Many terms get uttered around when it comes to cosmetic treatments and procedures these days. Popular among such terms are vampire facelift and vampire facial. While some people may use such terms interchangeably, there are slight differences. Such subtle differences can be best appreciated if, for example, you did a Google search for “My Botox LA Med Spa offering vampire facial procedures in Los Angeles.” The results would leave you with a plethora of options, meaning you’re likely to get lost if you don’t know what it is you’re looking for.
What’s a Vampire Facelift?
Well, it’s a popular term used to refer to the cosmetic procedure to restore youth to aging skin. It utilizes blood components like platelets and other substances in the skin rejuvenation process. Its well-known scientific name is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. Here, platelets are extracted after blood has been drawn from a patient. The drawn blood is put through a centrifugation process, where it is spun rapidly for some minutes. After this spinning process, the different blood components are separated. The components of interest are the platelets and some other nutrients. The separated platelets, the accompanying plasma, and hyaluronic acid filler are what aestheticians and physicians use for the vampire facelift.
Vampire Facelift vs. Vampire Facial
A closely related term to vampire facelift is the vampire facial, a similar technique that utilizes nearly identical procedures and components.
Unlike the vampire facelift, which involves the direct injection of blood components into the skin, vampire facial involves microneedling—a much less invasive technique for getting the blood components under the skin surface.
The PRP techniques used for vampire facelifts are better known for their use in hair loss therapy in individuals with some conditions that lead to balding and hair thinning. A common condition that leads to hair loss and requires PRP techniques similar to those of vampire facelifts is alopecia areata. Vampire facelifts tend to produce quick results in plumping the skin up, mainly because of the hyaluronic acid fillers.
Aside from the delivery techniques like microneedling and the use of hyaluronic acid filler in vampire facelifts, there are no significant differences between these terms. Of course, their intended use is what most clients seek. If, for example, a client came looking for a skin rejuvenation procedure that’s less invasive, a vampire facial would be more ideal for their needs.
How the Procedures Work
Blood components like platelets and other growth factors are crucial to the excellent health and appearance of skin. Healthy-looking and glowing skin derives such properties as much from a good diet from such blood components.
Studies have shown that such blood components like growth factors help smooth out the wrinkles on people’s faces. Stress, exposure to ultraviolet sun rays, aging, and other medical conditions are some of the numerous factors that lead to someone’s skin losing its natural glow and smoothness. Such blood components help repair the skin by increasing the rate of collagen replacement, cell turnover, and elastin. Both elastin and collagen are crucial to the tighter and firmer structure of the skin.
Whether it’s a vampire facial or facelift using PRP techniques, both methods aim to restore youth by dealing with wrinkles and wrong skin texture.
What to Expect
Despite most people’s fears, vampire facelifts and facials are minimally invasive. While there is some pain involved—as in the case of microneedling in vampire facials—it’s nothing to worry about.
Redness of the face is a common occurrence after undergoing these procedures. Touching the face in the hours after the procedure is generally not advisable as you’ll still be feeling slightly sore. In some cases, the attending physician may recommend painkillers or an ice pack to control the pain.
The effects of these treatments—smooth skin and plump cheeks—don’t last a lifetime. Maintenance treatments are needed periodically, at least once or twice per year, depending on how effective the first treatment was.
Targeted Areas
Vampire facelifts and facials are specifically designed for the face. However, these procedures can be repurposed for use on other body parts. The scalp, for example, can be induced to grow more hair to combat hair loss due to any number of conditions or stress. Breast lifts using these techniques have been known to occur.
Ultimately, the minor differences between vampire facelifts and facials are only pronounced when a specific treatment is administered to a specific body part, like the face.
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