Vampire Facial: What You Need to Know

Pros

• The treatment is fast (typically taking less than an hour) and requires little downtime.  
• The Vampire Facial maintains a high Worth It Rating on RealSelf, with many members praising their results, especially after multiple treatment sessions.  
• It’s suitable for all skin tones and types. Still, to minimize the risk of hyperpigmentation, providers may more shallowly microneedle and/or pretreat patients who have olive or brown skin tones.  
• There’s little chance of an allergic reaction, since PRP comes from your own blood. In a review of 16 studies on PRP for skin rejuvenation, no adverse events were reported. 

Cons

• Even with numbing cream, the treatment can be mildly painful.
• Several monthly treatments are recommended, to see full benefits, followed by maintenance sessions every six months.  
• Microneedling can cause scarring and long-term damage, so be sure your provider has adequate experience. 
• Because this procedure involves blood, there can be a risk of bloodborne disease transmission (including HIV) with an inexperienced provider who doesn’t follow proper safety protocols. This is one procedure you definitely want to have done in a sterile environment, by a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon or a highly trained member of their staff. 
• You’ll have some restrictions on exercise and other activities for a few days following your treatment.

• Average Cost:
• $850

• Range:
• $300 - $5,000

The price you pay will depend on the experience level of your provider, their practice location and technique, and whether you combine your facial with any other procedures. 

Most providers recommend more than one treatment for optimal results, which could raise your overall price, too.

See our complete guide to Vampire Facial costs

A PRP facial works in two ways. First, microneedling creates tiny pinpricks in your skin, triggering a wound-healing response that stimulates your skin’s natural collagen and elastin production. Then, to further boost skin cell regeneration, the growth-factor-packed PRP penetrates the skin through the microchannels created via microneedling. 

The PRP from your blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets that contribute to essential growth functions and healing. The growth factors in PRP contribute to cell proliferation and differentiation. Over time, the PRP amplifies collagen production, increases cell turnover, and spurs growth of new blood vessels, resulting in longer-term rejuvenating effects.

You can see increased radiance within days of your treatment, and benefits increase over four to six weeks as the production of new collagen increases. 

Studies show that microneedling and enhanced PRP treatments like the Vampire Facial can improve everything from sun damage to acne scars. 

“Almost anyone with some degree of sun damage or other skin aging is an excellent candidate. That can mean starting in your 20s and going up,” says Dr. Cameron Chesnut, a dermatologic surgeon in Spokane, Washington. “Early surface changes of the skin—such as superficial, fine wrinkles—are the most amenable targets for treatment.”

You’ll likely need multiple sessions for optimal results. “Most studies show appreciable benefit that starts after a series of treatments, generally three spaced treatments,” says Dr. Chesnut. “That spacing depends on the intensity of the prior treatment that should be left to the discretion of the treating provider.”

RealSelf Tip: The name Vampire Facial is technically a service mark, meaning that certain licensing requirements should be in place at any facility offering the treatment.

The treatment begins with a blood draw. Your provider will draw a few ounces of your blood and then spin it through a centrifuge in order to concentrate the platelets and isolate the PRP. 

After cleansing your skin and applying a topical anesthetic to numb your face, they’ll move the microneedling device (which contains single-use, sterile needle cartridges) across your skin, while the needles move up and down in a stamp-like motion. 

Most devices have an adjustable needle head that customizes the depth of the needle pricks according to your skin type and the part of the face being treated. Usually, they'll go deep enough to produce pinpoint bleeding. 

Once the microneedling is complete, they’ll spread the PRP over your skin. Some providers recommend leaving the PRP on for up to 24 hours, to reap the most benefits. 

Unlike Kim Kardashian West in that famous selfie, you shouldn’t have red blood on your face at the end of the procedure. “The pure form of PRP shouldn’t have any red blood cells in it—it’s a golden-yellow color,” says Dr. Ram Chandra, a physician in Piscataway, New Jersey. “A little bit of red blood cell sneaking in is not going to make the treatment bad. If the dried blood looks too obvious, it’s okay to gently wash the PRP off after at least six hours—preferably, after 12 hours.”

