Vampire Facelift - For Younger Looking Skin Always!

Ever wondered how some celebrities never seem to age and look the same? Perhaps you began admiring them about a decade ago and you have started to look older and tired, but not them? When they smile, their skin and eyes have the same glow even today? Well, it is true that celebrities have access to a whole lot of cosmetic products, but the new thing doing the rounds is within them. Yes, it is their own blood, and hence the name 'vampire facelift' for the beauty treatment they undergo.

How it works: As we all know, the blood is what carries all the vital nutrients to all parts of the body. It has 3 main components in a fluid medium called the plasma. The 3 components are the red blood cells (giving it the red color), the white blood cells (the infection fighting ones), and the platelets (which contain clotting and growth factors). The vampire facelift uses the plasma of a person to produce a greater concentration of growth factors for the face. Blood is drawn from the person, centrifuged to remove the 3 cell types, and the remaining plasma-rich fluid (PRF) is injected into specific areas on the face depending on what the person wants to change hollow cheeks, wrinkles, aged graying skin, etc.

PRF was earlier used for injured people, especially athletes, to help them heal faster by providing a greater amount of growth factors and stem cells. However, cosmetic surgeons realized this could be used to improve facial appearance and consequently the vampire facelift became popular. It restores shape, improves skin tone and texture, rejuvenates the skin and promotes production of younger looking skin.

What is done:

1. The patient and the surgeon have a detailed discussion on what the concerns are. There are various parameters which define a beautiful face including ratio of width of forehead to width of the lips. All these are considered and a decision is made as to what would produce the best appearance for the person.
2. Dermal fillers containing hyaluronic acid may be used in some areas if required, to create beautiful shapes.
3. Then, the PRF is extracted from the patient’s blood (giving it the name Vampire Facelift) to literally lift up areas of the face by injecting the multipotent stem cells into specific areas of the face.
4. The new tissue could be a combination of collagen (for improved elasticity), fatty tissue (for smoothness), and younger blood vessels (for younger, glowing skin).

This facelift became popular about two decades ago and has many advocates like Kim Kardashian. It should be done 3 times with a break of 4 weeks in between, followed by an annual maintenance schedule. Sounds magical?? Talk to a cosmetic surgeon to know more.