My Experience getting the Vampire Facial
This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions regarding the Vampire Facial are my own.
Last week, I posted an Instagram and video story sharing about the amazing new skincare treatment I elected to have done. Looking back, I wish I took better care of my skin in my twenties. Since I didn’t have the wrinkles or the sun spots at 25, I was naïve to think that not protecting my skin in the sun or using any creams as preventative measures was important. Now in my thirties, I so wish I could turn back the hands of time to make more of an effort to take care of my skin. You just don’t think about that until it’s staring back at you in the mirror, right?! Luckily, there are new inventive procedures and facials out there that are meant to take away some of this sun damage and possibly make you look a bit younger in the process. Today on CCG, I am talking all about the experience I had getting my very first Vampire Facial at the Art of Beauty MediSpa in Danville, Ca.
What is a Vampire Facial?
Don’t let the name fool you! This won’t turn into a scene from Twilight. This non-surgical facial consists of a microdermabrasion treatment followed by the application of PRP. PRP, or platelet rich plasma, is derived from the serum portion of the blood which contains platelets. These platelets contain growth factors which will help stimulate new cell turnover creating glowing skin and smoothing out fine lines, etc. The best part…. the PRP for your facial comes from your very own blood!
My Experience
I woke up super anxious for my appointment. Scouts honor, I have never done anything to my skin before, although I had thought about it many times in the past. When I realized this treatment was non-invasive and uses your own blood for the facial, I was totally on board with trying it out. Besides over the counter face creams and tools, this was my first experience and I am so excited to share with you how it went down!
After doing my research on the best place in the area to have this type of treatment done, I made an appointment at the Art of Beauty in Danville, Ca. (linked above) Not only are they a renown plastic surgery practice located in one of my favorite upscale shopping areas, they also offer a full service medispa which includes a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments. The staff were extremely warm and inviting and I felt completely at home and comfortable.
Once I was brought back into the procedure room, I met with Sia, who applied a numbing cream to my face and drew my blood for the facial. Excuse the silly head band that made me look somewhat like Rambo. It took me a few minutes to realize how funny I looked and fix it properly. Sia then left the room with my blood to run it through their centrifuge to isolate the platelets. This process takes approximately ten minutes while you wait for your face to become numb. I want to also make note that contrary to those magazines and pictures online of Kim Kardasian with blood all over her face, here at the Art of Beauty, they have an orthopedic grade centrifuge that spins down you blood to what they call the “liquid gold” which looks more like a slight orange color. So, no, you won’t go home looking like a character from the Walking Dead if you come here, ya feel me?
After Sia came back with my PRP, Naomi, wiped the numbing cream off and asked if there were any areas in particular that I wanted her to focus on during the facial and then the fun began!
First, she applied some of the PRP on the right side of my face and then used the micro needling tool over every inch of my face except eyelids and lips. After a once over, Naomi went back over some of those areas we had talked about like my sun spots and forehead with the micro needle and then reapplied more PRP. In all honesty, it didn’t hurt me in the least. It literally felt like someone was massaging my face. There were some areas, like my nose and jawline that did sting a bit. They use the term spicy which I thought was very cute. On the second round, she did go deeper which was a tad uncomfortable but nothing horribly painful. If you are not as tolerant of pain like I am and are worried about it hurting, ask to have the numbing cream left on longer prior to the procedure. The facial part lasted approximately 10 minutes. Once she completed the micro needling, Naomi applied the rest of my PRP to coat my face which would need to be left on for 24 hours. It was interesting picking up my son from TK that afternoon!
Immediately following the facial, I left looking slightly red similar to a sunburn. The redness subsided within 24 hours and I washed my face with a mild face cleanser and warm water. I also put on a simple face lotion to help moisturize my skin since I was told my face could become dry. It was dry for about a week. However, I made sure to moisturize twice a day until the dryness disappeared.
My Thoughts
In conclusion, I really enjoyed my experience at the Art of Beauty and love their wonderful staff. It has been exactly two weeks since my vampire facial and I can honestly say that I see some fading of my sun spots and overall my skin has a really nice glow. I am excited to see even more improvements over the next few weeks! If you are on the fence about this, I say go for it!
