Everything You Need To Know About Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP)

It doesn’t matter what you call Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP) – vampire facial, PRP vampire facial, or PRP injections.

Thanks to Kim Kardashian West, platelet-rich plasma treatment for the face became an overnight success when she had a vampire facial before her wedding. The photos of her after the PRP vampire facial went viral. 

But amidst the media hype and social influencer posts, it can be hard to figure out what PRP treatment for the face actually is.

Don’t worry, we’ve covered everything you need to know about Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP) including what a Vampire Facial is, how it works and the benefits it offers.

What is PRP?

When it comes to improving your skin glow, facials have long been a popular skin treatment. While facials are effective at exfoliating, improving the tone of your skin and clearing away impurities, they can’t reduce fine lines and wrinkles like PRP Vampire Facials can. Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP) is an advanced skincare treatment that uses your body’s natural power to repair itself. PRP Vampire Facials involve drawing a small amount of your blood and separating the platelets and plasma from your red blood cells and white blood cells in a centrifuge for 5 to 10 minutes. This process leads to your plasma having nearly fivefold more platelets, resulting in more growth factors being present. Your platelet-rich plasma is then further activated with calcium chloride before being injected with small needles back into your face. At Regenerer our Vampire Facials take between 20-30 minutes and are also referred to as “Facial Stem Cell Regeneration” therapy.

How does PRP work?

As an effective anti-ageing treatment, the Vampire Facial involves injecting platelet-rich plasma into your skin at precise depths. Platelet Rich Plasma Treatment (PRP) refers to any treatment where platelet-rich plasma benefits your body with regenerative growth factors that can:

• Stimulate your skin to heal faster,
• Boost the important proteins including collagen and elastin that support your skin’s health.

While PRP is a popular skincare treatment it has other clinical applications and is effective at treating:

• Acne scars, 
• Crepey skin texture,
• Fine lines and wrinkles,
• Hair loss, 
• Loss of volume,
• Skin pigmentation,
• Stretch marks, and
• Surgical scars.

Is PRP Treatment Effective?

Before your PRP treatment, you’ll have a consultation with a Cosmetic Nurse or Skin Therapist. During this consult, they’ll ask about your medical history, expected outcomes and goals of PRP treatment and advise on the most suitable treatment options.

In the treatment room, you’ll have your face thoroughly cleaned before a topical numbing cream is applied to the treatment area. This ensures the PRP treatment will be comfortable. Similar to a blood test, a small amount of your blood will then be drawn before being spun in a centrifuge. After the plasma and platelets are separated from your red blood cells and white blood cells, small needles will be used to inject them back into your face.

After PRP treatment, your treated skin will swell and have a pink or red appearance. Any swelling will resolve in about 2 days. The pink or red appearance will fade within a few hours. Optimal results will be visible 4 to 5 weeks after your PRP treatment. If you have a series of 3 initial treatments, the results typically last for 12 to 18 months. It’s important that you keep your skin hydrated and protected from the sun after your PRP treatment. Our Cosmetic Nurses and Skin Therapists can advise which products are best for your skin type.  

What Are the Benefits of PRP Treatment For Your Skin?

PRP Treatment for your skin is an injectable treatment that uses your own platelet-rich plasma to reduce signs of ageing while rejuvenating your skin tone and texture. The benefits of PRP treatment for your skin include the following. 

1. PRP treatment effectively treats difficult and delicate areas of your face including your eye tear troughs; often one of the first areas of your face to show noticeable signs of ageing.
2. PRP treatment is a natural cosmetic injectable. Unlike wrinkle-reduction treatments and dermal enhancements, PRP treatment uses a sample of your blood to stimulate your elastin and collagen production.
3. After a series of 3 treatments, PRP treatments can last between 12 to 18 months.
4. PRP treatments reduce fine lines and wrinkles by improving your cellular turnover and encouraging the production of collagen and elastin. With collagen production dipping at the age of 25, this benefit results in your skin becoming tighter and more youthful.
5. PRP treatments improve the moisture retention of your skin, resulting in your skincare treatments absorbing more effectively.
6. PRP treatments improve your skin tone and texture. From surgical and acne scars to pigmentation, PRP treatments encourage the development of new skin cells resulting in a smoother and more youthful appearance.
7. While PRP treatments generally have no downtime required, the downtime you’ll need will depend on the depth of the needles and what the PRP is treating. For example, if you’re having scarring treated, the needles will need to go quite deep. This will require at least 1 day of downtime. It’s also important to note that your skin will peel for a few days after your PRP treatment. We recommend that you have PRP treatments where you don’t have any social or work commitments for a few days after. If you’re having PRP treatment before a big event like a wedding or party, we recommend you have the treatment at least 4 weeks before the event.

Is the Vampire Facial Safe?

Vampire Facials are suitable for most people of all ages. While it’s safe for pregnant women, because you’re unable to have the numbing local anaesthetic, we suggest a traditional facial is more appropriate. It’s also important to note that people with clotting conditions who require blood thinners or who have other blood-related disorders should not have Vampire Facials.

Ideal candidates for Vampire Facials include:

• Like to have firmer and tighter skin,
• Want to remove acne scars,
• Want to improve the tone and texture of your skin,
• Like to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or 
• Want to reduce pigmentation.

Unlike some anti-ageing creams and injections, because Vampire Facials use your own blood, there’s no chance of allergic reactions or having your body reject a foreign substance.

Is PRP treatment safe during pregnancy?

While PRP treatment is safe during pregnancy, it’s important to note that you’re unable to have the local anaesthetic numbing cream. This can result in the Vampire Facial being very uncomfortable. A better alternative during pregnancy is to book in for a Regenerer Facial.

Vampire Facial Before and After

Vampire Facials are a popular skincare treatment to improve the collagen production of your skin. Once your skin is penetrated with the plasma and platelets, your body starts to grow new, healthier and stronger collagen over a period of a couple of weeks. This process results in tighter looking skin that keeps improving several weeks after the Vampire Facial treatment.

Regenerer Vampire Facials are an effective anti-ageing skincare treatment. Our team of highly experienced Cosmetic Nurses and Skin Therapists offer Vampire Facials that improve the tone and texture of your skin while improving its regenerative properties. Got questions about PRP Vampire Facials? Find out if PRP facial is safe for you, call us on (03) 9555 8401.