Dr. Joshua Zeichner: "The Vampire Facial"
It's been nicknamed the vampire facial, a term that is all-too-fitting for this bloody procedure.
The gory procedure goes like this: The doctor draws some of your blood, separates the platelets from the red blood cells, blends the platelets with a fibrin mixture and then injects it back into your face. The technology is called Selphyl and it's marketed to plump up wrinkles and sagging skin. Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at The Mount Sinai Medical Center said that the "microneedling procedure pokes tiny holes in the skin to allow better penetration. While in theory, the facial could work, we need more good data to prove that it does in fact live up to its claims. And it's important to make sure it is done by someone experienced, and that it's done under clean conditions. Any time your blood is being drawn or there are pokes to the skin, there is a risk of infection." Learn more