Why the ‘Vampire Facial’ is the ultimate treatment for rejuvenated skin this January
Winter can have a dramatic impact on our skin – with extreme weather, party season and alcohol all playing a role. So January is the perfect time to reset our habits, and refresh our beauty regime, and PRF, aka ‘The Vampire Facial’ is ideal for helping your skin heal itself.
“It’s not a myth that our skin is different as the weather changes”, says Dr Beena Harkison. “This is due to less moisture in the air, combined with dehydrating central heating. The combination can lead to tired looking skin, with the exaggeration of fine lines and wrinkles. A restorative treatment like PRF is ideal in the cold months.”
PRF, aka ‘The Vampire Facial’, isn’t to be confused with PRP, a treatment which Kim Kardashian famously had on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Indeed, PRF is an upgrade on Kim’s treatment, and is proving to give better results and is more effective at rejuvenating and healing the skin.
But what is PRF, and how can it help? Dr Beena Harkison, associate dentist at The Courtyard Clinic in Surrey explains.
“PRF treatment is 100% natural (with no additives) because I make it from your own blood. A small sample is collected from your arm to prepare your own serum to treat you. The blood is slowly spun in a centrifuge machine which isolates the white blood cells and platelets to create the rich PRF serum. I then inject the serum into the area to be treated within minutes of collection.”
100% natural – your body treats itself
“Once injected back into your body, the activated concentrated platelets start accelerating healing and kick start the regeneration process, producing a gradual, cumulative, long-lasting effect”, explains Dr Beena. “Its potent collagen and elastin stimulating properties result in tightened, lifted and more youthful skin.”
Dr Beena is dually qualified as a dentist and facial rejuvenation practitioner, was introduced to PRF treatment through its use in dental surgery for gum and implant treatments where it is used as a way of speeding up recovery from implant surgery. What she discovered was that PRF has a number of applications and is also a natural way to rejuvenate the skin, and can be used instead of unnatural botulinum toxin and dermal filler treatments for:
- Acne scars
- Facial augmentation
- Fine lines
- Hair regrowth
- Skin rejuvenation
- Stretch marks
- Wrinkles
Applying the PRF
The PRF is injected into the face and neck using a Dermapen 4 micro-needling device – this upgraded device uses an increased number of micro-channels and as a result, the treatment time is faster. The pen is glided over the skin and microscopic channels are stamped into the skin’s matrix (the structural layers under the surface). Through these channels, the PRF is able to penetrate the skin’s layers, stimulating a wound healing response which initiates intense renewal, repair and rejuvenation.
The Dermapen 4 device can also be used around the eyes and is gentle enough to avoid bruising around even sensitive skin areas. As the Dermapen 4 device pierces the skin vertically, it also prevents the skin from tearing, and this reduces the risks of any scarring.
LED Light therapy
However, the real differentiator, that makes Dr Beena’s PRF treatments bespoke to her, is a light therapy treatment, that accelerates the healing process even further, maximizing results for patients.
Dr Beena accelerates the PRF treatment using Genosys LED light therapy. Patients relax under a light emitting arch which is programmed with the right colour sequence to help enhance their skin healing. The system uses four different light wavelengths:
- Red – red light promotes skin cell regeneration, improved blood circulation, pain relief and activation of active ingredients
- Blue – blue light encourages the destruction of acne bacteria and inhibition of sebaceous glands. It also prevents wound infection and provides relief from skin breakouts
- Yellow – yellow light improves rosacea, erythema and herpes zoster in early stages
- Green – green light improves sensitivity, hyperpigmentation, and enhances natural well-being.
For more information about PRF treatment, Dr Beena and the clinics where she treats patients, please visit www.drbeenaharkison.co.uk