Microneedling with PRP: 10 Skin Benefits of a Vampire Facial
Microneedling and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are like that perfect couple we all envy: Good individually, but oh, so much better when they’re paired together. In fact, they’re such a perfect fit the combination has earned a nickname: vampire facial.
OK, the name isn’t so appealing, but the results can be fantastic, especially if you want to ward off signs of aging and skin damage. Microneedling uses a special device to create tiny “openings” in your skin, while PRP uses growth factors derived from your own blood to spur natural healing.
At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, Soheila Rostami, MD, FAAO, FAACS, and Joseph K. Davidson, MD, FACS, offer “vampire facials” for women and men at their offices in McLean and Dulles, Virginia. If you’re curious about what a vampire facial could do for you, here are 10 benefits you should know about.
1. Tighten skin
Microneedling works by creating “controlled damage” in your skin. Combined with PRP, these tiny injuries promote natural healing responses, including developing healthy tissue and resilient collagen fibers to help skin look and feel firmer.
2. Diminish scars
Scars are a natural part of healing, forming when your body lays down extra layers of tough collagen to repair an area of damaged tissue. Unfortunately, some scars are visible, taking a toll on your complexion and confidence. Microneedling breaks down tough, fibrous scar tissue, while PRP supports the growth of new, healthy tissue that “blends in” with the surrounding skin.
3. Increase collagen production
Collagen helps your skin look and feel firmer and plumper, but as we age, we produce less collagen, leading to many age-related changes we see in our complexions. PRP and microneedling together promote the development of collagen networks that help support healthy skin, so it looks and feels resilient.
4. Repair sun damage
Sun damage is responsible for 90% of the changes we see in our skin as we age. Vampire facials help repair that damage at its source, supporting skin renewal and repairing collagen networks damaged by years of UV radiation exposure.
5. Smooth out fine lines and wrinkles
As we lose collagen, skin also loses its elasticity, leading to lax, sagging skin. Over time, increasing laxity leads to wrinkles and lines. Because vampire facials improve collagen production, they can also help smooth out those pesky lines for more youthful results.
6. Promote skin turnover
Dead, damaged skin cells make your complexion look dull and can lead to breakouts. Vampire facials ramp up cellular turnover for a clearer and brighter complexion.
7. Improve skin texture
Rough skin looks and feels patchy, but vampire facials can help here, too. Promoting skin turnover and supporting new cell growth will make your skin feel smoother and softer — a result you’ll experience soon after your treatment.
8. Reduce the appearance of stretch marks
Vampire facials diminish stretch marks in the same way they help reduce the appearance of scars: Breaking down damaged, stretched tissue and replacing it with healthy tissue for a more uniform tone and texture.
9. Banish age spots and sun spots
Age spots and sun spots (a.k.a. hyperpigmentation) happen when skin pigment (called melanin) clumps together, forming brown or dark spots. Vampire facials break apart pigment clumps so tiny pigment fragments can be shed, leaving behind clearer skin.
10. One treatment, multiple issues
There are many reasons why microneedling with PRP is so popular — and that is a reason to celebrate: Just one treatment can address many different issues, making it easier to fit treatments into your already packed schedule. Plus, it can be repeated for prolonged benefits.
Make a healthier, more beautiful complexion one of your resolutions this year. To learn how microneedling with PRP can help, book an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Sanctuary Cosmetic Center today.