But what even is a vampire facial?
When you get a vampire facial, small amounts of your own blood are injected into the skin of your face. The procedure is also known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
"[The PRP] stimulates collagen, new blood supply and vessels, and even hair follicles," Bruce E. Katz, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist, previously told Health.
There are three steps to a vampire facial, according to the AAD:
- A small amount of blood (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) is drawn from your body. The AAD lists the arm as the body part of choice for this step.
- The drawn blood is placed into a machine that separates it blood into layers, with one of those layers containing a high concentration of platelets—which form clots and stop or prevent bleeding. Platelets "also contain growth factors that can trigger cell reproduction and stimulate tissue regeneration," according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- Using a syringe or microneedle, that platelet-containing layer of blood is injected into your face.
