I (over) shared my experience having a vampire facial on my Instagram stories 2 weeks ago.   I had gone to FaceIt that day for laser hair removal and the nurse practitioner suggested I try the vampire facial.  She warned me there would be some down time – but with my aging skin it was longer than anticipated.   Almost 2 weeks out from the treatment I wanted to share my vampire facial review.

Vampire Facial Review

I went to Face It med spa in West Hartford, Connecticut anticipating a treatment of laser hair removal on my pesky chin hairs.   The nurse practitioner mentioned they were running a special on vampire facials and said it would be a great option for my particular skin concerns.

My skin concerns include (but aren’t limited to):

• fine lines
• deepening nasolabial folds
• enlarging pores
• hollowness under my eyes

I also get occasional breakouts – mostly on my chin/jawline.

What Is a Vampire Facial?

The first thing that happens (and why it’s termed a vampire facial) is that they draw your blood.  The tube of blood is then centrifuged to get the platelet rich plasma separated from the rest of the fluid.  Then the practitioner will do some INTENSE micro needling on your face.  I would imagine most facilities use a topical numbing cream because this can be quite uncomfortable.  No pain, no gain, right??

The micro needling creates tiny punctures all over the skin.   Once each area is micro needled, the practitioner smears your own platelet rich plasma over the skin to help with rejuvenation.

Does it Hurt?

I did not have time to let the numbing cream kick in since I was not expecting this appointment.   It was definitely uncomfortable – not comparable to child birth – more like a bikini wax if you don’t numb up first.

What’s the Down Time?

My face was red and looked almost like a rug burn for the first two days.    I would recommend laying low those first two days.   Your provider will give you specific calming and recovery creams to use frequently in the first few days after the vampire facial.

I did not know much about vampire facials so I was not prepared for the peeling effect.   My skin was peeling like I had applied a thick coat of Retin-A.   Have you used Retin-A?  I never survive the peeling stage to stick it out.    It took a week for my skin to stop peeling and in the meantime I used these dermaplaning razors to slough off the flaking skin.  There was a LOT!!!!

Was It Worth It?

My skin is DEFINITELY smoother and some lines – like those around my mouth – are slightly diminished. It has motivated me to do better with my skincare to keep my skin brighter and smoother.   So many of you reached out to me on Instagram when I mentioned I did this and said you loved these facials.  Vampire facials generally cost around $700-$1000 per treatment and ideally you’d do them every few months, so it’s certainly not the cheapest option, but some look at it as a good alternative to Botox or fillers.

Other Options…

Of course this type of facial is not in everyone’s budget.   There are other options!   Botox and fillers (also $$)  have become sort of a mainstay at medspas but they also offer services like dermaplaning (which I LOVE) and laser treatments that stimulate collagen and skin rejuvenation.

If you’re in Connecticut I LOVE the ladies at FaceIt and always use them.    If you’ve tried any other products or treatments that you did OR DID NOT love I’d love to hear from you!   Drop a comment below and let’s help each other!!