By Gabrielle D’Addario
Gabrielle D’Addario shares a series of photos as she recovers from her “vampire facial,” saying she would do it again
If it hadn’t been performed by my longtime dermatologist (Dr. Jack Silvers of Brentwood Dermatology), I might have lost my cool when I sat up and looked in the mirror after my recent PRP (platelet-rich plasma) with Microneedling treatment, dubbed the “vampire facial.”
Growing in popularity and made famous by Kim Kardashian, this procedure begins with the drawing of your own blood that is then run through a centrifuge to isolate the platelets. The platelets are reinjected into targeted areas for cosmetic improvement alongside Microneedling. The results are said to be phenomenal, so after having a rough go with post-pregnancy / mom skin, like brown spots, fine lines and wrinkles, I decided to give it a try.
I was super numb when they actually did the procedure (which lasted roughly 45 minutes), so I barely felt anything while it was taking place. My doctor had warned me that I would be leaving the office with a bright red “crusty” face, but I just figured it would be similar to the basic chemical peels I’ve done in the past.
Boy was I wrong! My jaw dropped and I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness I was staring at! I literally looked like I painted my face with red paint. All I had to do to convince my poor husband I needed a hotel room by myself was send him an after photo. I figured once I could wash my face I’d look pretty close to “normal,” but my face had swollen overnight and the discoloration of the bruising mixed with Microneedling left me looking like a pluot.
There was no way I could go home to my three- and five-year-olds like this. So I decided to just take advantage of the opportunity to relax and I stayed in this very peaceful, kid-free hotel room in the marina for three nights. Lying in bed I enjoyed the rain and slowed down my mind; I literally just hid from everything. I took advantage of living in the age of technology that makes life easier and used Yummy.com and Postmates to deliver everything from wine to coconut oil to my hotel room. Feeling the need to really pamper myself, I used the massage-on-demand apps Zeel and Glamsquad for in-room services that I was able to seamlessly book for same day appointments.
The biggest question I’ve gotten is “Would you do it again?” To which my answer is YES!
But next time, I’ll plan it with my friends and we can enjoy a stay-cation together.
My advice for anyone who is interested in trying this procedure is to visit a reputable doctor and also to pad your budget, because with the weekend getaway it was close to $2,000 in expenses. I paid around $1,000 for this procedure, which is pretty average for this type of work, and the still evolving results have me feeling like it was money well spent.
Gabrielle D’Addario is founder of the Silicon Beach Parents Group.
How long did your swelling last?
Oh. My. Gosh. That looks SOOO uncomfortable!! Three days alone sounds like bliss but I must say I would like to be lounging poolside if I were kid free, along with ordering in food and massages! And that facial looks like it means you’re a vampire/recluse hybrid! You are brave girl.