RealSelf Tip: In some cases, providers will simultaneously perform the microneedling and application of the PRP, doing both steps for one area of your face before moving on to the next. You can see this method in action on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Netflix show The Goop Lab, where the star herself has the procedure done.

Contrary to popular belief, this treatment is usually painless. The initial blood draw can be slightly painful, but no more than any other needle prick would be. 

It is also possible for some sections of the treated area to feel a little discomfort during the procedure, though, especially if the topical anesthetic wasn't spread far enough around the lips or eyes. However, this isn't common.

Recovery is also generally painless, but if you do feel any severe pain post-treatment, be sure to immediately alert your doctor.

Afterward, you’ll look and feel like you have a sunburn, perhaps accompanied by some mild bleeding and bruising. 

Your skin will be extra sensitive, so protect it from anything that might cause irritation for two to three days:

• Strip your skin-care routine down to the basics: a gentle cleanser and a simple, hydrating moisturizer; but don’t wash your face for at least six hours after your treatment, to allow the PRP time to sink in.
• Avoid direct sun exposure and be diligent about applying sunscreen. Physical sunblocks that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are less likely to irritate. 
• Go makeup-free. Remember, your skin has tiny holes in it, so anything you apply could potentially penetrate below the surface. 
• Don’t work up a sweat. Sweat contains bacteria that can aggravate sensitive skin. 

The entire recovery time shouldn’t be longer than a week, but your skin may remain sensitive for a little longer than that. 

“Your face will be dry and a little flaky for up to two weeks after the procedure,” explains Dr. Hung William Song, a physician in Oakland, New Jersey. “This is because the dead skin is broken up and the tiny perforations will initially allow moisture to escape.”

Related: PRP: 10 Terms That Define the Procedure

“Vampire” treatments were in the news in the spring of 2019, when two people in New Mexico contracted HIV after receiving a falsely advertised and improperly done procedure marketed as a Vampire Facelift. As RealSelf News reported, the procedure is safe when basic medical precautions are taken. 

The doctor who trademarked Vampire Facial asserts that anyone who uses the Vampire Facial or Vampire Facelift name agrees to follow a standardized set of practices. In the New Mexico case, these practices were not followed. 

Since a Vampire Facial involves the withdrawal of blood, you should be certain you’re seeing a board-certified physician and being treated by then or a well-trained member of their staff (like an RN or aesthetician).

“PRP is very popular on social media and seems to be a simple, common treatment to perform. In reality, it is a significant medical procedure involving the acquisition and processing of blood products, and it should only be performed in a properly equipped medical facility,” says Dr. Chesnut. “If it does not feel right, and you wouldn’t trust the facility handling your blood, do not do it!” 

Beyond questions of safety, hyperpigmentation is also a risk, especially for people with olive or brown skin. Some doctors may recommend a shallower needle depth and additional treatments, or they may pretreat the skin with medication intended to minimize the risk of pigmentation issues. See more about microneedling side effects.

Dr. Johnson Lee, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, says, “I skin-type each microneedling patient and adjust the treatment depths according to the skin type. The good news is that hyperpigmentation from inflammation and small amounts of bleeding/bruising almost always fade away on their own.”

To further emphasize the benefit of seeing an experienced, board-certified professional who can safely treat you, Dr. Chesnut says, “The quality of the PRP also differs very significantly depending on who is harvesting and processing it, so seeking an expert who is not using a basic, off-the-shelf and out-of-the-box system can yield better outcomes.”

These treatments are easy to confuse, but aside from both using PRP, they work very differently, with different results: the facelift plumps, while the facial brightens and smooths your complexion.

A Vampire Facelift combines injections of PRP with hyaluronic acid–based dermal fillers, like Juvéderm or Restylane, to smooth lines and wrinkles, soften creases, enhance facial contours, lift sagging skin, and restore lost volume. 

Some providers combine the two cosmetic procedures for even better results, and others use the names interchangeably. 

Before you book a treatment, ask about your doctor’s technique in order to be sure you’re getting the procedure you want.