Thank you for your question.
You submitted your question without a photo.
You’re asking, are you too young to have a Vampire Facelift® and will you need to
continue doing it.
And you describe in the question that you are 21-years-old and that you are dealing
with certain issues including acne scarring, uneven skin tone as well as sagging around
the mouth.
Well, I can certainly share with you even in the absence of a photo and more details
of your situation the approach that I would suggest considering and understanding the
distinction of what exactly is a Vampire Facelift®.
A little bit of background, I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial
plastic and reconstructive surgeon.
I have been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years.
I’ve been a longtime member of the Vampire Facelift® Network of doctors and I’ve also
been a resource of the media periodically when questions arise about the Vampire Facelift®.
So I think it’s important to make a distinction between the Vampire Facelift® which is a
very specific procedure exclusive to the doctors trained to perform these procedures in the
Vampire Facelift® Network as envisioned and developed by Dr. Charles Runnels.
So a Vampire Facelift® is a very specific procedure.
It involves the application of a single syringe of a hyaluronic acid filler that is generally
used for people who are experiencing facial volume loss which is often associated with
facial aging.
And it means placement in areas such as the upper part of the brow, the nasolabial fold,
under eye area, the lower lip area, the outer corner but it’s one syringe, one cc.
And with that performed is the use of platelet-rich plasma or PRP.
And again, it’s applied in a very specific way to create a stimulation of the layers
of the skin so that the face has a nicer glow to it and this is very unique to PRP.
Now that is in distinction to what is often used to refer to the Vampire Facelift® which
is PRP or platelet-rich plasma by itself.
Now in terms of your concerns, taking a step away from just the concept of Vampire Facelift®
now you understand what it is, acne scarring management requires proper evaluation.
One strategy doesn't apply to everybody.
And when I look at a patient with acne scarring, I take regular pictures, I take photos with
a method called back lighting to look at the shadows and I essentially classify the different
scars according to a standard.
And terminology includes rolling scars, boxcar scars, ice pick scars.
And there are different levels of all of these scarring but there is a strategy of interventions
that are based on these specific types of classification.
Further, it is also important to recognize whether there is volume loss such as fat loss
under those scars.
So when you are considering a procedure and for example there is a potential value in
helping your scars with PRP, well I’ll explain to you a strategy that we employ.
We have done a combination of injection of PRP with hyaluronic acid to help fill out
the scar.
And basically the hyaluronic acid adds volume, provides a scaffold while the PRP brings in
collagen and brings in blood supply and does a lot of things to help remodel the skin.
We’ve also applied the principle of microneedling or the method of microneedling and then applied
PRP on top.
So there are different ways that PRP can really be applied.
We also injected PRP under the skin to help improve the fat volume under the skin to help
improve the quality of the skin.
Acne scarring can also be managed not only through regenerative technology but with the
use of different laser devices and thermal energy devices.
And so you can appreciate that there are a lot of ways to manage acne scars.
So in terms of the potential role of PRP, there is something to be said certainly of
its value.
But it is important to understand that there is no way for most people with acne scars
to eliminate the scars altogether.
These represent areas of permanent tissue loss.
Our goal as physicians is to try to perform procedures with a strategy to diminish the
effective contrast between the different depths of deeper shadows versus contrast which draws
the eyes’ attention.
So it’s about improvement.
And a lot of times these improvements are not just after one procedure.
It’s basically you treat, observe and you also get a perspective after particular areas
are improved.
And so there’s an ongoing process.
You asked whether you have to maintain anything.
Well to a degree, there’s a certain amount of maintenance but there’s also a treatment
plan that usually means that you are building on what you’ve done before whether it’s
the application of laser treatments, the application of injectables, the performance of procedures
that basically undermines or releases the scar.
There are a lot of things that we can do with acne scarring.
So it’s important to understand what kind of scars you are dealing with and have a doctor
come up with a strategy that works optimally for your situation.
So there is certainly an important role in my opinion and from my experience treating
acne scars with PRP, hyaluronic acid but it’s not usually done just in isolation.
It’s done in combination with other treatments so you can get the best possible outcome.
As far as uneven skin is concerned, I think that more detail would be necessary to address
that issue.
And for sagging of the mouth, at 21, I don't think there’s a significant amount of volume
loss unless it was a significant amount of weight loss but I think that when you meet
with a doctor about your acne scars, you can show this area that concerns you and decide
if there’s any intervention that might be of benefit.
So I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck and thank you for your question.