Vampire Facials: The cosmetic treatment that promises to improve skin

Botox injections, plastic surgery and laser treatments have all been done in the name of beauty.

Some prefer getting facials, and there’s one, with a creepy name, that’s growing in popularity.

It’s called the vampire facial.

Kristianne Higdon, a 47-year-old mother of three, says she has wrinkles, crows feet and skin she'd like to tighten up.

Higdon works for Dr. Lewis Obi, a Jacksonville plastic surgeon, and volunteered to have a platelet-rich plasma treatment, also known as a vampire facial.

For this kind of facial, blood is drawn and then mixed in a centrifuge. Plasma is extracted and infused into your face with thousands of needle pricks

The platelet-rich plasma is supposed to help stimulate new collagen formation, even skin tone and leave your skin glowing.

Vampire facials exploded when Kim Kardashian posted an Instagram photo of her getting one done. But recently she admitted regretting having what she called a painful procedure.

Dr. Jonathan Kantor, a St. Augustine dermatologist, said while vampire facials are safe, there haven't been enough scientific studies one way or another to prove they works

"If my sister said, 'I want to find something that is effective,' I don't know that this would be No. 1 on my list if she is spending a significant amount of money," Kantor said.

Vampire facials cost $1,500 a pop, and it's recommended you have at least three.

Compare that with micro-needling, which is virtually the same thing without the blood, it costs only  a few hundred dollars per session.

As for Higdon, it will take two more treatments to see if there's any measurable difference.

Cox Media Group