HEALTH & WELLNESS
Vampire Face Lift? – It’s not what you might think
Words by Story Sheidow
I ’m sure many of you have to bloodletting — it’s actually quite remarkable, completely natural, and can fill deep lines and wrinkles using only your own blood. Also known as Selphyl or PRP, it’s become quite popular, and, in researching it, I can totally see why. The concept is quite interesting: blood is drawn from the patient, spun and separated, and the platelet rich plasma is removed. These platelets contain heard the term “vampire face lift” at some point or another. But what is it exactly? While many people fear the worst — picturing anything from leaches something integral to cell regeneration, and can stimulate the growth of new collagen in the skin. Collagen is the element in your skin that keeps it looking plump and youthful. It’s an important fibrous protein found in your connective tissue, and is essentially the substance that holds your body together. And while it’s essential for maintaining skin’s strength and elasticity, it degrades as we age, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles. So while many have jumped on the bandwagon of taking oral collagen supplements (collagen in it’s hydrolyzed
form, which contains peptides that act as building blocks for cells, hopefully stimulating cell growth), this method is relatively new, and takes things one-step further. Platelet rich plasma differs from the various other injectable options that involves materials that come from your own body. Though fillers are based on naturally occurring substances like hyaluronic acid, they do not promote ongoing repair. Platelet rich plasma is said to gradually improve the tone and tightness of skin through a natural method. Your skin should look younger; assisting new collagen growth by using your own cells to replace lost collagen — something we once thought could not be done. The results of this type of injection are long lasting, and Selphyl is a more natural alternative to most other types of injections offered in the cosmetic industry. And this treatment is not just limited to cosmetic applications — Selphyl is also used by healthcare professionals to treat injuries under the skin, and speed healing. With so many advances in medicine, it’s incredible to think what may be possible next.
Selphyl is available at Laser Esthetics on Riverside Dr. in Charlottetown.
58 58 www.pei-living.ca SPRING 2018 www.pei-living.ca SPRING 2018
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