Vampire Facelift: More than a Money Sucker?
Tom at RealSelf on 11 Aug 2010 at 4:47pm
When our team first heard about the "Vampire Facelift" procedure, we were taken aback. The idea of injecting your own blood (thankfully, your own) and an additive called Selphyl into your facial skin to erase wrinkles seemed, well, ghoulish.
Timed for the rise in vampire entertainment or a medical breakthrough?
Memphis plastic surgeon, Peter Aldea confesses, "I must be the only one in the country who cannot understand the attraction to and preoccupation with Vampires. The whole Twilight phenomenon remains a mystery to me. But why let a perfectly good craze go to waste when there's a lot of money to be made."
Several facial plastic surgery experts on RealSelf greet the notion of a Vampire-like procedure with a strong dose of skepticism, with Aldea referring to the Vampire facelift as a "One is Born Every Minute Facelift". Dr. Richard Fleming, a Beverly Hills surgeon says "results will never mimic what is achieved with a traditional facelift."
Just waiting for the marketing of a Zombie Body Weight Loss Wrap...
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The Vampire Facelift (R) is a a specific WAY of using the growth factors and combining them with an HA filler (like Juvederm). The method is protected by the US Patent and trademark office and is NOT known by physicians who are not licensed to do the procedure.
The research is solid and growing and can be found on the reference page (labeled "Vampire Science") at VampireFacelift*com.
I'm not promoting the site--but as the inventor of the procedure --I feel obligated to protect those physicians who have taken the time to learn the procedure--by making sure the mis-understandings unintentionally started by the press--are corrected.
The word is protected and should be followed by an "R" symbol because it represents something much more valuable than PRP.
You can also read the Wikipedia article about the Vampire Facelift (R) procedure.
The preferred PRP for the Vampire Facelift (R) at this time is NOT Selphyl. We are seeing a better result with Regen PRP.
Wonderful forum. Thank you for the frank discussions. I do not mean to sound anything but concerned--I do not want someone getting Selphyl from a provider who thinks he/she knows best ways and then the patient think they are getting the Vampire Facelift (R) procedure.
Peace & health,
Charles Runels, MD
A surgical "facelift" tightens the skin and the skin becomes CLOSER TO THE BONE--the person can look "skeletonized"
So a surgical "facelift" is really a face "collapse"!
The real Vampire Facelift (R) uses platelet derived growth factors combined with Juvederm. Using that combination the face is truly "lifted" away from the bone back into a more youthful shape.
On the other hand--a surgical facelift does tighten the skin of the neck and jowls and for some people--it's exactly the right thing to do.
There are many methods of creating a beautiful result. The wise physician knows when to use which method (or to refer to the person who can do the best method) rather than trying to make everything look like a nail just because he pays for his Mercedes with a hammer.
There are many very competent plastic surgeons--who do surgical facelifts--listed at VampireFacelift.com because the understand there's a place for both methods and many more--depending upon the person's face.
It saddens me to see professionals ignore the science (which can be found in abundance at VampireFacelift*com)
Not promoting--just protecting people from being mislead into thinking the only appropriate treatment for a wrinkle is a $10,000 procedure!
Best,
Charles Runels, MD