentation or other skin issues, you may benefit from a PRP treatment to help heal the skin cells. As previously stated, PRP improves cellular turn over rate. Driving the production of new healthy cells, your skin will start to show improvement in the appearance of tone and texture in just a few short weeks after one vampire facial. Optimal results are seen after a series of treatments.
6. Lasting Results
While some treatments are only meant to be temporary or last a set amount of time, there are other treatments that are meant to last a long time, such as the PRP facial. Yes you will continue to age and have external factors influence your skin every day, but the healing effects of the PRP facial work on a cellular level to improve the health of the skin. By healing the skin, you set your body up for the best results. It's like going to the gym, but for your skin. Setting up a schedule for a couple PRP facials a year will help to keep your skin tight and refreshed.
Traditional skin rejuvenation treatments typically take four treatments to achieve the best results, microneedling that is enhanced by PRP may need as little as two treatments to drastically change your skin.
Common Treatment Schedules
Acne scars: 2-4 treatments usually
Keloid scars: 5 treatment
Fine lines: 2 treatments
7. No Downtime Is Required
Just like it says, there is virtually zero down time. Post treatment there is a little redness to the treated area. This will reduce over a 48 hour period with most seeing a drastic reduction by 24 hours. At hour 72, there may be some mild flaking from the dead skin cells Just as we all want to look younger and want to avoid looking run-down, we don’t have time to look any less than our best at all times. With traditional microneedling, you can experience significant redness for five to seven days. With the addition of platelet-rich plasma to your treatment, you can eliminate this downtime. Thanks to PRP, the “micro-injuries” created by the microneedling are essentially healed as quickly as they are inflicted.
8. Prepping And Post Care Is Easy
From start to finish, the procedure is easy and straight forward which takes all the guess work out. For your first appointment, we will walk you through what to expect, how to prep and what is needed for continued post care.. In general, there are only three small steps you need to be ready.
General Pre-Treatment Suggestions
1- Wear sunscreen outside for 1 week before your treatment
2- Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated (about 2 liters per day). Aim for 3 days before your appointment.
3- Do wear make up or other skincare to your appointment. We like a freshly cleaned face.
Who Is A Good Candidate For The Vampire Facial?
One of the most commonly asked questions we get is "Am I a candidate for the prp facial?". An easy answer to this one is almost everyone is a candidate for this treatment. It's an amazing treatment that helps to prevent the signs of ageing and increase the health of the skin. Because it uses your own platelets, there is no chance of having an allergic reaction or adverse reaction to the treatment. There’s no chance of an allergic reaction.
A quick check to see if the Vampire Facial is right for you:
You want a natural anti-ageing treatment
Have dry skin
Suffer from acne and acne scars
Looking to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
Want to improve your skins texture and tone
Want tighter and firmer skin
Suffer from acne scars
Are afflicted by hyperpigmentation
Experience The Unreal Effects Of The Vampire Facial
Taking care of your skin is the best way to prevent the signs of ageing and facials are a great option. Not only does it feel good and is good for the skin, it's relaxing which has all sorts of health benefits. A PRP facial (vampire facial) amplifies those effects and puts your skin in a great position to glow and heal on its own months after the treatment. To learn more about the benefits of a PRP facial, book a complimentary consult at our Kelowna Clinic with our medical professionals. We will go over all your questions and determine if this is the correct treatment for your skin goals as well as create a tailored treatment plan to help you feel and look your best.
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