blood dripping from needle

With everyone ultra obsessive over all things vampires, even drinking blood, it makes sense that one of the hottest new plastic surgery procedures going is something called the Vampire Facelift, using a cosmetic filler called Selphyl.

Not it's not really a facelift, because there is no cutting of skin involved. Yes, it involves blood -- your own. But you don't drink it, a doctor injects it into you. You won't come out looking like Kristen Stewart or one of the sexy vamps on True Blood (sorry), but as a slightly fresher, younger looking version of yourself, as is the goal of any filler.

Selphyl is prepared by drawing a patient's blood, separating the platelets from the red blood cells, blending the platelets with a fibrin mixture and injecting it to the area a patient wants to augment, like their lips or area under their eyes. Experts say it has several benefits over the most commonly used fillers, like Restylane and Juvederm, different brands of hyaluronic acid, which are thick and often lead to bruising when injected.

Selphyl is thinner, so it causes little bruising. It supposedly lasts longer too -- up to 15 months compared to a year for the other fillers. It's also said to have a bigger collagen building benefit: When injected just under the skin, it activates new skin cell growth and, over time, leads to a stronger collagen support structure. Selphyl discharges a protein which prompts new cells to grow and spread throughout the treatment area. Because it is thinner, doctors have to over-inject it, so the face initially looks puffier than after the face settles down.

Since it's new, some dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons are reserving judgment till it stands the test of time, and plus, the current popular fillers are safe and work extremely well. But they all agree that in terms of marketing, it's a great name.

Will you consider cosmetic fillers when the time comes?

 

Image via Amagill/Flickr