The Non-Scary Truth About Vampire Treatments:

The Incredible Healing Power Of Platelet-Rich Plasma

The human body is an amazing thing – a marvel that scientists are still exploring and discovering new information about every single day. Every human being begins as a single cell – a fertilized egg from a mother and father. Over the course of nine months that cell divides and multiples; first 2, then 4, then 8, then 16, and so forth until it becomes a tiny little baby – you!

By some biological miracle, your body’s cells are perfectly designed to perform a multitude of automatic actions. Your heart beats, your lungs breathe, and your blood circulates. You don’t think about it, you don’t choose to make it happen – it just does.

Much like the automatic actions of your heart, lungs, and blood, specific cells within the human body are primed to spring into action to self-repair after an injury. Just like when you were a growing clump of cells in your mother’s uterus, multiplying every day, cells are constantly multiplying to replace older, damaged cells. In fact, according to researchers, “the body replaces itself with a largely new set of cells every seven years to 10 years, and some of our most important parts are revamped even more rapidly.”

Think about the last time you accidentally bit the inside of your cheek. You might have had a painful sore for a few days after, but the pain gradually decreased, and your mouth returned to normal. You were finally able to eat, drink, and enjoy food without feeling any pain! That process was all thanks to your body’s cells swarming the damaged tissue, and replacing it with healthy, fully intact cells.

Although many of us take our body’s natural ability to heal wounds for granted, it’s an extremely important daily process that keeps us alive. When skin is cut, blood seeps out, and the body immediately initiates a clotting process to stem the flow. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, “these clots, which turn into scabs as they dry, are created by a type of blood cell called a platelet.”

Along with white and red blood cells, platelets are one of the essential components of blood. By studying the wound healing process and identifying the important role of platelets in our body, scientists have been able to isolate and intensify their power through a substance known as platelet-rich plasma, or PRP.

What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, “PRP is plasma with many more platelets than what is typically found in blood. The concentration of platelets – and, thereby, the concentration of growth factors – can be 5 to 10 times greater (or richer) than usual.” To truly understand what PRP is, one must examine each of its individual components:

What Is Plasma?

Plasma is the clear, light yellow liquid “serum” part of blood that suspends and carries red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets throughout the body. Plasma is composed largely of water and proteins.

What Are Platelets?

Platelets are tiny, plate-shaped cells that are responsible for forming blood clots, and they also contain human growth factors that stimulate stem cells to generate new tissue. Platelet activation plays a key role in the body’s healing process.

What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma?

Platelet-rich plasma is what remains after a doctor separates plasma from other blood components using a centrifuge device. The concentrated golden liquid contains 5-10x more platelets than untreated blood.

Platelets naturally compose about 10% of our blood, but in PRP they compose about 90%. Since platelets are well-known to aid in the body’s natural healing process, it didn’t take long for the medical community to begin using platelet-rich plasma to aid with injury recovery.

How Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Used In The Medical Community?

Doctors have been using platelet-rich plasma to naturally accelerate the healing of injured skin, tendons, muscles, and joints for many years. According to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, “platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses injections of a concentration of a patient’s own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints.” In particular, PRP has gained a large following among elite athletes who wish to accelerate recovery following a sports injury to get them back in the game.

According to the American Medical Society For Sports Medicine, “injecting PRP into injured or non-healing tissue is believed to possibly enhance or speed up healing.” One athlete in particular who has praised PRP is Tiger Woods, who used the therapy in 2008 to help him recover from a debilitating knee injury. According to Cedar Stem Cell Institute, the year following Tiger’s PRP treatment was one of the best years of his entire golfing career.

Since the science behind PRP is still relatively new, medical researchers are still in the process of testing its capabilities. As of 2020, Healthline states the following applications as most popular:

• Hair loss:Doctors have injected PRP into the scalp to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. According to research from 2014, PRP injections are effective in treating male pattern baldness.

• Tendon injuries:Tendons are tough, thick bands of tissue that connect muscle to bone, and they are usually slow to heal. Doctors have used PRP injections to treat chronic tendon problems, such as tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis, and jumper’s knee.
• Acute injuries:Doctors have used PRP injections to treat acute sports injuries, such as pulled hamstring muscles or knee sprains.
• Postsurgical repair:Sometimes doctors use PRP injections after surgery to repair a torn tendon (such as a rotator cuff tendon in the shoulder) or ligaments (such as the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL).
• Osteoarthritis:Doctors have injected PRP into the knees of people with osteoarthritis. A 2015 study found that PRP injections were more effective than hyaluronic acid injections (a traditional therapy) for treating osteoarthritis.

After seeing the way PRP injections accelerate injury healing and promote new tissue growth, some cosmetic doctors became interested in how to adapt PRP injections for aesthetics purposes. And thus, a new non-surgical, non-invasive form of treatment was born.

How Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Used In The Aesthetics Industry?

PRP is known to naturally boost collagen growth and encourage tissue regeneration, making it an ideal treatment to improve the overall tone and texture of aging skin. Additionally, according to Future Market Insights, “PRP products are widely used in cosmetic surgeries to improve facial aesthetics, enhance the rate of injury healing and modify facial structure.”

