“Vampire” or “Dracula” lifting is the name of the autohemotherapy that is supposed to make the skin young and radiant – and for which the daughter of the Russian President, according to a media report, is said to have come to Germany several times. We explain what the treatment should bring and what doctors say about it.
Red bloodstains all over his face. Again and again the syringe stings, on the cheekbones, on the chin and on the forehead. The so-called “vampire” or “Dracula lift” looks scary – but is supposed to work wonders. Beauty Docs promise patients a skin renewal.
The method is also used in Germany. For example, Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova, the daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is said to have traveled several times to a Munich beauty doctor to undergo a “vampire lift”, according to a report by “Bild”. But what does the method really do? And What side effects are there? FOCUS Online has taken a closer look at the lifting.
The “vampire lifting” is one of several possible methods of autohemotherapy. On the one hand, it is possible to inject the blood back directly after taking it. On the other hand, the blood taken can be processed before reinjection, as in a “vampire lift”.
For therapy with platelet-rich plasma, called PRP, the red and white blood cells are removed using a machine. As a result, the yellowish blood plasma and platelets remain. The patient’s own blood plasma, often with skin-building active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, is then injected under the skin with the finest injection needles or a kind of needle roller. The microscopically small skin injuries are supposed to stimulate collagen formation, proteins in the blood plasma are supposed to provide a growth spurt for young skin cells.
The formation of collagen and the growth spurt of the young skin cells should visibly rejuvenate the face. “The result of the PRP therapy is an improved, smooth complexion with a renewal of the skin and connective tissue from the inside,” writes a Berlin dermatologist’s practice online, which offers the method, like many other practices. In addition to the face, the neck, cleavage, pregnancy and stretch marks or other scars can also be treated.
The hoped-for youthful freshness in the face should only show up after several treatments and a few months. The Berlin practice recommends about three treatments spaced four weeks apart. Annual refreshments were then sufficient to obtain the result.
In addition to the beauty industry, autohemotherapy has other fields of application. For example, it is used for allergies and skin diseases such as acne or neurodermatitis. The therapy is also said to help against pain, such as osteoarthritis in the knee. So far, however, there are no larger studies that prove the effectiveness of the therapy. Researchers are currently investigating the effectiveness of PRP treatments against wrinkles.
The method is therefore not entirely undisputed. “A deep frown cannot be made to disappear with this,” said Munich dermatologist Timm Golüke “Stylebook”. However, good results could actually be achieved with smaller wrinkles.
Since PRP is an endogenous product, according to experts, allergic reactions rarely occur. However, there can be side effects as a result of the injection: inflammation or slight reddening can occur at the injection site, and hypersensitivity reactions are also possible. “But that’s usually only temporary,” says general practitioner Renate Schleker from Lübeck.
In addition to Putin’s daughter, numerous celebrities have already undergone therapy. The method is particularly popular in Hollywood. The best-known example is probably Kim Kardashian, who completed her bloody treatment right in front of the camera on reality TV. However, the method is not only reserved for celebrities. With costs between 400 and 800 euros per session in some practices, it is not cheap, but it is still one of the more affordable beauty procedures.
Most people can – if they want to – undergo a “vampire lift”. However, exceptions apply to the following groups of people, as the Berlin dermatology practice explains. people with
should not undergo such treatment. The vampire lift is also not suitable for