I also love that Dr. Stompro and Dr. Cheng’s office is not only for plastic surgery but also has a plethora of amazing non-invasive procedures. It’s basically the perfect one stop shop for all your beauty and skincare needs! If you live in the area, I recommend you check them out. I know I will return for more fabulous skincare in the future!
Vampire Facial
About The Author
April
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•Preheat oven 400 (this bakes approximately 15 min)
•2 sheets Puff Pastry
•1 egg yolk and 1 egg (for egg wash)
•1 8oz package cream cheese
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•10-12 strawberries
Preheat oven to 400 (this will bake for approx. 15 min) Use a heart cookie cutter to cut out your puff pastry hearts and then use a knife to trace a heart into them. Brush on egg wash and set aside. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, vanilla, egg yolk and sugar. Add the cheese mixture to your little hearts (only spreading it up to the line you scored). Add fresh sliced strawberries and bake for 15-20 min! This is SO EASY AND SOOOOO GOOD! #recipeoftheday #danish #dessertrecipe #brunchrecipe #recipereel
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•store bought puff pastry
•raspberries or raspberry jam (I like fresh fruit better)
•6-8 oz of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•1 egg YOLK only
•powdered sugar
•sliced almonds
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out your puff pastry and cut slices down each side (approximately 1 inch) leaving the center intact and set aside. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Place the cheese mixture in the center of your puff pastry ( you may have extra leftover). Sprinkle fresh raspberries on top of the cheese. Fold each side of puff pastry one at a time in a lattice pattern. Brush some egg wash on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar and fresh almonds on top for the finishing touch.
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•4 large croissants
12-16 oz of cubed ham
•6 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
•6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup chopped chives
•6 eggs
•1 cup half and half
•1 tsp. honey
•1 tsp. Dijon mustard
•salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 375. In a baking dish (spray with non stick spray) add in croissants, ham, cheese and chives. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, honey, mustard and salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture over the bake and press down with a fork. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 50 min. This is such a great family recipe and feeds a good amount of people. So before ya come for me with how much cheese is used ( remember that!
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SAVE AND SHARE THIS RECIPE! These ham and cheese hand pies are the perfect #stpatricksday snack! Super easy and so so good! You only need a few ingredients and a cookie cutter!
•clover cookie cutter
•puff pastry sheet
•Dijon mustard
•Swiss cheese
•corned beef (pastrami also tastes great)
•egg for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use your cookie cutter on the puff pastry. Smear a good amount of Dijon mustard on half of them. Add the corned beef and cheese. Place the puff pastry on top like a sandwich. Using a fork, press down around each clover. Brush egg wash over and poke 4 little holes in the top. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. These are SOOOO YUMMY and quite a hit in our home! The kids love them! #puffpastry #cornedbeef #easyrecipe
I just binge watched Renovation Aloha and now I NEED another trip to Hawaii. It doesn’t look like it’s in the cards for us this year with Emma going to Boston for singing (we are tagging along for the last week). Buuuutttt, if we were to go……Which is your favorite and why? Big Island or Kauai? We’ve already been to Oahu and Maui and I love each of them for different reasons. PS, I painted all my doors in the house blue on a whim and I think I love them 💙
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SAVE AND SHARE MY MOST VIEWED RECIPE! This is one of my favorite and most watched recipes and for good reason! My Ham and Cheese Croissant Bake is SOOOO easy to make and perfect for brunch! This can also be frozen and eaten later!
Don’t take my word for it...make it and let me know how fast it was devoured.
•4 large croissants
12-16 oz of cubed ham
•6 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
•6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
•1/2 cup chopped chives
•6 eggs
•1 cup half and half
•1 tsp. honey
•1 tsp. Dijon mustard
•salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 375. In a baking dish (spray with non stick spray) add in croissants, ham, cheese and chives. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, honey, mustard and salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture over the bake and press down with a fork. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 50 min. This is such a great family recipe and feeds a good amount of people. So before ya come for me with how much cheese is used ( remember that!
