Hot in Hollywood: Dr. Paul Nassif Explains the Vampire Facelift [VIDEO]

Makenzie on 18 Jul 2012 at 9:00am

vampire facelift before and after

We recently spoke with Dr. Paul Nassif, of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, to find out what's hot in the Hollywood beauty business. One treatment that always peaks our interest is the highly publicized Vampire Facelift, and it turns out Dr. Nassif does a lot of them.

Check out his video, and then read below for a Q&A with him:

RealSelf: We’ve been hearing about the Vampire FaceLift you perform. What is it?

Dr. Nassif: The Vampire FaceLift is another thing celebrities are doing. It’s something called PRP, or platelet rich plasma. What we do is we take out a little blood and spin it down into a centrifuge. We get the plasma, which has the platelets in it. We remove and discard the red blood cells and we’re left with a yellow serum that has all the growth factors. It has all the great factors of blood, plus the platelets, which stimulate everything to grow inside, such as the collagen, or angiogenesis which makes new blood vessels and is great for your skin.

You then inject the PRP into the face, let’s say the cheek, just underneath the skin...Over time you can get maybe 10-15% more volume in your face, which can last a few years. It takes about 8 weeks to see. But what it also does is it gives you a better glow. It helps with your pores and your blemishes, and it gives you a better glow and overall healthier looking skin.

Simultaneously, while your cheeks are full from the PRP injection (cheeks will be full for four or five hours), we also take filler, and will put that in the cheeks and lower eyes. So we’re putting filler in through the same little cannula (hole), which is going to stay for six or seven months, but we’re also getting in PRP simultaneously, so it’s in one procedure that typically only lasts an hour, and it’s great.

Would you ever try the Vampire Facelift?

Photo credit: Paul Nassif, MD

Comments (12)

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Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS 22 Jul 2012

Unless you separate out the PRP from the other combined therapies (lasers, injectable fillers etc) and do a blinded controlled scientific study which proves it has an effect over placebo treatment, all this is just anecdotal fluff used by doctors to pump up their practices in a competitive world. As P. T. Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."

View answers from Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

KatC. 11 Aug 2012

You are so right, Dr. Rand! It is a sad reflection on our society that women with low self esteem are so desperate to recapture their youth, that they fall prey to this type of unfounded hype. Let's see some well-designed, placebo controlled clinical trials that prove the efficacy and safety of this procedure before we mindlessly waste our money and jeopardize our health!

Ross A. Clevens, MD 20 Jul 2012

In our practice we have harnessed the healing power of PRP or platelet gel in over 5000 cases since 2002. I would argue that we have the nation's greatest experience with PRP in plastic surgery. In our experience, we have found that PRP, often in combination with laser therapy, creates a remarkable improvement in skin tone and texture with smoothing and filling. PRP with other facial cosmetic surgical procedures shortens downtime and improves healing.

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Brandys 20 Jul 2012

interesting, learn a new thing every day

A.B. Normal 20 Jul 2012

Also, the PRP is still considered investigational and not covered by nearly every single insurance company our there, plus Medicare. Obviously, this specific use is for cosmetic purposes and is not covered regardless. However, the PRP itself when used for other non-cosmetic purposes has not been proven to be of any long term clinical benefit. I hear they are doing it a lot for plantar fascitis treatment as well as to speed healing in post surgical sites.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS 20 Jul 2012

The final part of the video when he rubs the left over plasma on the skin just about sums it all up. What a farse!

View answers from Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS 19 Jul 2012

Because there is absolutely zero scientific evidence that a "Vampire lift" does anything at all. Very interesting that they put traditional fillers in at the same time.!! I wonder if that's what most of the result is anyway? There is so much of this type of thing being done and it is sad to see how many procedures are being "branded" and promoted without true proof of efficacy other than anecdotal results.

View answers from Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Megan P (Community Manager) 19 Jul 2012

Good input, thank you Dr. Rand.

Goggleyes 20 Jul 2012

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