Maybe you never heard of “vampire facials,” but according to Dr. Jeffrey Popp, they’ve been around for a long time.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Blood is drawn from the patient
- The blood is spun in a centrifuge
- Red and white blood cells make distinct layers because they’re differently sized
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is harvested and injected after lifting or tightening
Healing Properties
Many people believe PRP is almost magical because of its healing potential.
“Some think PRP stimulates stem cells to fix problems,” Dr. Popp said.
He said the plasma supposedly uses the body’s wound-healing cells to get rid of wrinkles naturally.
Unconfirmed benefits
Although touted to improve wrinkles and sun damage, Dr. Popp said PRP doesn’t have a really strong impact.
“The results are subtle,” he said.
He likened them to the results you get from over-the-counter facial creams.
“PRP is used more in conjunction with other surgeries,” Dr. Popp said.
“If a person has a facelift, the doctor draws blood at the start of the procedure and spins off the PRP.”
Then it is injected beneath tightened and smoothed areas to help them heal faster.
PRP does help control bleeding because platelets are needed for blood to clot. Once that happens, those same cells help wounds heal.
Dr. Popp doesn’t yet use PRP because there’s not enough data to prove it really helps.
Have a question for Dr. Popp? Click on the “contact” button on the top of this page or call Dr. Popp’s office at 402-391-4558.
