A Vampire Facelift is a nonsurgical procedure that combines injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) extracted from your own blood with hyaluronic acid–based dermal fillers.
The treatment provides both instant gratification—the fillers immediately smooth lines and wrinkles, soften creases, enhance facial contours, and restore volume loss—and longer-term improvements in skin tone and texture over the next two to three months, from the growth factors in PRP.
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- The treatment is fast (typically less than an hour), painless, and requires little downtime.
- It’s safe for all skin tones and types.
- There’s little chance of an allergic reaction from the treatment: hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body, and PRP is derived from your own blood.
- Hyaluronic acid–based fillers, including Juvéderm and Restylane, can be dissolved early with hyaluronidase if you don’t like your results.
Cons
- Results aren’t as dramatic (especially if you have sagging skin) and don’t last nearly as long as a surgical facelift, which can rejuvenate your face for up to 10 years.
- There’s little scientific evidence to back up the claims for the treatment.
- RealSelf members who said that the treatment was “Not Worth It” weren’t convinced that the PRP enhanced their results beyond a liquid facelift with dermal fillers alone.
- Average Cost:
- $1,750
- Range:
- $1,200 - $2,200
Your cost will depend on the kind and quantity of fillers your injector uses, as well as their experience level and office location.
Because this is strictly a cosmetic procedure, medical insurance doesn’t cover the cost.
See our complete guide to Vampire Facelift costs
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Find a Doctor Near YouThe Vampire Facelift photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.
“The hyaluronic acid ‘lifts’ collapsed areas, which helps restore a more youthful and natural structure to the face. But it’s the addition of PRP that starts the magic,” says Westport, Connecticut, plastic surgeon Dr. Ellen Mahony.
“PRP serves as the vehicle to deliver your own biologic growth factors to activate stem cells,” says Dr. Mahony. “The injected substance takes the form of blood vessels, collagen and elastin, hyaluronic acid, and fatty tissue, and the matrix that holds cells together and thickens the skin. Fine lines, texture, moisture, and overall skin quality and integrity are improved.”
PRP contains eight growth factors, each of which plays a role in cell turnover, growth of new blood vessels, collagen production, and tissue repair. “Studies show that the growth factors in PRP also inhibit melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, the pigment responsible for brown spots,” explains Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist in New York City. “It’s a wonderful treatment—it’s not painful, there’s almost no downtime, and you get amazing nonsurgical rejuvenating results.”
This treatment is appropriate for anyone who’s interested in facial rejuvenation—even those in their 50s and beyond. That said, the younger you are, the better your body will respond to the PRP.
“I’ve had different age ranges of patients who’ve gotten Vampire Facelifts, and each patient sees a great deal of change in their skin tone and texture,” says Dr. Green.
You should see 10–15% more volume in your face, and the benefits can last a few years. That said, its ability to turn back the clock is far more limited than a surgical facelift.
While the treatment is safe for most people, a Vampire Facelift isn’t recommended for anyone with hepatitis C, HIV, or AIDS; any type of blood cancer; cardiovascular disease that requires taking a blood thinner; and skin cancer in the area to be treated.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, these conditions affect your blood’s platelets, making them unable to deliver the expected results.
Before you arrive for your Vampire Facelift procedure, your provider will likely give you instructions on how to prep for the treatment. In general, you should plan for the following:
- Avoid blood thinning medication like aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Skip green tea and herbal supplements for at least a week prior to your injections.
- Limit sun exposure and abstain from alcohol in the week before.
- Arrive to your appointment with clean, makeup-free skin.
- Hydrate well in the days leading up to your appointment.
- Take arnica tablets for a few days before to prevent swelling and bruising.
Doctors on RealSelf say that the procedure yields better results than either PRP or hyaluronic fillers used separately, but there’s little research on the use of PRP for facial rejuvenation (in combination with injectable fillers or otherwise), a criticism of the treatment.
Because it hasn’t been well-studied, the procedure isn’t standardized—so it’s difficult to judge its efficacy.
An analysis published in 2018 reviewed 16 studies on the use of PRP for facial rejuvenation, none of which used it in combination with hyaluronic acid fillers. Researchers reported that PRP helped rejuvenate aging facial skin by reducing wrinkles and improving skin texture and tone.
Despite these promising results, the question of whether PRP’s cocktail of growth factors generates a more youthful appearance has not been definitively answered. On the plus side: the analysis found that PRP injections are safe, with a low complication rate.
Like the liquid facelift, a Vampire Facelift isn’t plastic surgery—it involves a series of injections. The whole procedure takes less than an hour.
Here’s what you can expect during a typical treatment.
- First, your provider will apply a numbing cream.
- While the numbing cream takes effect, they’ll draw your blood and spin it through a centrifuge to isolate your platelet-rich plasma from your red blood cells. (Though the term vampire refers to blood, separating out the red blood cells means plasma isn’t red—it’s an amber-colored serum, which is why some people refer to it as “liquid gold.”)
- Then the injections will begin. Injection techniques vary; some doctors will inject filler first, followed by injections of PRP, while others inject the PRP first. Some inject PRP deep into the skin, while others inject more superficially. “PRP can be used anywhere you use a filler,” reports Dr. Green, who says one tube of PRP can go pretty far to treat multiple areas of the face—she’ll inject the nasolabial lines and under the eyes, then put a little in the chin and the cheeks.
