What is PRP or Vampire Facial that Bollywood Housewives Talk About in the Show?

How effective is PRP facial? Should you be going for it? FIT spoke to an expert.

How effective is PRP facial? Should you be going for it? Expert answers.

(Illustration: Chetan Bhakuni)

The second season of 'Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Housewives' had the protagonists talking and getting excited about Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Facial, also known as 'Vampire Facelift'.

What is it? Is PRP only meant for for cosmetic purposes? How effective is it? Should you be going for it? To answer all your queries, we spoke to Dr Gunjan Verma, Consultant - Dermatology, Manipal Hospital, Delhi.

What is this PRP actually meant for? Is it a just a cosmetic procedure or is it meant for other medical procedures too?

Yes, PRP facelift is used for both cosmetic and non cosmetic procedures. In cosmetics, it is most commonly used for your hair regrowth and for facial rejuvenation.

In terms of non-cosmetic fields like joint pain relief and knee movements PRP has been used repeatedly by various doctors and results vary from patient to patient. The therapy sessions can be taken once in six weeks, and you can undergo two to three sessions in six months. After you receive results that are desirable then you can undergo one or two sessions of PRP or advanced RPP once in a year.

How does the PRP facial work? What are the benefits and risks of this procedure?

When we do PRP facial we apply a numbing cream on your skin and after one hour we do micro needling that causes small amounts of blood to ooze out and from that oozing blood we add the PRP solution.

This leads to direct supply of growth factors to your skin and after one week you may observe a glow and less uneven texture. The glowing skin can persist if you take precautions like not going in the sunlight and wear sunscreen.

Is it safe when performed on the face? What are the risks?

As far as the risks are concerned, it may cause bruising and can be painful. We avoid doing the procedure on sensitive skin. The face is made up of very soft tissue and many major blood vessels lie there. Bruises from the procedure can sometimes take five to ten days to go away.

Who can go for PRP facial and who should avoid?

If someone is on blood thinners like ecosphere or anticoagulants they should avoid PRP. Those suffering from diabetes, chronic illnesses, those with active bacterial or viral infections, or those who have active acne should avoid this procedure.

Doctors should perform a complete blood profile and anticoagulant profile before carrying out the procedure.

Is it budget friendly?

PRP Facial will cost you around five to seven thousand rupees. Prices are different at different places, and it depends on who is doing your PRP, and which kit is being used. Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) therapy is costly.

How do you choose the right cosmetologist when opting for this procedure?

A skin specialist or dermatologist is the recommended person who you must visit for a PRP facial. Do not undergo any kind of PRP procedure with any local salon that does not have trained skin specialist. Its important that a trained dermatologist does the procedure.