Thank you for your question. You are asking a very simple question. Is the vampire facelift
a good approach to anti-aging or is it just good marketing?
Well, I can certainly address this question with authority. I’m a board certified cosmetic
surgeon and fellowship trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon practicing
in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I’m a member of the Vampire Facelift® network
of doctors and I’ve been so for many years and in fact, I’ve been a resource to the
media when questions about the Vampire Facelift® has risen. So, I can certainly understand
your skepticism because of the name. And I can also tell you that if you ask doctors
who are not part of it if it is a gimmick, they would most likely say it is and those
doctors who don’t understand platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and the interaction of platelet-rich
plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid will also say that but I think that the evidence speaks
for itself. And I’ll give you some guidance in detail as to what it can do and what it
cannot do. And as far as the question of whether or not it is good marketing, I would say it’s
not just good marketing. It’s amazing marketing. I tip my hat to Dr. Charles Runels who created
this brand and it has sustained for many years and remarkably the search is an interest for
it exceeds the search for Botox™.
Now what I think has been the greatest value of this branding project is that more people
became aware of the value of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). As a cosmetic reconstructive
surgeon as well as someone who does a lot of cosmetic dermatologic procedures, I cannot
stress enough the value that I am able to provide for patients using platelet-rich plasma
(PRP). So let us break it down. Vampire Facelift® is a combination approach to help someone
look younger using the benefit of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the skin combined with a single
syringe of hyaluronic acid filler such as Restylane or Juvederm. That’s it. The benefit
of the vampire facelift which is a combination of platelet-rich fiber matrix which Dr. Runels
clearly makes a distinction between that and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). But for just the
sake of brevity, I’m going to use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) since fewer people are familiar
with platelet-rich fiber matrix. Basically, this is a form of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
which has been activated so that there is even more benefit when and during the treatment.
Form a scientific perspective, there have been so many articles about platelet-rich
plasma (PRP) in the medical literature and specifically in the cosmetic surgical perspective.
There has been peer reviewed published articles showing the increase in blood supply, increase
in fat which is interesting as well as collagen in skin that was biopsied after the use of
platelet-rich plasma (PRP). So the scientific evidence is there. Now the use of hyaluronic
acid in combination has two benefits: one is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is still not
something that can add volume that is immediate or defined. It is more global. People who
we treat with this will say their skin has this glow. It has nice skin quality. When
you are using hyaluronic acid, you can augment or enhance the area outside the brow, the
cheeks, and the outer corner of the lips and gives someone a more youthful look. I think
it has applications for a lot of scenarios but you have to decide if it is right for
you by having a proper consultation.
When we educate patients about this, I also explain not only in the vampire facelift concept
but actually there is a synergy that has been established in the medical literature of hyaluronic
acid with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). In wound healing processes that have nothing to do
with cosmetic surgery or cosmetic medicine, it has been shown that it has a benefit of
combining the two. I have made this observation for patients with scars, for depressed scars
and acne scars. So the fact that the name Vampire Facelift® has become so viral and
so interesting is certainly effective marketing. If it is right for you, it depends on the
situation. In the field of cosmetic surgery, cosmetic medicine, it is all about customization.
It is all about finding the right doctor who understands your situation, who will be ethical
and will be able to provide you with a comprehensive solution. Unfortunately, with this explosion
of interest in the cosmetic procedure and a lot of non-surgical options, there are a
lot of different providers offering different solutions but most many, I should say, have
limitation. If they have a new laser, they will use that new laser for everything. If
their marketing product A, B or C, they want to do that.
In our practice, as board certified cosmetic surgeon, I offer everything from skincare
products to advanced surgery so we are able to really help our patients in a customized
way. And if someone comes in for this procedure and isn’t a good candidate, you can be sure
that I tell them that they are not a good candidate. Hopefully, this explanation will
give you some guidance before you meet with specialists to learn your options that are
right for you.
So I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question!