Farah K., like many middle-aged women, is unhappy with those dreaded signs of aging: wrinkles.  She went to Dr. Gail Humble’s office in Redondo Beach looking to fix that problem with a newly popular procedure called the vampire facelift. The non-invasive pseudo lift goes so far as to draw a patient’s own blood and re-inject part of it into the patient’s face. 

The stem cells found within the blood’s plasma act as rejuvenators that stimulate cellular growth and restore a glow to the skin. It can even be used on the back of the hands, the neck or the chest.

“Dr. Humble did [the vampire lift] to my neck last time. You can totally see the results. I used to have really bad wrinkles, but now they’re gone,” Farah said as she gave herself the once-over in the examination room. 

Farah came in for work on her face this time; she wanted to fill in the wrinkles around her mouth and her nose. No one likes to see that they’re getting older, she explained. But people who have work done don’t want others to know they have been cheating the aging process; the point is to look naturally youthful. As I sat in the room with her, Farah asked that her full name not be used nor her full face be shown in photos. 

After applying numbing cream to Farah’s face, Dr. Humble drew her blood and put it into a centrifuge, separating the platelet-rich plasma (or “PRP,” which contains properties that are believed to stimulate the healing of soft tissue) from other components of the blood.  The whirring centrifuge spins the blood vial for about nine minutes until the deep red liquid looks like an entirely different, gold substance separated by white gelatinous goo. Once the serum was ready, Humble injected the plasma into Farah’s face. 

Farah didn’t anticipate the pain. It was difficult to watch as the needle pierced her skin and blood was being wiped off her face. A pinch or a momentary shooting pain are typical with an injection of any sort, but the burning associated with the other injectables used in conjunction with the platelets is another thing entirely. 

“I tested this on myself once,” Humble said as Farah gripped two stress balls below her. “I wanted to know what my patients would be feeling. It hurt, but I didn’t use the nerve blockers that I gave Farah.”

Our obsession with youth and beauty is nothing new. When people are willing to have their own blood injected in their faces, it is no wonder that the Daily Beast rated Los Angeles as the No. 4 vainest city in the nation this year. Not to mention, shows like “Dr. 90210” have highlighted cosmetic practices in Beverly Hills and its surrounding areas, fostering the cultural desire to prolong aging. 

BACKGROUND:

The vampire facelift has recently become one of the more popular non-invasive, restorative cosmetic techniques in the L.A. region. While the procedure’s website shows only a handful of doctors in the area perform the procedure, Humble said the vampire lift is in high demand among both men and women. Dr. Charles Runels, an Alabama-based doctor, started the trademarked procedure in 2009.

The procedure itself is pretty straightforward. “We take a patient and we draw their blood. Depending on how much we’re doing and where we are treating them we draw the appropriate volume,” Humble said. 

The doctor then spins down the blood, and it separates into the plasma, which contains the platelets. Afterward, the doctor activates the platelet-rich plasma with a calcium chloride or a calcium gluconate to achieve volume, and it is reinjected into the deep dermis, in their face, their neck, or the décolleté to regenerate the skin. Full results are seen after about eight weeks, Humble said. 

PERKS:

The immediate draw of the procedure is partly due to its name. The term “vampire facelift” conjures up blood, immortality, eternal youth and the luminous beauty associated with the exquisite creatures seen in shows like True Blood. Even the blockbuster Twilight saga sees vampires shining like diamonds in the sun.

“Beyond the hype, people really like something that’s natural,” Humble said. “Every now and then you see complications where people can’t undo what has been done, and people are scared of it. When something natural comes along that can’t revolumize you above and beyond what you would be naturally, there’s a big safety factor—people respond well.”

A side benefit of the procedure is that it takes roughly 30 minutes, so it fits in during a lunch break or a brief opening in a busy schedule. Proponents of the vampire facelift say it has minimal side effects because it uses the patient’s blood, which eliminates the chance of an allergic reaction.

“We’re taking the plasma, concentrating the platelets, and then activating them…we can revolumize your face, and restructure and revitalize your skin without using a synthetic filler. Therefore, you don’t have problems with lumps and bumps,” said Humble.

