Vampire facial: what the treatment involves

The plasma may be used with microneedling or delivered by injections, depending on the plan. The treatment aims to support skin repair, but results vary and it does not replace medical treatment for an active skin disease.

Blood is collected into a dedicated tube and placed in a centrifuge, which separates components by spinning them. The clinician draws up the platelet-containing plasma while maintaining sterile handling. With microneedling, fine channels are created before or during application; injection techniques place small amounts at selected sites.

Redness, pinpoint bleeding, tenderness, swelling and bruising can follow. The exact reaction depends on the delivery method and individual skin. PRP comes from your own blood, but this does not remove risks from needles, contamination, poor technique or an unsuitable treatment plan.

Choose a licensed medical practitioner who assesses your skin, medical history, medicines, tendency to scar and reason for seeking treatment. Tell them about blood disorders, active infection, cold sores, pregnancy, immune conditions and medicines that affect clotting. Do not stop prescribed medication unless the prescriber directs it.

After treatment, follow the clinic's cleansing and product instructions, keep hands away from the treated skin and avoid picking flakes or crusts. Use the recommended sun protection and postpone strong acids, retinoids or abrasive treatments until the skin barrier has settled.

Contact the treating clinic promptly for worsening pain, expanding redness, warmth, pus, fever, marked asymmetry or swelling that keeps increasing. Seek urgent care for breathing difficulty, facial or throat swelling, faintness, severe eye pain, visual change, or skin that becomes pale, dusky or unusually cold after an injection.

Ask who will draw, process and deliver the PRP; whether it will be injected or combined with microneedling; and how single-use equipment is handled. Request a realistic explanation of the intended change, likely downtime, alternatives, aftercare and the clinic's plan for managing complications.