As featured in St Albans Times
Laura Bill literally sheds blood in her quest for the latest innovative beauty treatment…
The dark circles under my eyes have always been there, and no amount of concealer takes them away. Being told I look tired all the time, often by almost-strangers isn’t great for my self-esteem.
I recently turned up to a primary school for a day’s supply teaching declaring: “I know I look like a heroin addict but I assure you I am not.” Luckily the head just laughed. It was near the end of term which will have helped. One of the suggested non-surgical treatments for dark under eyes is a new procedure known as a ‘vampire facial’ and despite this somewhat scary name I decided to give it a go in the name of journalism and out of sheer desperation to be honest!
I went to Prestige Medical Beauty in St Albans’ Village Arcade, where my treatment was carried out by owner and aesthetician Stacey Harris. Stacey told me that the vampire facial – or platelet-rich plasma therapy, its proper name – has gained popularity with celebrities like Kim Kardashian but was originally developed to treat sports injuries. It is important for me to stress that Stacey was recommended to me by several trusted patients – I would never just walk-in off the street to get anything like this done. Nowadays, more than ever, it is crucial to know the credentials of the practitioner who is carrying out any work. The face is full of sensitive nerves and sticking any kind of pin or needle into it is obviously something only the skilled can do.
First things first was a blood extraction from my best vein in my left arm. My choice. I always like to offer up my non-writing hand for such occasions. (You know…in case a tiny blood extraction is so debilitating that it puts me out of action for a few months. I blame the women at St Albans City Hospital. They always earnestly ask which is the non-writing arm. I thought maybe they had heard about my extraordinary literary genius but it turns out they ask everybody that question.) Anyway, it is a tiny butterfly needle and she is clearly an excellent phlebotomist because I don’t feel much at all.
My face and neck are then liberally covered in lidocaine cream which is similar to the stuff they use at the dentist to numb your mouth. I start to feel very relaxed and excited about my treatment. I love trying new things and just chatting with Stacey and Melissa – her qualified colleague who is still learning certain practices – really puts me at ease.
There are two angel fish having some sort of stand-off (can you have a stand-off without legs?) and I see a huge tower of Chupa Chups lollies in the corner of the treatment room which I hope I’ll qualify for if I’m brave!
Stacey carries out about four of these treatments on average each week:“It is not uncommon for people to combine this with radiofrequency micro-needling for lifting and tightening the skin, especially when targeting the reduction of fine lines under the eye area.”
She added: “I have experienced the treatment under my eye area myself and am looking forward to having the full vampire facial one day when I can find the time.”
Stacey is a busy woman, owning three clinics – St Albans, Dundee and Aviemore. She is qualified in anti-wrinkle injections, fat dissolving products, lifting and firming treatments and a range of other procedures all aimed at improving health and/or increasing confidence.
The blood removed from my arm is spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the red blood cells. I can see it in a tube and half of it is red and the other half is yellow.
The plasma is the yellow liquid which is injected back into my skin on my face.
It contains a higher concentration of platelets, growth factors, and other proteins believed to stimulate tissue repair and healing.
The plasma is injected under my eyes – four times on each side. Stacey then adds exosomes and B12 before she applies this to the rest of my face through a process known as micro-needling. This technique involves using tiny needles on the end of a pen to create micro-injuries on the skin, allowing the plasma to penetrate deeply and stimulate collagen production.
I feel pressure across my cheeks, chin, forehead, nose and neck, but it is then massaged in and off I go. It really was that easy.
You can see from the images that my face was very red and sensitive. This stuff has to stay on for 24 hours and my eyes are nicely bruising up now, prompting some stares from members of the public in Market Place before I swiftly don my sunglasses.
My editor did say that these photos will be what makes this article. (Thanks, Matt. It’s words of encouragement like that which keep me motivated!)
I am given aftercare instructions such as to drink plenty of water and not to use any skincare with actives like retinol, AHA or salicylic acid for a few days at least. Wearing SPF is important as the skin is more vulnerable to sun exposure afterwards – but did you know we are all supposed to wear SPF all year round to give our skin the best chance of staying healthy?
Stacey first opened up her St Albans salon in 2019 and loves her job: “I am so privileged to connect with people on a daily basis and have the opportunity to make them feel truly amazing. To be honest, it doesn’t even feel like work.”
This treatment is a slow-burner in terms of witnessing results. Because of the nature of the healing process and new skin turnover, it takes a minimum of six weeks to see any difference and can take up to six months to see the full effect. For the first week, my skin was quite dry and peeling a little which is supposed to happen. I applied a non-active moisturiser regularly throughout the day.
Many beauty treatments including the vampire facial started out as a celebrity-type indulgence, yet Botox, filler, injectable fat dissolvers and facial procedures of all kinds are increasingly becoming lunch-hour activities.
Although the PRP facial is more involved than an aromatherapy back massage, for example, it really wasn’t a frightening procedure and I would happily repeat it.
I felt like my skin was fresher and clearer after two weeks though so that was a good feeling. I am looking forward to noticing the changes to my fine lines, elasticity and dark circles as time goes on.
Stacey added: “For anyone who may feel apprehensive about the treatment, I strongly encourage them to schedule a consultation and I will comprehensively explain the process and ensure you are fully informed and confident in your decision.”
Prices for a PRP facial start at £200 at the moment which is an introductory offer.
