Vampire Facelift?!

Updated 3/2017 -- all links (except to my own posts) removed as many no longer active. 

I first saw mention of the “vampire facelift” almost two weeks ago as a news article listed in the July 9th issue of the Plastic Surgery SmartBrief:  "Vampire face-lift" uses patient's platelets and fibrin in dermal filler.

The article begins:

Instead of a traditional facelift, patients are being offered another option to get rid of wrinkles. It's called Selphyl or the "vampire face-lift," and it uses a person's own blood to sculpt the face.

Selphyl according to the companies website

The patented SELPHYL® System enables the safe and rapid preparation of an activated Platelet-rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM).  A small volume of the patient’s blood is collected and the platelets and fibrin are concentrated during a simple centrifuge process.  The resulting product (liquid, gel or membrane) can be applied to a treatment area of the face or body to stimulate natural, new tissue growth.  SELPHYL® prepared PRFM has been shown to increase skin volume and rejuvenation.

SELPHYL® ensures a preparation of fibrin and platelets, with virtually no red or white blood cells. Studies have shown these platelets to be viable and intact.  Platelets will release proteins, which have been reported to trigger cell migration, proliferation and differentiation over time.

With over 45,000 procedures performed world-wide, this technology has been extensively used for soft tissue regeneration in plastic surgery, orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery.

So how does Sephyl create any face-lifting effect?  Back to the news article, as explained by a non-physician owner of a medical day spa, Kathleen Stegman of Midwest Medical Aesthetics:

The Selphyl process is done in the office. A tube, filled with the patient's blood, is put in a centrifuge machine, where platelets and fibrin are separated and the blood is prepared for application as a dermal filler.

Oh, it is used as a dermal filler, but that’s not a face lift!   What nonsense!

It is my opinion that this news article and day spa are simply “cashing” in on the current vampire craze with increase vampire novels and movies.

I searched the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, and PubMed for articles on Selphyl.  Here are the ones I found:

Platelet-rich fibrin matrix for improvement of deep nasolabial folds.; Sclafani AP; J Cosmet Dermatol. 2010 Mar;9(1):66-71.PMID: 20367676 [PubMed - in process]Related citations

Applications of platelet-rich fibrin matrix in facial plastic surgery., Sclafani AP., Facial Plast Surg. 2009 Nov;25(4):270-6. Epub 2009 Nov 18.PMID: 19924600 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citations