A patient calls the office asking for "a vampire facial" because she had seen one on social media. When I asked what specifically she wanted to address, she described skin texture, some fine lines around her eyes, and mid-face volume loss that had appeared in her early forties. The procedure she had seen online — and the procedure she was ready to book — was a topical PRP application after microneedling. That treats two of her three concerns and does not touch the third. The mid-face volume loss needs structural support that PRP cannot provide. A vampire facelift, which is a different procedure entirely despite the similar name, can address it. After the conversation, we built a combined plan that fit her actual anatomy. She did not book the procedure she came in asking for, and she got better results because of it.
The names "vampire facial," "vampire facelift," and "PRP" are used loosely in marketing and casually conflated by patients. Inside the clinic, they are three different procedures that produce three different outcomes. This article explains what each one actually does, when each is the right choice, and how I evaluate which patients benefit from which.
The three procedures — what each one actually is
Standard PRP (vampire facial / PRP microneedling). Blood is drawn (usually 10-30 mL), spun in a centrifuge to separate platelet-rich plasma from red cells and other blood components, and the concentrated PRP is applied topically to the skin immediately after a microneedling pass. The microneedling creates microchannels in the dermis that allow the PRP growth factors — primarily PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, and EGF — to penetrate beyond the stratum corneum and reach the dermal fibroblasts where collagen remodeling happens. The treatment improves skin quality: texture, fine lines, tone, post-acne scarring, and overall dermal thickness. It does not change facial structure or volume. Three sessions spaced 4-6 weeks apart is the standard protocol; results develop over 3-6 months as the new collagen matures.
PRP injections (microinjection or mesotherapy with PRP). Same blood draw, same centrifugation, but the PRP is injected directly into the dermis with a fine needle or cannula in a series of small deposits across the treatment area. This delivers more growth factor density per square centimeter than topical application after microneedling and reaches deeper tissue. Used for periorbital fine lines, mid-face skin quality, neck and decollete, and as a hair restoration treatment when injected into the scalp. Different procedure than the topical version, different placement depth, different intensity of inflammatory response in the days after.
Vampire facelift. This is a trademarked combination procedure, originally described by Dr. Charles Runels, that combines hyaluronic acid filler placement for structural support with PRP injection into the same areas. The filler does the structural work — restoring volume to the cheek, the temple, the tear trough, the jawline — and the PRP is layered with it to encourage tissue health and longevity. The two products work in different planes: filler in the deep fat compartment for structural lift, PRP more superficially to support skin quality. The result is structural change plus tissue quality improvement in the same session. Different procedure, different cost, different intent.
The names blur because the marketing wants them to. The clinical realities are different.
When I recommend which procedure
The recommendation depends entirely on what is actually present on the patient's face and what she wants to change. Here is how I work through it.
If the primary concern is skin quality — texture, fine lines, post-inflammatory pigmentation, mild post-acne scarring, dullness — and the underlying facial structure is intact, standard PRP with microneedling is usually the right starting point. Three sessions, $400-600 per session depending on the protocol, downtime of 2-3 days of mild redness. This is the procedure most patients are picturing when they ask for a "vampire facial."
If the primary concern is fine lines in a specific area — periorbital crepiness, perioral lines, neck or decollete — PRP injections rather than topical application can deliver more concentrated growth factor where it is needed. Often combined with microneedling elsewhere on the face for global skin quality.
If the primary concern is mid-face volume loss, hollowing, or structural changes — flat cheeks, deep tear troughs, sagging along the jawline, perioral shadowing — PRP alone in any form does not address this. The patient needs filler, period. Whether to add PRP to the filler treatment (vampire facelift) is a question about whether the additional cost provides meaningful additional benefit. The evidence for PRP-enhanced filler longevity is suggestive but not robust. I tend to recommend it for patients who already want PRP for skin quality reasons and who are getting filler in the same session anyway, not as a routine add-on.
If the primary concern is hair thinning — particularly in the crown or vertex in men, or diffuse thinning in women — scalp PRP injections are a different category of treatment with reasonable evidence for slowing hair loss and improving density when the underlying mechanism is androgenetic. Combined with topical and oral therapies as appropriate.
What PRP actually does at the tissue level — and what it does not do
PRP works by concentrating the platelet-derived growth factors normally present in blood and delivering them to a treatment field at supraphysiological concentrations. The growth factors signal local fibroblasts to produce more collagen (types I and III), upregulate angiogenesis, recruit stem cells from surrounding tissue, and modulate the inflammatory response in a way that biases toward repair and remodeling rather than scar.
What this produces clinically: gradual improvement in dermal thickness, better skin texture, reduction in fine lines, improvement in pigmentation in many patients, and a generally healthier-looking skin envelope over 3-6 months. The improvement is real but it is biological — it depends on the patient's own healing response. Patients who heal well from other things tend to respond well to PRP. Patients with poor wound healing, immunosuppression, smoking, or significant nutritional deficiencies respond less well.
