Never heard of a platelet-rich plasma or PRP facial? Actually, if you’re keeping up with the Kardashian’s, chances are you’re actually quite familiar with it. Yep, we’re talking about that old celebrity favourite. It’s the treatment the media’s dubbed “the vampire facial”.

While its name sounds a little scary, there’s nothing frightening or even remotely dangerous about a PRP facial. It will, however, help to plump up your skin and diminish the look of fine lines to give you something the Twilight crew are renown for and that’s a more youthful-looking appearance. Not exactly immortality, but definitely a good start.

How does a PRP facial work?

In a nutshell, a PRP facial involves drawing blood from a vein in your arm via a regular syringe. Spinning this blood in a centrifuge. By removing the platelets to inject back into your skin via microneedles. (Don’t worry, it’s really no more uncomfortable than a microdermabrasion session!)

What is the serum and how is it obtained?

Your blood is made up of several parts including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The platelets primary function is to allows your blood to clot but they’re also a brilliant source of growth factors that can help any tissue in your body rejuvenate. Removing the platelets from your blood draw is relatively simple. The process involves placing the blood vial into a centrifugation machine that spins it around at a rapid place, using gravity to separate it into parts. After a couple of spins, the ‘heavy’ red blood cells end up at the bottom while the PRP ends up in the middle and the platelet-poor plasma (PPP) rises to the top. This makes getting to the rejuvenating PRP super easy. All you need to do is insert a syringe into the vial and draw it out.

Once your doctor or therapist has got their hands on your PRP, they can reinject it back into your skin via mesotherapy  or a micro-needling treatment like Dermapen. Both options are virtually painless as your doctor will apply a numbing cream beforehand. You’re also not limited to your face. PRP treatments are also a popular way to rejuvenate your neck, décolletage and hands.

Ready, set, glow with the prp facial!

As the treatment accelerates healing as well as collagen synthesis you’ll start to see the results – plumper, firmer, smoothing-looking skin – a matter of weeks. You also don’t have to worry about down time as you can literally go back to work the very next day. Another thing you don’t have to worry about is any kind of reaction. As the “active ingredient”, the platelets, come from your own blood, there’s no chances of your body rejecting it.

Your doctor will be able to assess your skin and decide how many sessions you’ll require to meet your goal. Typically this is between two and eight sessions that could be spaced as close as three weeks apart.

Ultimately, if you’re tired of facials that merely involve the layering of products you could buy and use yourself at home and want something that will deliver real results, consider a PRP facial. It’s a very effective, safe and painless non-surgical way to rejuvenate your skin with zero downtime. What’s not to love about that?