5 Things to Know About “Vampire” PRP Facials

Ever since Kim Kardashian’s 2013 selfie put the Vampire Facial® on the aesthetic map, the interest in using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to rejuvenate skin and promote hair growth has steadily increased. The phrase “vampire facials” caught people’s attention, but the concept of using the growth factors in PRP to stimulate the body’s natural healing process is one that’s been clinically accepted for many years.

We take this vampire-style PRP facial to another level at Portland Plastic Surgery, where we combine the benefits of PRP with microneedling using the SkinPen®—the only microneedling device available in the U.S. cleared by the FDA as safe and effective. Even though a lot of people have heard of PRP facials, not everyone understands what the treatment can accomplish—including how PRP can help women and men with thinning hair.

In this post, I list 5 things anyone who’s considering PRP treatments should know about the technique:

1. The use of PRP is well-established for medical purposes. Orthopedic doctors introduced PRP therapy more than 20 years ago as a way to help patients heal from injuries by injecting plasma into the damaged area. PRP therapy stimulates certain enzymes that help tissue regenerate and leads to faster healing. PRP therapy is used widely by professional athletes.
2. PRP is a hair restoration treatment. The same growth factors that trigger the generation of new cell growth can boost hair growth by stimulating follicles to re-enter the growth phase of the hair cycle. The treatment involves numbing the scalp and then injecting PRP into areas where the hair is thinning.
3. PRP therapy can be used alone or combined with microneedling. Microneedling with the hand-held SkinPen creates tiny puncture wounds, stimulating the body’s injury repair response. These small channels also help the skin absorb PRP more efficiently, and the combination of the 2 procedures produces excellent results.
4. PRP is sometimes called “collagen-induction therapy” (CIT). Besides refreshing your appearance, PRP therapy can minimize fine lines and wrinkles, reduce pore size, and diminish the appearance of acne scarring because it promotes the growth of new collagen. Collagen is one of the fundamental building blocks of smooth, more youthful-looking skin.
5. The recovery time following PRP on its own is minimal; recovery is slightly longer when combined with microneedling. Patients who get PRP therapy as a standalone treatment usually see some redness around the injection sites for about a day. Microneedling causes some swelling, redness, and bruising that typically takes about 3 days to resolve.

Here is a bonus tip: If you’ve ever considered microneedling, it’s likely you’ve seen or read about at-home microneedling rollers. Those can be good for maintenance, but they can’t match the SkinPen for depth and precision. Most patients also want to know what the cost of PRP therapy is. A single PRP treatment combined with microneedling is $700. Purchasing a package of 3 treatments is $1,950.

You can get a full breakdown of the price menu on our PRP page, including PRP hair restoration treatments.

Learn more about PRP therapy and microneedling at our Portland practice by requesting a consultation online or giving our office a call at (503) 292-9200to schedule an appointment.