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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Vampire facelifts: Cosmetic surgery's crazy new trend.

If you haven't been sequestered from all popular culture for the last few years, you may have noticed that there's a bit of a vampire thing going on. This summer, thanks to the third installment of the "Twilight" saga and a new season of "True Blood," the vampire merchandising has reached a fever pitch. We have vampire pillows, vampire perfume, vampire sex toys, and now, the coup de grace: a vampire facelift. Even though the bloodsuckers themselves don't need to worry about wrinkles -- immortality and all -- their fans need a little touch-up now and then. So, voila, a procedure that sucks blood out of your body to re-inject it in your face.


Salon talked to Dr. Anthony Youn, a cosmetic surgeon who happens to be a favorite of the Rachel Ray show, to ask how the facelift works and whether it's a good idea.

So what exactly is a vampire facelift?

Facelift is a bit of a misnomer, actually. It's a new facial filler called Sephyl -- like Juvederm or Restylane -- that you inject into the face to smoothe out wrinkles and divets. What happens is a doctor draws blood and basically thins it, removes the platelets, and reinjects the fibrin and platelets into the face. That thickens collagens and fills out the face, erases wrinkles and reduces gauntness.

Does it have a different effect than other injections, like say, making you sparkle in the sun or thirst for human blood?

Alas, it won't make your face immortal or make your skin paler or anything like that. But it is different from what we've been doing. When we first started using injectables, in the 80s and 90s, we mostly used collagen. The problem with that was skin testing -- you can have horrible allergic reactions to collagen, so the process for getting an injection was longer. More recently, we started using hyaluronic acid, which is similar to collagen but lasts longer. But it's made from synthetic ingredients -- rooster comb and cow, stuff like that. The other thing we can do is fat grafting, but that's a more invasive surgical procedure. What's interesting about the Sephyl is that it's all your own tissue, so it eliminates the allergic reaction problem.

Is it cheaper than a regular injection?

It costs about $2,000 for four ccs, which is about the same. It does last a little bit longer -- 12 to 14 months, whereas other injectables last around six to 12 months.

What kind of longevity will it have? Is it just a Twilight-fueled novelty?

Well, patients aren't really asking for it. It's very new. It's more of a sensationalist thing. Not a lot of people doing it. Is it going to really last? It's a tough one. I don't really see it making a dent in the longterm. This may be just a vampire craze, but for people that are hesitant to have something synthetic injected, it may actually last. Probably the procedure will last longer than its nickname. I mean, the fat injection isn't called the blob facelift.

9 comments:

  1. True Blood rules my world. Blood injected into the face for beauty? Interesting.

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  2. I suppose injecting your face with your own blood sounds more rational than having it pumped full with synthetic products made of plastic. But hey- what ever makes one happy.

    "Life’s about film stars and less about mothers
    It’s all about fast cars and cussing each other
    But it doesn’t matter cause I’m packing plastic
    and that’s what makes my life so fucking fantastic"- Lily Allen

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  3. I think its funny that big Twilight fans will do this

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  4. Vampire Facelift news reviews...
    http://youtu.be/xzW5Ys-MU0w

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  5. Vampire facelift? I've never heard of it before but very interesting...To get rid of my jowls, I actually underwent a traditional face lift surgery at Edelstein Cosmetic. The procedure went well for me and I achieved wonderful results. Now, when I look in the mirror, I see a younger and more beautiful face. I'm so glad I had the procedure! :)

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  6. Vampire Facelift is seen as a natural way to have a radiant, healthy-looking skin by people who find next best alternative to conventional surgical modes. The therapy takes anywhere between 30-40 minutes and is carried out by highly skilled medical doctors. The process begins with drawing out required amount of blood (with a syringe) from the patient, then platelets are separated. The platelets then with various Natural Fillers are injected into the areas like near eyes, jaw, back of hands, cheeks or at the discretion of the patient where he requests. If you are looking for effective treatment within the budget, there are licensed clinic of Vampire Facelift Los Angeles.

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