Last week, reports from New Mexico, claiming that two people were infected with HIV post receiving a vampire facial at the same spa, set social media abuzz. Could your wish for rejuvenated skin give way to life-threatening diseases, asked some. Yet others were mystified by the term itself: What is a vampire facial?
The term rose to popularity back in 2013 when Kim Kardashian posted a picture of herself, face splattered with blood, post a Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injection. She tagged it #VampireFacial. “The technique involves separating the platelet-rich plasma from your blood to be injected on your skin and scalp, to rejuvenate skin and help with hair growth, respectively,” says Chennai-based dermatologist Dr Deepika Lunawat.
“You withdraw around 10 to 30 millilitres of blood from an individual, and put it into a centrifuge, to collect the PRP from the blood.” In less than 30 minutes, the machine spins the blood to separate the heavier plasma cells from the lighter blood cells. Topical anaesthesia is applied on to the individual’s face. “We inject this plasma on to the area of the skin concerned,” she says, “Overall, one sitting takes 60 to 75 minutes.”
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How does it help to inject your own blood back? “The centrifuge helps concentrate the platelets of the blood, and this platelet-rich plasma has a lot of growth factors — it helps in stimulating collagen, rejuvenates and tightens the skin.”
PRP has become the buzzword in dermatology, claims Dr Lunawat. “It is being used to treat non-healing ulcers, acne scars, help with male and female androgenic alopecia, (pattern baldness), anti-ageing and skin rejuvenation.
It’s best to view it with the same seriousness as a medical procedure. Infections could happen if disposables aren’t used correctly or the needle pen not sterilised. As a rule of thumb, if it involves invasive therapies, check if your doctor has the credentials.
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In this column, we demystify buzzwords in health and wellness