According to Dr. Sal Nadkarni, who is known as Dr. Sal, the Vampire Facial describes an aesthetic procedure using the patient's own blood. Originally coined and trademarked by Dr. Charles Runels, a plastic surgeon from outside of Mobile, Alabama, the medical term for this procedure is a Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP facial. However, the terms are often used interchangeably.

"Platelets contain a large amount of growth factor, which can lead to tissue regeneration," said Dr. Sal. "If platelets are removed from the plasma, which is the cellular component of blood, and re-injected back into the skin, the growth factors in the platelets can cause tissue regeneration leading to increased collagen production in facial skin."

He explained the PRP procedure itself "involves drawing up a couple vials of the patient's own blood, spinning the blood in a centrifuge to separate each cellular component, removing the platelet component from the plasma, and then re-injecting the platelets back into the face."