Women are always trying new ways to look and feel youthful, such as beauty treatments, plastic surgery, and Botox, but this year, some Hollywood actresses are going to extremes for the sake of their beauty by getting Vampire or Blood Facials. Last Sunday, on her reality show “Kourtney and Kim Take Miami,” celebrity Kim Kardashian took a trip to the Miami Institute for Age Management with her best friend, TV Personality Jonathan Cheban, to receive this special facial. 

The Vampire Facial (otherwise knows as the blood facial), trademarked by Alabama Doctor Charles Runels, involves medics taking blood from the arm with a needle, and then spinning it in centrifuge to separate the platelets (cell fragments which form clots to stop bleeding) into platelet-rich plasma. The platelet-rich plasma is then combined with Restylane or Juvederm (two injectable facial fillers used  to reduce wrinkles) to form a gelatinous material that can be injected into the face.  The medic rubs numbing cream onto the patient’s face, then injects the plasma mixture to stimulate collagen production, which is “Oh my god! I will never get a facelift if it feels like that!” Kardashian said during the procedure.

Plenty of celebrities are willing to face the pain for a chance to look younger. The 45-minute facial is expected to be such a hit in Hollywood that a gift certificate for the procedure was included in this year’s Academy Awards swag bag, which are given to each Oscars attendee. But does this blood facial really work?

Dr. Jeffery Spiegel, a Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon in Boston, MA, explained to the website Hollywood Life that the facial fine reduces lines and wrinkles, and some results are visible right after the procedure, but mostly you see results over time.