Since it’s the beginning of fall we’re kicking things off with a review of this Halloween- esque Vampire Facial. Although the results leave your skin looking anything but scary. Yes, there will be blood but (thankfully) no guts.
The history of this facial’s viral popularity comes from someone you know by the name of Kim Kardashian who did the treatment on her show. All shock factor aside, the Vampire Facial (formally known as Microneedling with PRP) is a common solution for patients seeking a non-invasive way to treat a multitude of skin issues.
Microneedling & PRP treats:
- Redness
- Pigmentation
- Wrinkles
- Stimulates Collagen
Intrigued by the process and results I embarked on this treatment myself to give you a first-hand account of the experience.
The Prep
The first step is to numb the makeup-free face with a thick cream which I applied topically all over. It takes about 30 minutes to fully numb everything. The numbing preps you for micro-needling which is actually exactly what it sounds like. 12 Micro-needles are rubbed across the skin in a device called a Dermapen. Faces+ RN (Vampire Facial Extrodiare), Melinda explains the benefits of this and PRP in the video below.
Now it was time to take my blood. With a tiny prick, she drew my blood into a tube. Next, Melinda took my blood to the centrifuge where it spun. The clear part that floats on top is the good stuff that is extracted and put on your face during the micro-needling as a serum of your own making. I know–it sounds gross to have blood spread all over your face. Trust me when I say it took some mental gymnastics to justify what was about to happen during the procedure.
The Treatment
Next, Melinda began the treatment. Since my skin doesn’t have severe issues, she used the Dermapen on a mild setting while microneedling. The treatment of the microneedle didn’t hurt but I could feel a little pinch towards thinner skin like my forehead. Bleeding during this process is common, (it happened to our sales rep Jen during her session). Usually, bleeding occurs on a deeper treatment with the microneedle. You can watch the entire treatment happen to me in the video below.
Your skin goes through different phases after the treatment and I immediately noticed how dry my face felt. After the Vampire Facial, recovery time depends on what level of treatment you received. After the treatment, Melinda gave me Alastin Skincare’s Regenerating Skin Nectar to use the days following. She stressed that moisture was of the utmost importance in skin healing so heading to the beach that weekend was a no-no. Instructed not to wash my full for the night, Melinda topped off the rest of my PRP on my face so it can settle into the injuries.
Generally speaking, here is what may happen to your skin following the facial:
- Redness
- Texture
- Bruising
- Dryness
- Flakiness
Finally, when your skin begins to flake off, you know the new glow coming!
Final Thoughts
I wasn’t expecting to love the Vampire Facial’s results as much as I did after the recovery period. One of the first things I noticed that changed was the pigmentation on my cheeks from sun damage significantly decreased. The build-up of tiny bumps on my cheekbones is smooth. I’m happy with the results and will definitely be doing this again to keep my skin looking fresh, glowing and baby soft.
