The Selphyl system, quickly dubbed "Vampire Filler", is a new facial filler technique performed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. A tablespoon of venous blood is drawn from the patient (usually arm), then a centrifuge is used to isolate platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and fibrin from the blood sample. Next, a fibrin-forming catalyst is added to activate the formation of a platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) from the PRP & fibrin in the sample. This concentrated material is then injected by the physician in the patient's dermis to fill skin depressions, acne scars, wrinkles, and folds. This tiny cocktail of growth factors stimulates cell proliferation of connective tissue, such as collagen.
The procedure is FDA-approved and takes around 20 minutes. There is no down time and results appear within about a week. It will set you back $900, but research indicates that the effects can last around twenty months. In that case, it would be more affordable than traditional hyaluronic acid fillers. While new to the cosmetic world, platelet-rich plasma technology like this has a history of use in medicine, particularly in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. It is used to rebuild connective tissue after injuries like rotator cuff, meniscus, and achilles tendon tears.
The cosmetic system is manufactured by Cascade Medical Enterprises, LLC, who also hold the patent for Fibrinet - the PRFM system used by the aforementioned branches of medicine for close to a decade. Stock tip? I'll just say with a product nicknamed like this one, finding press hasn't been difficult.
