“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.”