#easyrecipe #breakfastfordinner #recipereels
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SAVE AND SHARE THIS POST! Check out my Strawberry Cheese Heary Pastries! Perfect for that #galentinesday brunch or for dessert with your loved ones. So yummy and the perfect serving size!
•Preheat oven 400 (this bakes approximately 15 min)
•2 sheets Puff Pastry
•1 egg yolk and 1 egg (for egg wash)
•1 8oz package cream cheese
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 tsp vanilla extract
•10-12 strawberries
Preheat oven to 400 (this will bake for approx. 15 min) Use a heart cookie cutter to cut out your puff pastry hearts and then use a knife to trace a heart into them. Brush on egg wash and set aside. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, vanilla, egg yolk and sugar. Add the cheese mixture to your little hearts (only spreading it up to the line you scored). Add fresh sliced strawberries and bake for 15-20 min! This is SO EASY AND SOOOOO GOOD! #recipeshare #recipereel #valentinesday
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Elena| 29th Mar 18
Love how informative this was!!! I’m 23 and I am a psycho about preventive measures for my skin and the sun. #sunscreenalways
Nicole Depreta| 30th Mar 18
I have heard so many things about this! I def should give it a try!!
fashNcurious| 30th Mar 18
Wow April! Loved reading your review. You’re so very brave. Glad you had a good experience. I’m not sure I could do one as I’d be thinking that it’s blood the entire time! Ha!! Does your skin look/feel better now? How often can you do this procedure???
Shruthi| 30th Mar 18
Wow so cool! I never understood the science behind this facial so thank you for explaining it!
Tinseldot| 30th Mar 18
I love how well you explained the entire process! It gave us more of a clear picture of the procedure. We need to try it soon!!!
Cat & Jules
Alina| 30th Mar 18
So cool, I was actually expecting more gore because of the “vampire” name, but it looks doable. Thanks for sharing! Not as scary as it sounds, huh?!
Neha| 30th Mar 18
So cool to see you share your experience with us. Definitely worth trying after your description.
Nidhi Thawal| 30th Mar 18
Well, that does seem very effective but the injecting part scared the hell out of me! :/
Cristina| 31st Mar 18
I’ve always been interested to try this facial! I’ve heard it has great results and as a skincare junkie, I always love to try new things. I’m just a bit terrified since I am not a fan of needles, but your images were beautiful and made the experience look less scary.
Reginald Page| 31st Mar 18
Wow….your experience are great and it is nice going through this great writeup. Thanks for sharing
Jean| 31st Mar 18
Hi April!
I totally get where you’re come from about wanting to redo my 20’s, when it comes to skin care. I guess this is just another way in which “youth is wasted on the young.” (Something my grandmother would always say.) Thanks for sharing your awesome experience.
Sihlesenkosi Ncube| 31st Mar 18
vampire look loading over here…Thanks April for the insight.
Jackie| 31st Mar 18
This is the first I’ve heard of this. I am interested for sure!
Jamie Rockers| 1st Apr 18
Omg you are so brave! I’ve been wanting to try this:)
Thenia| 2nd Apr 18
I haven’t heard about this before but sounds really interesting! I would love to try it!!
Monika| 2nd Apr 18
Great read April! Glad you were enjoying it!
Michelle| 3rd Apr 18
Great post! I’ve heard a lot about the vampire facial, but am very wary about getting it because they have to draw blood. It honestly looks like a great facial!
Nikki Arnold| 3rd Apr 18
This process doesn’t look scary at all and if it helps with collagen growth then I am all for it!!!
Alicia Hewitt | 26th Jul 18
I’ve never heard of a vampire facial. It sounds interesting. I would definitely try this out! Thank you for such a wonderful review!
Jessica Davis | 22nd Sep 18
Such a neat technique!! The name makes you want to second guess it especially after finding out the top “ingredient “ they use during the procedure! After reading your review it sounds amazing & super beneficial!!!
Best Surgeon in London| 8th Jul 19
Thank you for sharing this information