'Vampire facelift' dismissed as stunt by experts
Cosmetic surgeons have dismissed the so-called 'Vampire Facelift' as nothing more than a clever marking stunt.
The anti-ageing procedure, which involves removing a small amount of the client's blood, which is then spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelets.
The platelets are then mixed with either calcium chloride or thromin and the resulting platelet rich plasma (PRP) is then injected back into the patient's face in order to plump up cheeks and conceal wrinkles and fine lines.
The treatment, which takes just 30 minutes and has sold itself on being far less invasive than a surgical facelift, is said to work within three weeks as the blood activates cell-repairing substances called cytokines. It has also been marketed as the ideal way to minimise the appearance of facial scars, wrinkles and acne.
One cosmetic surgeon to be offering the procedure is Taimur Shoaib, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh who practices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
He told Deadline News, “The idea behind the vampire facelift is to restore youthful fullness to the cheeks, and it is proving popular with people looking to maintain their youthful looks.”
However, the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), Fazel Fatah, said that the facelift was 'gimmicky' and there was little evidence that it did what it was meant to.
“We have not seen any scientific evidence to support the claims of so-called Vampire Therapy. The public should be wary of procedures given gimmicky names clearly invented for marketing purposes,” he told the news provider.
Celebrities such as Kylie Minogue and Angelina Jolie are said to have undergone the vampire facelift, with other high-profile names keen to try out the procedure.
(Image: wikipedia)
