I just got my recent June 2012 issue of Plastic Surgery News. I liked the lead article, “Bad blood: How vampires entered the realm of cosmetic medicine.”
Just as you can get confused by all the terminology and exciting changes in plastic surgery, so can we. And this article underscores for me how marketing has taken over plastic surgery.
The first paragraph of the article reads, ” Clinical researchers investigating the aesthetic properties of Selphyl- a brand of autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) that is processed with a sample of a patient’s own blood and reinjected to promote healing- unwittingly uncovered a recipe for creating a media fixation: Mix one part plastic surgery, with one part PRP, sprinkle in a dash of vampire imagery and whip into a frenzy.”
Glossary of article:
Selphyl, made by Aesthetic Factors LLC, is focused on platelet rich plasma (PRP) and platelet rich fibrin matrix (PRFM)
Vampire Filler, Vampire Facelift Technology, and Vamplift.com– associated with Selphyl
“Vampire Facelift”: Term used by Dr. Charles Runels, an internist in Alabama. He trademarked the term. Eclipse Aesthetics owns the marketing rights to “vampirefacelift.com” and any doctor who is licensed to offer the “Vampire Facelift” must pay a monthly fee to Dr. Runels or Eclipse. They can use different brands of PRP.
“off label use”: Using PRP as a facial filler is an “off label use.” When something is approved by the FDA, there are studies for an indication. Selphyl PRP was FDA approved in 2002 for orthopedic use as part of a blood collection system called “Fibrinet,” used by orthopedic surgeons to speed tissue repair. It was not approved for aesthetic use as an injectable in the face, thus it is “off label” use when used as a facial filler.
What science is there for the benefits of PRP in the face? There is little science proving what PRP does in the aesthetic arena, so the company Eclipse in the article states, “We don’t claim ‘vampire’ does anything good or bad, it’s just a marketing term.”
PRP: platelet rich plasma. Here it is used as a filler, in conjunction with a HA filler like Restylane or Juvederm. The thought is the PRP improves tone, texture, and color of the skin. Reportedly it takes 8 -10 weeks to start to see the changes.
What do I think?
Ah. I am a big believer in fat and stem cells. I love the idea of using “you” to reconstruct “you”. I think losing facial volume is a key part of aging, and I love to inject fillers like Juvederm, Restylane, and Sculptra or to do fat transfer to help volumize the face. I think most women under the age of 50 likely need volume more than they need tightening (like a facelift). As for PRP as a volumizer? I just don’t know enough yet.
I will do my research and publish in a later blog. What this article showed me though was marketing and hype are becoming too powerful. Show me the science first.