‘Cartoonish’ Caricature of Trusted Treatment is Batty
I have no problem with thinking outside the box to promote medical aesthetics services. But referring to PRP Treatments as ‘Vampire Facials’? Oh, that does make my blood boil. Pun intended!
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments are increasingly popular with patients seeking a regenerative procedure to enhance skin texture and tone. But with that rising public demand so grows the use of the name Vampire Facial (or Vampire Facelift).
Especially in late October as a Halloween promotion. It’s a gimmick to draw attention to a treatment. But in my opinion, the silly sobriquet is a stake in the heart of professionalism in medical aesthetics.
A lot of us have worked hard to establish medical aesthetics as a respected medical field. The more the industry is lifted from the back alleys and basements of the past the better for everyone on both ends of the needle.
Patients certainly should know we are serious about our work and as a result they can feel safe and comfortable about our services. I’m not sure that the cartoonish term ‘Vampire Facial’ helps reach that objective.
I am certainly not telling people what they should or shouldn’t do in terms of their own businesses and promotions. Creative marketing to separate yourself from the competition is admirable and advisable.
But is there a need to refer to trusted PRP treatments in a gimmicky way instead of making patients comfortable with a professional procedure that is safe and effective?
Drawing blood from a vein is a Controlled Act, which is a medical procedure requiring a medical directive and done by a medical professional. Like all medical procedures, there are risks.
News stories surface about PRP Treatments gone wrong, usually because of unqualified injectors or slipshod practices. Without good training on how to safely draw blood and use aseptic techniques to minimize infections, adverse events can happen.
Headlines like this can set back our professional gains:
Two People Test Positive for HIV After Receiving ‘Vampire Facials’
Fortunately, those horror stories are very rare. Most practitioners are well trained. We adhere to regulations and put a premium on patient safety.
The real horror is the common use of that bloody awful name that, in my opinion again, denigrates the procedure and our medical field.
It does drive me batty. And, yes, the pun is intended!