Perhaps the popularity of the vampire face is not immortal after all.
Instead of splashing their own blood on their faces, beauty followers are injecting it into their faces with a syringe to reap the supposed rejuvenation benefits and a youthful-looking complexion.
PRF, or platelet-rich fibrin, injections are hailed as more natural than other cosmetic procedures, as patients seek out “our alternatives to fillers,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban told Allure.
While PRF and its cousin PRP or platelet-rich plasma used in the so-called “vampire facial” use the patient’s own blood to create the rejuvenating mixture, which is then placed in a centrifuge to be separated.
To create PRF injections, the blood is spun at a lower rate than PRP so that “some white blood cells, stem cells, and fibrin also remain in the platelet layer,” explained Dr. Doris Day, a board-certified dermatologist.
In theory, the injections have the potential to speed up skin healing, minimize under-eye circles and wrinkles or even treat hair loss.
“They are considered the next generation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments, which are commonly used to help sports injuries,” said Dr. Michael Somenek, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who practices in New York City, told Byrdie.
“The lack of an anticoagulant in the tube allows for the formation of a spongy, gel-like product rich in platelets, stem cells, growth factors, and fibrin that can be injected into the skin to treat signs of aging, hair loss, or healing. of the skin.
While the injections, which cost anywhere from $500 to $2,000 for a single session and usually require multiple treatments to achieve results, according to Byrdie are most commonly used as facial fillers, especially in the under-eye region, other doctors are not. convinced of its efficiency. .
“PRF is being marketed as a filler, but I don’t think it works as a filler,” Day told Allure, noting that she hasn’t “seen great published data” on PRF injections in the face.
In fact, she does not even offer the treatment in her clinics, on the grounds that she has not “benefited much” from literature. However, a small study published last year found promising results in treating acne scars and increasing skin texture and elasticity.
“I’ve seen people unhappy with the results, even people who have scars from it,” she continued. “I really talk people into it.”
Board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Amir Karam, who founded Carmel Valley Facial Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Center, told Byrdie that PRF is unlikely to create or change volume under the eyes, calling the injections “unbelievable.”
“As you can imagine, going five times to inject under the eye, the amount of bruising and trauma to that area is quite significant,” Karam explained. “And even in those cases, you rarely see a significant enough difference. So for healing purposes and potentially giving the skin a little boost after microneedling, it probably has some value, but not as a filler substitute.
According to Shamban, the Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns about potential blood contamination and subsequent health risks, and the agency has previously issued statements warning against medical treatments involving stem cells, though it’s unclear whether PRF would fall under such a category.
Despite doctors’ dubious warnings against the breakthrough therapy, Shamban says more people are turning away from the injections as a result of “filler fatigue,” though she also cautioned that it’s not an equal replacement for traditional hyaluronic acid fillers.
Those who “experience sagging, heaviness, or stretched tissue from overcrowding and improper techniques [like poor] product placement,” she continued, are enamored with the shiny new prospect of “a more ‘natural’ product for skin revitalization and rejuvenation.”
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