Let’s face it: Even if you’ve got great genes and your daily skincare regimen leaves nothing to chance, your skin can’t completely escape the effects of time. As you approach middle age, the underlying structures of your skin start to lose strength and elasticity. At the same time, the effects of long-term sun damage begin to appear in the form of noticeable lines, wrinkles, and spots.
If these skin changes have left you looking a little worse for the wear, we can help. Here at Southeastern Institute of Restorative Medicine in Dothan, Alabama, we know that feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin begins with a radiant, youthful complexion.
Let’s explore how microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), otherwise known as the popular vampire facial, can help you achieve natural, total skin renewal — from the outside in and the inside out.
Vampire facial basics
Made famous by Kim Kardashian West on an episode of her family’s popular television show, the vampire facial has quickly become the go-to facial rejuvenation treatment for celebrities as well as those who are in the know.
This innovative skin renewal approach combines two powerful catalysts for collagen renewal and elastin regeneration — microneedling and PRP therapy — into a single minimally invasive treatment that harnesses your body’s own natural repair mechanisms to achieve optimal facial rejuvenation and skin revitalization results.
A vampire facial transforms your skin in two major ways: It triggers a considerable increase in collagen and elastin production, and it promotes rapid healing and tissue regeneration from the cellular level up.
To understand how a vampire facial can leave your skin stronger, tighter, smoother, brighter, and more youthful-looking in just one session, you have to know a bit about how each element of the treatment works — and how they work together:
Microneedling
Microneedling is done with a slender, pen-like device. When the sterile, automated tip of this specialized tool is gently and systematically pressed across the surface of your face, its ultra-fine needles create a uniform pattern of superficial microchannels in your skin.
Also known as collagen induction therapy, microneedling effectively triggers your internal healing mechanisms, causing your body to dramatically escalate its production of skin-building collagen and elastin.
On top of stimulating the regeneration of fresh, new skin cells from your deepest dermal layer to the surface of your skin, the microchannels created by the microneedling process provide an ideal way to deliver skin-nourishing nutrients — including PRP — directly to your underlying tissues for maximal skin-renewal results.
PRP therapy
PRP therapy uses a concentrated preparation of platelets derived from your own blood. Platelets are a potent catalyst for skin renewal and revitalization because they contain special growth factors that encourage cellular proliferation and foster rapid tissue regeneration.
To create PRP, we draw a small amount of blood from your arm and spin it in a special machine designed to separate and concentrate the platelets. Your personal PRP serum may contain up to 10 times as many platelets (and growth factors) as what’s found in normal, circulating blood.
When carefully applied to the fresh microchannels created during the microneedling process, PRP and its powerful growth factors take collagen growth and elastin renewal to the next level, leaving you with remarkable skin renewal results and long-lasting facial rejuvenation.
Quick, easy, and effective
Whether you’re interested in diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles, tightening noticeably large pores, or simply restoring a more luminous complexion, a vampire facial can leave your skin looking brighter, tighter, and smoother.
The microneedling part of the process is comfortable from start to finish, thanks to the topical anesthetic that’s applied at the start of your session. While the numbing agent takes effect, we perform a quick blood draw and prepare your personal PRP serum.
Once your skin is desensitized, we perform the microneedling portion of your facial, followed by the careful application of the PRP serum across the entire area. From start to finish, the entire process takes about 90 minutes. Keeping the PRP on your face through the night (and washing it off in the morning) promotes optimal skin renewal and facial rejuvenation.
After any mild redness or inflammation subsides, you can expect to see a healthy glow, improved skin tone, refined texture, and even a certain amount of restored facial volume. You can also expect ongoing improvement in the weeks following your vampire facial, as the skin renewal process continues to unfold.
Celebrity or not, you’ll love the way microneedling with PRP revitalizes your complexion without the need for significant downtime. Call our team at Southeastern Institute of Restorative Medicine or use the easy online tool to schedule a visit with Dr. Thompson.