What this does not produce: structural lift. Volume restoration. Sharp definition along the jaw or cheek. PRP cannot fill a tear trough or restore a hollow temple. Marketing photos that show dramatic structural change after "vampire" treatments are usually showing combination procedures (filler plus PRP) attributed to the PRP component or photos taken at different angles, lighting, or expression. The biology does not support PRP alone producing structural change.
What I look for in a candidate
Not sure where to start?
The Start Here pathway walks you through the most common entry points and helps you decide which consultation type is the right fit. Five minutes of self-assessment can save you a wrong-direction conversation.
When a patient comes in asking about any of these PRP-based treatments, I work through:
Skin quality baseline. Photograph in even lighting, with magnification. I want to see the actual texture, pigmentation pattern, fine lines at rest, and dermal thickness on palpation. This is the baseline I will compare against in 3-6 months to know whether the treatment worked.
Underlying structural anatomy. Is the face structurally sound under the skin envelope, or has there been volume loss that PRP cannot address? If structural change is needed and the patient is asking for PRP only, that conversation happens before we book any treatment.
Healing capacity. Active autoimmune disease, immunosuppressive medications, current corticosteroid therapy, recent isotretinoin use, active malignancy under treatment, significant uncontrolled diabetes — all affect healing and response. Smokers respond noticeably less well. I screen for all of this.
Bleeding and clotting status. Active anticoagulation affects both the blood draw and the response. Aspirin within the prior week affects platelet function and the quality of the PRP product. I time the procedure around medication patterns where I can.
Realistic expectations. Patients who expect PRP to do what filler does will be disappointed. Patients who expect a single session to produce dramatic change will be disappointed. PRP is a 3-6 month commitment for visible change and a 3-session protocol for the topical version. I make sure the patient understands the timeline before we book.
How the procedure goes in the chair
Standard PRP with microneedling: blood draw at the start, 8-15 minutes for centrifugation while the topical numbing cream is on the face (15-20 minutes total numbing time). The microneedling pass takes 15-25 minutes depending on coverage, with the PRP applied during and immediately after. Total appointment time about 60-75 minutes. Aftercare: avoid actives (retinol, glycolic, vitamin C) for 5-7 days, sunscreen, gentle cleanser, no makeup for 24 hours. Mild redness and pinpoint crusting for 2-3 days.
PRP injection: blood draw, centrifugation, topical numbing, then injection with a fine needle or cannula into the treatment field. Similar overall time. Bruising risk is higher than with topical application.
Vampire facelift (filler plus PRP): longer appointment (60-90 minutes including assessment and product selection), more downtime due to the filler component (1-3 days of mild swelling and possible bruising), immediate visible change from the filler with progressive change from the PRP over 3-6 months. Higher cost — typically the filler price plus a PRP supplement.
For combination protocols with adjacent treatments — neuromodulator treatments for dynamic lines, an AquaFirme facial for skin barrier preparation before a series, VI Peel for pigmentation between PRP sessions, fractional CO2 laser for deeper resurfacing in patients who are candidates — I sequence based on healing windows and the specific goal.
What I will not do
I will not recommend a vampire facelift as a substitute for filler when the patient actually needs filler. The PRP is not the structural intervention.
I will not perform PRP without a real conversation about what it can and cannot do. The treatment is genuinely useful for the right indication and disappointing for the wrong one, and the patient deserves to know the difference before paying for three sessions.
I will not push a series on a patient who does not have the underlying tissue health to respond. If healing capacity is significantly compromised, the right answer is to address the underlying issue first or to recommend a different intervention entirely.
The next step
If you are weighing a PRP-based treatment, the useful first step is a vampire facial consultation that includes structural assessment, not just a topical skin evaluation. The point of the visit is to figure out what is actually present on your face and which intervention — or combination — addresses it. Bring photos from a few years ago if you have them; the trajectory matters as much as the snapshot.
You can book online at either the Columbus or Warner Robins location. Travis Woodley sees aesthetics patients at both. If your concern is primarily skin quality and you want to start with the standard three-session PRP protocol, that is a reasonable starting point and a good way to see how your tissue responds before considering more aggressive interventions.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual clinical decisions should be made in consultation with a qualified healthcare provider following appropriate evaluation. References to specific treatments, dosing, or protocols are informational.
Travis spent 17+ years in high-acuity clinical medicine — emergency, cardiac ICU, and cath lab — before founding Revitalize. He is a Certified Platinum Biote hormone therapy provider, the published author of You're Not Broken — You're Unbalanced, and the founder of the Rebuild Metabolic Health Institute. His clinical writing reflects the same precision he brought to critical care: specific, honest, and built around what actually works.
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