When Kim Kardashian posted a photo of her face covered in blood after undergoing a “Vampire Facial” her fans were both intrigued and horrified. What skin benefits could possibly be worth a treatment that draws this kind of blood? After trying it for myself, I can tell you exactly why this treatment is becoming increasingly popular.
Real talk: my face never got this bloody.
When my editorial team first received an e-mail asking if one of us wanted to try a procedure that most people mistakenly refer to as the Vampire Facial, everyone except for this brave soul was too nervous to try it. The reason why? During the treatment blood is drawn from your arm and its platelet-rich plasma is extracted to be used as a serum during the process of microneedling.
I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t super amped about this assignment because it sounded like this was going to hurt, but I’ll do whatever it takes for a good story. Plus, I knew I was in good hands because one of my favorite estheticians, Rhiannon Terese would be performing the treatment at Lorenc Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Med Spa. Dr.Lorenc is famous for inventing the Botox brow lift. As a fan of Botox I took this as a very good sign. That and the fact that I’d heard nothing but rave reviews about the plastic surgeon and his practice.
I was intrigued after delving into some research on the PRP (platelet-rich plasma) Growth Factor Facial. I actually started to come around to the idea of having tiny needles continuously plunged into my plasma-covered face. You see, the bloody facial featured on Keeping Up with the Kardashians is actually called the “Vampire Facelift™”. It is a trademarked procedure that is different from the one I would be receiving. The Kardashian-endorsed version involves filler injections. I was relieved to learn that Dr.Lorenc’s did not. A little Botox here and there is one thing, but a face full of fillers is another.
A pre-treatment selfie
On the day of my facial I was feeling nervous and a little glamorous as I hopped a train to the Upper East Side and made my way to the med spa for my A-list treatment. After being greeted by Dr.Lorenc’s friendly staff I was taken into a treatment room where a strong numbing cream was applied to my face. Then I was taken to have my skin photographed by a Visia Complexion Analysis machine. The high-tech machine then printed out a detailed analysis of my skin’s spots, wrinkles, pores, UV spots, brown spots, red areas, texture, and acne-causing bacteria.
Each person that walks through Dr.Lorenc’s door is treated to this eye-opening analysis so the doctor or esthetician can choose the procedure that will best address the patient’s skin care needs. I am not going to lie, I was pretty psyched that my skin’s texture had a near-perfect score of 98%. Hopefully, my Growth Factor Facial would seal the deal on those two pesky percentage points.
My skin assessment report. Not too shabby.
After that, it was time for Dr.Lorenc to take a small amount of blood from my arm. When I talk with anyone about this procedure it’s this step that makes them squirm the most. It was so quick and painless, I really don’t get what all the fuss is about! Once my blood was drawn it was spun in a centrifuge at a fast rate to separate the highly concentrated platelets from the red cells. While I waited for the centrifuge to work its magic I chatted with Rhiannon about the benefits of this procedure.
One of the reasons the PRP Facial is so popular is because it works miracles on acne scars and stretch marks. It also increases skin’s elasticity, fights wrinkles by stimulating collagen, and has no side effects. How does it work? When Platelet-rich plasma is applied before and after microneedling it releases at least eight essential growth factors and signaling proteins into the skin. These work to repair tissue and blood vessels, promote the growth of new tissue, and boost healthy cell production.
With my face completely numb and my platelet-rich plasma ready to go, I hopped onto the table. From there Rhiannon and I discussed the microneedling I had been bracing for. She explained that she would adjust the pen to penetrate my skin anywhere from .5 mm to 2 mm deep depending on the area of my face. On parts with less fat, like my forehead and around my nose, the pen would go just .5 mm deep. On the rest of my face she would bump it up to 1 mm. Once all of those details were squared away I felt confident to start the treatment. Bring it on!
My platelet-rich plasma. Apologies to the squeamish.
To get started, plasma was applied to my face like a serum. I am not going to lie, it was a little weird knowing something that had been inside my body just ten minutes earlier was now being slathered on my face. But hey, I’m used to having strange things put on my face in the name of beauty, so that feeling only lasted about 30 seconds.
Once the microneedling was in full swing I was surprised at how little it actually hurt. I’m not going to say it was painless, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had imagined. It helped that throughout the 30-minute procedure Rhiannon made sure to check with me to see if I was in too much pain or needed a break. She also told me exactly what she was doing so there were no surprises and kindly warned me when it was time to needle my non-fatty areas because those are the spots that made me flinch.
In between microneedling different sections of my face Rhiannon continuously applied more plasma. It’s hard to explain how soothing this felt. Since the “serum” came from my own body it literally felt like it was coming home. Each time it touched my face my skin immediately felt calmed in a way I am 100% sure no product could ever reproduce. My face was pretty much in the middle of a battle with a microneedling pen so I’d like to think each application of plasma reassured my skin that this was all going to be over soon and everything was going to be okay.
I was nervous to look in the mirror during and after the procedure because I was expecting my face to be covered in blood à la Kimmy K. Each time I snuck a peek I saw that the bleeding was minimal and it seemed to stop whenever fresh plasma was applied. Rhiannon explained that she always tries to use all of the patient’s nutrient-rich plasma during the procedure to ensure the best results. By the end of the treatment, she had made many sweeps across the different sections of my face with the pen and my skin was happy to soak up all the plasma it could get.
Once the treatment was complete my face was covered in Aquaphor to protect it from the dirt and grime that is NYC and I made my way back onto the subway where I received many sideways glances. It’s a rare thing on a packed train during rush hour to have some personal space, for some reason people didn’t want to sit next to the girl whose blood-speckled face was covered in goo.
Later that night my skin was pretty red but when I woke up in the next morning most of the redness had disappeared. It takes four to six weeks to see the treatment’s full results (collagen takes a bit of time to grow), but I can assure you that I saw benefits almost immediately. I’ve had a fair share of facials that left me wondering if the treatment worked or if my skin was just having a good couple of weeks. Trust me — you will never once question whether or not this treatment is effective.
Not only do you feel it during the procedure and see it almost immediately after, but it has been five weeks since I received the facial and my skin has gotten more compliments in that short time than it has during my entire 27 years on earth. I used to suffer from cystic acne and I still get pretty bad breakouts now and again, but ever since the PRP Facial my skin been glowing. It looks smoother, feels firmer, and my acne scars have almost completely faded.
So now you know the truth about this much-talked about facial. Thinking of trying it out for yourself? Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about the PRP Growth Factor Facial.
Benefits
Reduces acne scarring
Reduces stretch marks
Fights Wrinkles
Stimulates Collagen
There are no side effects
You get to experience the bliss that is having plasma applied to your freshly needled face (I’m serious about this!)
There is no downtime after this treatment (but maybe don’t make plans immediatly after. Stay in and watch Netflix.)
Who Can Get It?
This procedure can be performed on every skin type
Aftercare
Apply Aquaphor every 4 hours after treatment and cleanse with dove soap. Makeup can be worn the next day.
Maintenance
For the best results, it’s recommended that patients get one treatment per month for three months followed by one treatment yearly.
Cost
$900 per treatment
A Final Note
If you decide to get this procedure please run screaming from the room if anyone other than a doctor tries to draw your blood. This is something that must be done by a doctor. The rest of the procedure can be performed by a well-trained and highly skilled esthetician. Before you book, do your research! When there are needles and blood involved in anything whether it’s a spa treatment, tattoo, or piercing — you need to know exactly who you’re working with to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch.
Lorenc Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and Med Spa is located at 983 Park Avenue New York, NY 10028
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