Is a ‘Vampire Breast Lift’ Worth the Cost?

We spoke to a board-certified plastic surgeon about the procedure, also called a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) breast lift, to find out what the risks and benefits are, and whether it’s worth the hefty $1,200-$4,500 price tag .

What is a vampire breast lift?

The vampire’s nickname comes from the procedure itself, which involves taking a person’s blood, putting it in a centrifuge (a machine that spins the blood at high speed), and then reinjecting it into the lower neckline/upper chest. (So ​​I guess you become your own vampire?)

The blood is separated by the centrifuge into three parts: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelet-rich plasma, the part of the blood that is then injected into the splitting area to help increase elastin and collagen growth, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The procedure generally takes less than an hour, which means… Hollywood celebrities can fit it into their lunch break.

“It makes the skin in the décolleté area much better and gives a light, temporary plumping effect,” says Roy Kim, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in California. Results can last two to six months, “but you always go back to baseline,” he says.

Who is a good candidate for the procedure?

A patient in good health who does not want a surgical breast lift but wants to look younger in the décolleté and décolleté area might benefit from the procedure, says Dr. Kim. He notes that it can be helpful if someone has a lot of sun damage, aging, or wrinkles in that area.

However, the in-office procedure, which is not considered surgery, does not apply Actually lift the breasts. Your breasts may look fuller for a while, but most importantly it improves the tone and texture of the skin in that area because the high concentration of platelets stimulates tissue regeneration and cell reproduction.

A PRP breast lift is a low-risk procedure as long as the patient is in good health, but some swelling, bruising, or mild pain at the injection site is possible. People who are anemic, have a blood disorder, or are taking blood thinners should not undergo the procedure, says Dr. Kim.

Does a vampire breast lift hurt?

It may hurt, but probably only a little. The healthcare provider should administer numbing medication (cream or injection) prior to PRP injections and microneedling, says Dr. Kim. “Microneedling punctures small holes in the skin, and then you drive the PRP into the small holes.”

If you receive a numbing injection, this should ease the pain of the microneedling. But yes, the pain varies and for some it can feel uncomfortable. Kim Kardashian, who couldn’t use the numbing cream since she was pregnant, said her vampire facial in 2018 was therefore “rough and painful”. So keep that in mind!

Do you need to see a plastic surgeon?

You may feel more comfortable going to a plastic surgeon for this procedure, but that’s not entirely necessary because it’s not surgery, says Dr. Kim. “A good medspa can produce good results,” he says. (emphasis on Good here.) “You just want an experienced provider who takes it seriously.”

Make sure the medspa has certified and licensed practitioners, a good consultation process, and solid online reviews. According to the CDC, there are very rare cases of patients who develop hepatitis or HIV after a PRP injection. “Those cases occur in medical spa plants where the centrifuge is not carefully controlled and is not in the patient’s room, but in a back room where they put in the blood of multiple patients and then everything gets mixed up and they inject the wrong blood from patients,” says Dr. Kim, and reiterates that this scenario is highly unlikely.

Because the procedure (when done correctly) uses only your own blood, the risk of complications is minimal, says Dr. Kim.

With no downtime and minimal risk and pain, the vampire breast lift may interest you if you are looking to improve sun damage, fine lines, and uneven tone in the décolleté area. It can also provide fast results compared to a cheaper but slower option, such as retinol. However, if you want a real breast lift, the “vampire” version won’t cut it. As you’ve probably guessed, lifting the breasts requires surgery – and the costs and risks that come with it.