Thank you for your question.
You state in your question that you’re turning 40 and that you’ve heard about the Vampire
procedure and you are asking if does it help rejuvenate the skin.
And in a related area, you’ve also mentioned that you’ve undergone Botox® on your forehead
only but can it be done in the eyes and face.
So it is obvious that you’ve turned 40 and you are looking to do things to maintain your
youthful appearance.
Well, I can certainly give you some guidance with this question.
I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and
reconstructive surgeon.
I’ve been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years and I am a member
of the Vampire Facelift® network of physicians and I have also been a resource for media
regarding the Vampire Facelift®.
And of course, as far as the Botox® question is concerned, I’m actually one of the early
doctors who used Botox® and having been doing this to patients since 1993.
So, I can certainly give you first an understanding of what he vampire procedure is so that you
can understand what the benefit it has and where it fits in your overall quest for looking
your best at any age.
So to begin with, the Vampire Facelift® procedure, it is derived from a name developed by a colleague
who basically created this very clever name that went quite viral and is continuously
and remarkably been used for years.
Basically, it is the fascination of the idea that conceptually has been around but it took
this name to actually make it literally become a household name, is that the idea is to use
your own blood and to concentrate growth factors that are necessary for wound healing that
stimulate your body’s natural collagen blood supply.
So what kind of effect does that have?
Well, it improves the fatty cell layer under the skin, it improves collagen in the skin,
it improves the blood supply in the skin.
And so when you treat somebody with this material which is called platelet-rich plasma (PRP),
in a couple of days to several weeks, the skin begins to have a nice glow.
You’ll look younger or you look healthier.
Now the specific Vampire Facelift® procedure is a combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
for skin quality and the use of a hyaluronic acid filler such as Restylane or Juvederm.
As you get past your mid 30’s, you start to experience some volume loss and it is subtle.
But because it is subtle, it is an opportunity to be conservative.
So my colleague Dr. Runels who developed this, basically conceptualized that with just one
syringe of hyaluronic acid.
Now, one syringe is not a lot.
It’s 1 millimeter but when placed strategically for the right patient, not for the person
who needs a lot more, but for the right patient, we can place it under the brow, the tail of
the brow.
You can place it in the tear trough, you can place it on the cheek, you can place it in
the outer corner of the mouth that is typically where I place it.
But generally, when people come to me for this type of procedure, I usually recommend
more volume because they need more than that but that is the idea.
It’s platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with the hyaluronic acid both working both independently
through your body’s natural physiology in a synergistic way.
Hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) actually work together to create long-term
benefit as well.
So, I would certainly recommend the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
We use it in our practice a lot.
We use it for skin rejuvenation, we use it for wrinkles, we use it for sun damage, we
use it for fine lines, and we use it for scars.
We even use it in combination with a material called Acellular matrix for hair loss.
So we use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) a lot and in the tradition of many other countries
outside United States particularly South America and in Asia, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is
really very popular and highly effective.
It’s simply not had the awareness in physicians in the United States for many years but I’ve
been impressed by how it is eventually filtering in the mainstream of our aesthetic information.
It is just people don’t always understand exactly the mechanism how it works and why
it works but I can tell you as a practicing doctor that it really does work very well
and it is about defining and understanding how it works and what to expect.
It is not a replacement for fillers.
Now, with that question, just to answer the question about Botox®, yes, Botox® can be
used in multiple areas in the face and most commonly in the crow’s feet area, the lines
around the eyes.
We use it in the frown lines or what as we often refer to as the number elevens from
frowning too much.
It can be used to lift the outer corners of the lips.
It can be used to create a little upturned lips.
It really is remarkable in how many ways you can use Botox®.
You can even change the dynamics of the appearance of the nose.
So there are definitely a lot of ways to use Botox®.
It is a neurotoxin.
It prevents muscle from working but when used in a specific way, it can do remarkable things
to enhance the appearance.
And not by mistake, it is the number one non-surgical procedure.
So with that being understood, I would recommend you to look for a Vampire Facelift® provider
and explore your options and get proper analysis and learn about the other things that you
can also do to help you look your best.
I’m really quite a firm believer in maintenance particularly when it comes to rejuvenation
and one of the challenges for a surgeon, someone like myself who sees a patient who wants to
have a facelift is that when the tissue is thinner and it is more aged, you are dealing
with less quality which limits what you can do as a surgeon.
And a lot of times, I would say, you can also delay a lot of surgical procedures depending
to your response to this type or regenerative technology and other maintenance strategies.
So I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question.