- Some doctors use PRP exclusively in the notoriously tricky under-eye area, to avoid the clumping that injectable fillers often create. In a recent study, researchers noted that “PRP injections in the lower-eyelid region are a safe, efficient, virtually pain-free, simple, and rapid treatment option for an area with otherwise limited treatment alternatives.”
Related: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Biostimulatory Fillers: What to Know Before You Get Injected
There’s very little downtime after a Vampire Facelift, so you should be able to go back to work the next day. You’ll likely have mild bruising, tenderness, and swelling for a week or two, mostly due to the filler; PRP is just fluid that gets reabsorbed after a couple of days.
Applying ice or a cold compress intermittently after injections can help ease the swelling.
Lumps and bumps that occur after filler usually resolve on their own, but icing and massaging the area can help smooth them out (it may help the PRP be absorbed more quickly too). Just don’t press your skin too hard, or the filler could move.
Follow these tips to maximize healing.
- Avoid direct sunlight for the first few days and be extra diligent about wearing sunscreen.
- Don’t wear makeup or wash your face for at least 12 hours after treatment.
- Avoid strenuous exercise or other vigorous activities for the first day, to minimize migration or displacement of the filler, along with bruising.
Dermal fillers create immediate volume, so you’ll see a difference right away. Your real results will become apparent as the swelling subsides and the effects of the PRP and fillers start to kick in.
“You’re going to look better within two weeks,” says Dr. Green. “Your skin will continue to improve for up to three months after the procedure as collagen and elastin production picks up and blood flow increases.”
If you regularly get fillers, you may notice over time that you need less and less filler as your body produces more of your own natural collagen.
The benefits of a Vampire Facelift can last a year or more, but because everyone’s body metabolizes fillers differently, your results may fade sooner.
Dr. Green recommends monthly PRP injections for three consecutive months. “After a series of treatments, the results may last nine months or 18 months, depending on aging, sun exposure, and genetics.”
Maintenance treatments every six months can enhance new collagen formation.
Vampire Facelifts are considered safe, but there can be serious risks when they’re done by an inexperienced injector.
In May 2019, the New Mexico Department of Health released a statement saying that at least two people had contracted HIV from PRP treatments marketed as Vampire Facials at a med spa. Dr. Charles Runels, the doctor who trademarked “Vampire” treatments, asserts that anyone who uses the “Vampire” name agrees to follow a standardized set of practices, but these practices weren’t followed in the New Mexico case. As RealSelf News reported, the procedure is safe when basic medical precautions are taken.
Unintentionally injecting filler into a blood vessel can also lead to serious complications, including tissue death. That said, the most common side effects are typically mild and include redness, tightness, itchiness, and bruising.
Regardless, it’s important to find an experienced injector who’s very knowledgeable about facial anatomy, such as a board-certified dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or facial plastic surgeon.
It’s easy to confuse these two PRP treatments, given how similar they sound. They actually use PRP in different ways for different purposes.
While a Vampire Facelift contours your face, lifts sagging skin, and smooths wrinkles with PRP injections and fillers, the Vampire Facial targets large pores, acne scars, pigmentation, and fine lines with microneedling plus a topical layer of PRP.
“If you’re focused on improving the exterior of your skin, go with the facial. If you’re looking for improvement in shape and contour, choose the facelift,” says Dr. Mahony. In other words, the facelift plumps, while the facial brightens and smooths your complexion.
For the best results targeting fine lines around the mouth, consider combining these two treatments. According to Dr. Green, “Injecting PRP works extremely well with microneedling in that area.”
RealSelf Tip: Some providers use these terms interchangeably. Before you book a treatment, ask about your doctor’s technique to ensure you’re getting the procedure you want.
| Worth It Rating | 87% | 90% | 97% | 95% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Cost | $1750 | $1611 | $590 | $455 |
| Downtime | 1 day of downtime | Minimal or no downtime | No downtime | No downtime |
| Anesthesia | No anesthesia | Topical or no anesthesia | No anesthesia | No anesthesia |
Nonsurgical procedures
- Hyaluronic acid fillers can give you a liquid facelift that temporarily restores volume, lifts your cheeks, and smooths lines. It’s the same treatment as a Vampire Facelift, minus the PRP and with the addition of neurotoxins, like Botox and Dysport.
- Botox and Dysport can relax facial muscles to temporarily soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles, especially crow’s-feet and the “eleven” lines that form between the eyebrows.
| Worth It Rating | 87% | 92% | 92% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Cost | $1750 | $19123 | $11398 |
| Downtime | 1 day of downtime | 10–14 days of downtime | 1 week of downtime |
| Anesthesia | No anesthesia | Local w/sedation or general anesthesia | Local anesthesia |
Surgical procedures
- A surgical facelift repositions your underlying facial muscles and lifts sagging skin for the most dramatic, long-lasting results. “I would describe a facelift as the singular cornerstone of facial rejuvenation,” says Dr. Stephen Prendiville, a facial plastic surgeon in Fort Myers, Florida.
- A mini facelift uses the same techniques as a full facelift, with a focus on lifting sagging cheeks and jowls. While a mini lift won’t provide the same level of results as a full facelift, many people still find that it can make a dramatic difference in how they look.
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MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY
Michele S. Green, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist
WRITTEN BY
Karyn Repinski
Updated on February 21, 2024