The rise of the Vampire Facial

If you shudder at the sight of blood and can’t stand needles then look away now, because Vampire Facials are making a comeback. Also known as PRP Therapy which stands for Platelet Rich Plasma (we’ll get to that bit later) Kim Kardashian may have made this controversial treatment famous, but it’s the skin plumping and rejuvenating results which have seen it rise to the mainstream. With Treatwell bookings more than doubling across Europe recently we want to know if it’s worth the hype…

By Rebecca Hoffnung

• 1 What is PRP?

  Here’s the science-y bit. Platelet Rich Plasma is a rejuvenating part of our blood, and when it reaches a wounded area of the skin it helps it to clot, which in turn regenerates new skin and heals the trauma. To start the treatment, a small amount of blood is taken from your arm, and is then spun in a machine in a very precise way to separate the red cells from the PRP.
• 2 Microneedles at the ready

  The face is thoroughly cleaned and slightly numbed to prepare for microneedling, a tool that creates minor traumas all over the face similar to pinpricks, which allows for a deeper absorption of products. This also encourages the lower layers of the dermis (that’s the skin) to renew and produce collagen.
• 3 How does it work?

  Once this stage is complete, the concentrated PRP is applied to the face, absorbing quickly into skin, supercharging the effects of the microneedle, accelerating the healing process and encouraging elastin and collagen production.
• 4 It stops ageing in its tracks

  When Kim K posted a picture to Instagram back in 2013 mid PRP everyone jumped on the bandwagon, though you’d be forgiven if you assumed this rather bizarre treatment was nothing more than a passing fad. But if booking numbers on Treatwell are anything to go by – this certainly isn’t the case, and in reality, PRP therapy has actually been used in a medical setting for the past 30 years, helping to treat a multitude of skin traumas – from burn victims to acne scarring. It’s only in the last decade that PRP has started to make waves as a cosmetic treatment due to its host of anti-ageing benefits.
• 5 Its not as painful as it looks

  Sure, the images that crop up on Insta under the #PRP or #vampirefacial hashtag may look pretty gruesome, but other than some minor discomfort you may experience while the microneedling takes place, the treatment itself is practically pain free, and results can last up to a year!
• 6 Our verdict...

  Most people report a significant difference after just one treatment, usually in the form of a super glowy and much softer looking complexion. Downtime is also minimal, and at most you might experience some minor redness or swelling directly after the treatment, but this should subside in a matter of hours. Our verdict? Totally worth it. Book in for this freaky facial now for flawless skin just in time for Halloween…
• 7 What is PRP?

  Here’s the science-y bit. Platelet Rich Plasma is a rejuvenating part of our blood, and when it reaches a wounded area of the skin it helps it to clot, which in turn regenerates new skin and heals the trauma. To start the treatment, a small amount of blood is taken from your arm, and is then spun in a machine in a very precise way to separate the red cells from the PRP.
• 8 Microneedles at the ready

  The face is thoroughly cleaned and slightly numbed to prepare for microneedling, a tool that creates minor traumas all over the face similar to pinpricks, which allows for a deeper absorption of products. This also encourages the lower layers of the dermis (that’s the skin) to renew and produce collagen.
• 9 How does it work?

  Once this stage is complete, the concentrated PRP is applied to the face, absorbing quickly into skin, supercharging the effects of the microneedle, accelerating the healing process and encouraging elastin and collagen production.
• 10 It stops ageing in its tracks

  When Kim K posted a picture to Instagram back in 2013 mid PRP everyone jumped on the bandwagon, though you’d be forgiven if you assumed this rather bizarre treatment was nothing more than a passing fad. But if booking numbers on Treatwell are anything to go by – this certainly isn’t the case, and in reality, PRP therapy has actually been used in a medical setting for the past 30 years, helping to treat a multitude of skin traumas – from burn victims to acne scarring. It’s only in the last decade that PRP has started to make waves as a cosmetic treatment due to its host of anti-ageing benefits.
• 11 Its not as painful as it looks

  Sure, the images that crop up on Insta under the #PRP or #vampirefacial hashtag may look pretty gruesome, but other than some minor discomfort you may experience while the microneedling takes place, the treatment itself is practically pain free, and results can last up to a year!
• 12 Our verdict...

  Most people report a significant difference after just one treatment, usually in the form of a super glowy and much softer looking complexion. Downtime is also minimal, and at most you might experience some minor redness or swelling directly after the treatment, but this should subside in a matter of hours. Our verdict? Totally worth it. Book in for this freaky facial now for flawless skin just in time for Halloween…