One doctor in particular that has made platelet-rich plasma a household name – in part thanks to the one and only Kim Kardashian, who filmed herself getting a PRP treatment done back in 2013 – is Dr. Charles Runels, MD. He invented the Vampire Facial, Vampire Facelift, and the Vampire Breast Lift, which are three procedures that use the patient’s own platelet-rich plasma for anti-aging, skin-lifting, and breast plumping purposes.

Kim Kardashian isn’t the only celebrity who has tried PRP treatments. Major stars like Bar Refaeli, Keira Maguire, and Lisa Hochstein have all experienced and praised the procedure. In a recent Netflix original series – The Goop Lab With Gwyneth Paltrow – Gwyneth even tests the trend for herself during an episode about anti-aging. In speaking about the experience, Gwyneth said, “Whoa. Worth it.” Post treatment, Gwyneth’s doctor says facial skin will become extremely dry – but that’s a good thing! “You want that – red, swollen, and inflamed are all signs that the skin is injured, and collagen production is going to increase as the skin repairs itself.”

So… the celebs love Vampire Treatments. We know they’re popular. But what exactly are the Vampire Facial, Vampire Facelift, and the Vampire Breast Lift? Will you leave the office looking like the undead?

Easy answer: NO!

Here, we’ll explore the ins and outs of each Vampire procedure and explain how they work to resurface skin, stimulate collagen production, and restore a youthful glow to your face and chest.

What Is The Vampire Facial?

To perform a Vampire Facial treatment, a doctor will begin by microneedling the entire face, which creates shallow, surface-level pricks in the skin (in other words, microtraumas), which naturally trigger your body’s healing response and boost the production of collagen, elastin, and new tissue growth. Then, the platelet-rich plasma is smoothed over the entire face, seeping deep into the surface-level pricks to amplify its skin rejuvenation benefits.

Because PRP works slowly over time, results from a Vampire Facial aren’t immediately noticeable. Usually, you’ll see its full effect three months post treatment, as new collagen and elastin forms beneath the skin. If desired, you can repeat Vampire Facials every six months or so to maintain your results.

The Vampire Facial treats the following skin conditions:

• Acne Scars
• Enlarged Pores
• Fine Lines & Wrinkles
• Dull Skin Tone
• Hyperpigmentation

What Is The Vampire Facelift?

A Vampire Facelift combines hyaluronic acid filler (like Juvéderm or Restylane) and PRP injections to plump skin, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and restore volume to the cheeks. According to the official Vampire Facelift website, “hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers lift the skin away from the bone to restore youthful volume and shape,” and then PRP takes over to naturally grow new tissue in the long-term.

When combined with PRP injections, patients will notice an immediate effect from the hyaluronic acid, in addition to a long-lasting effect as the PRP works its magic beneath the skin. Over time, the platelet-rich plasma releases active growth factors that naturally boost collagen production, stimulate cell turnover, and enhance tissue regeneration. When getting a Vampire Facelift – as with all fillers – it’s important to choose a doctor that’s skilled at enhancing face symmetry; otherwise, you might leave the office looking a little lopsided.

The Vampire Facelift treats the following skin concerns:

• Volume Loss
• Fine Lines & Wrinkles
• Loose, Sagging Skin
• Sunken Eyes
• Hollow Cheekbones

What Is The Vampire Breast Lift?

Vampire Breast Lifts are used to improve the color, texture, and shape of your breasts, and the procedure works for both natural breasts and breasts that have been augmented by surgery. Like Vampire Facelifts, Vampire Breast Lifts use a combination of hyaluronic acid filler (like Juvéderm or Restylane) and platelet-rich plasma injections to plump the skin, restore volume, and increase the appearance of cleavage.

When women age, they naturally lose volume in their breasts, especially if they have a history of breast feeding. In addition, breast implants can sometimes cause puckering in the skin. A skilled doctor will work with you to identify key areas of concern, and then will inject the hyaluronic acid filler and PRP precisely to give you the beautiful, curvy results you want.

Like the Vampire Facelift, results from a Vampire Breast Lift will be immediate from the hyaluronic acid. And then over time, the PRP releases active growth factors that naturally boost collagen production, stimulate cell turnover, and enhance new tissue regeneration.

The Vampire Breast Lift treats the following concerns:

• Enhance Cleavage
• Diminish Stretch Marks
• Improve Color/Texture
• Boost Nipple Sensation
• Correct Inverted Nipples

Conclusion: Vampire PRP Treatments Are An All-Natural Way To Smooth, Lift & Plump Skin On The Face, Neck, And Chest

Jiva Med Spa is certified by the Cellular Medicine Association to perform Vampire Facials, Vampire Facelifts & Vampire Breast Lifts. That means our doctors, physicians, and nurse practitioners have received extensive procedure training and we only use FDA-approved materials to perform PRP treatments, and we use the following precautions during all procedures to ensure optimal safety and efficacy:

• FDA-Approved Plasma Preparation Kit
• FDA-Approved PRP Injection Device
• FDA-Approved Hyaluronic Acid Filler
• FDA-Approved Micro-Needling Device

When it comes to something as important as your health and wellness, you need to be sure you’re in the right hands. At Jiva Med Spa, you can trust you’re getting the best treatment the industry has to offer.

If you want to experience the all-natural benefits of a platelet-rich plasma Vampire Facial, Vampire Facelift, or Vampire Breast Lift, visit Jiva Med Spa today and schedule a free consultation! We’ll walk you through the process from beginning to end and make you feel confident in your decision.