Because it is less invasive than a real facelift or any sort of cosmetic surgery, the target demographic of candidates for the procedure is vast as well. 

“We have people as young as their 30s coming in for augmentation of cheeks or chin, all the way up to people in their 50s, 60s and even as late as in their 80s,” Humble said. Almost as many men come in to her office for the treatment as women do, she added. 

The vampire facelift is far more versatile than synthetic fillers like Botox as well. 

“You can inject it underneath the eye, in the orbit—crazy places that you cant put other fillers,” Humble said.

CRITICS:

While many doctors in Southern California are on board with the procedure, some physicians think the vampire lift it just another way to bleed people’s wallets.

Dr. Barry Handler, a San Diego-based plastic surgeon, understands the desire to look young; he sees it all the time in his line of work. 

“Some people have features about themselves that they are just not happy about,” Dr. Handler said. “As people get older, they begin to see changes and wish they were young again. So they look for ways to make themselves look the way they did when they were younger. If you look good, you feel good.”

But Handler says the procedure doesn’t really work, and that it plays off people’s insecurities. 

“Most of the patients that I’ve seen on the various websites that talk about the procedure are choosing younger people will less skin laxity and less wrinkling, and the pictures are usually of sub-optimal quality,” he said. “And frankly, it’s hard for me to see much of a difference. I think most people who haven’t already made up their minds about this procedure would agree.”

Valerie Luethge-Stern, a cosmetic specialist in Beverly Hills who also practices the vampire lift, said that is not the case. Stern said there is merit to the procedure and that research and data show that stem cells do in fact help to regenerate, restore and rejuvenate.

“The argument has been made that this is just a catchy little phrase. Get them in the office, inject them, and really nothing more is going to happen. That’s not true,” said Stern.  “Stem cells are used in all kinds of surgery, from orthopedic to plastic surgery. However, it's not a quick fix.” 

TOO VAIN; TOO FAR?

As the New York Times put it, within the last decade the body has become “the new attire, a mutable status symbol subject to trends in proportion, silhouette, technology and disposable income.” It makes sense that some doctors would try to capitalize on this obsession by jumping on the vampire facelift bandwagon.

“Most of us in medicine know that [cosmetic procedures are] an area where we can capitalize on people’s desires…it’s the wild west of medicine. I think as the economy wanes, there are less people with insurance who will pay for medical care. They’ll pay for ways to look and feel better, though,” Handler said.

The latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that the number of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures (like Botox or collagen injections) in California’s regional group increased by 28% in 2010—likely because of the factors. Handler highlighted. It is generally cheaper to undergo a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure than it is to go under the knife.

The recession has not dampened our desire for physical perfection too much. At a price range of $900-$1400 per visit, even minimally invasive procedures like the vampire lift aren’t cheap.

IN THE END:

Choosing the way you look is arguably one of the ultimate acts of free will. It can leave you worse off, like Jocelyn Windelstein (or even as far back as Narcissus), or it can remedy a small imperfection that makes you unhappy.

“Our society is one in which age and wisdom is not respected as much as youth and beauty…it’s always been that way,” Humble said. 

But in an attempt to recapture youth people can go too far and augment their appearance to the point where it looks unnatural. We’ve all seen overly large collagen-filled lips.  But we’ve also seen people like Susan Sarandon who have aged gracefully without cosmetic surgery and probably get non-invasive procedures like a chemical peel every now and then.

Should there be a limit on the medicalization of beauty? Is there a point when it just goes too far? That’s for each person to decide individually—some people think cosmetic procedures are beneficial, while others believe it is a waste of money or a pathetic attempt to thwart aging (or both). But there is certainly something to making minor improvements should you desire to. 

“The strive to be youthful is important within the job market. In this economy, you have people of all ages competing for the same jobs. More importantly, if you look better in the mirror, you feel better inside,” Humble said.

Anyone who has had an off day can relate to that. When you feel you don’t look your best, you look down as you walk, you don’t feel like yourself and you don’t project inner happiness. 

If a non-invasive procedure can fix that, while avoiding taking a hammer and chisel to your face, why not go for it?

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Watch the interview with Valerie L. Stern below: