We are a society obsessed. Everywhere you turn it’s been Twilight-this, True Blood-that.
Vampirism is a hallmark trend of the new millennium, permeating literature, film, fashion and music. For us mere mortals, vampires embody the key to immortality, a romantic idyll of eternal youth.
They play perfectly to our other obsession: staving off old age. And now skincare has brought the two obsessions together through Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRPT), a.k.a. Vampire Treatment.
The premise is simple: rather than injecting yourself with a bacteria like Botox, PRPT uses your body’s own building blocks: the plasma in your blood.
‘Historically human beings in medicine have used bones to graft and build and repair bones that have been broken and skin to do skin grafts. Basically, this fits in that same premise,’ explained Marian Rubock from Marian Rubock Clinic, the only place in Perth offering this exciting new skincare technique.
‘We’re using the plasma as a positive to actually rejuvenate the skin and to soften and rebuild areas where there’s been stress, where there’s been tension.
‘Your lines tend to be micro spasms, and this technique builds up and repairs those. It repairs deficits and acts like a bio-stimulant, stimulating your dermis.’
Our skin is comprised of an epidermis, the top layer, and a dermis or bottom layer. The two undulate against each other, fitting together almost in the same way that egg cartons do.
‘This basement part is called the basal layer and this is where your stem cells sit and this is where your circulation sits,’ Rubock explained.
‘Plasma goes between those two layers and stimulates the basal layer at the bottom and supports circulation at the top and you get this relaxation, stimulation and rebuilding effect of the tissue.
‘And in some instances with those undulations you’ll have deficits in them and have little spots where it might be sun damage or acne or scarring. The plasma will sit there and rebuild that area.’
Fortunately you are not left with skin that sparkles like diamonds in the sun. Although it will apparently shimmer with a healthy allure.
‘You get relaxation, rejuvenation and a nice colour plus good skin texture,’ Rubock added.
So what does Rubock think of PRPT’s rather ominous nickname?
‘It is a valid term if you take it in a literal sense because it’s blood product being used to feed another part of your body. Everything we have to heal ourselves is right (inside us) essentially.’
As such a patient’s blood is first extracted and then spun at 2,000 RPMs. Red blood cells are heavier, so at this speed they sink to the bottom, leaving a top layer of plasma which is then injected back into the patient.
Unlike Botox or fillers, PRPT is not instantaneous. It does take approximately two to three months to start seeing the benefits. However, unlike Botox and fillers, PRPT lasts far longer, the results working best if layered on each other.
‘It’s like rebuilding the person. You’ll see them continually change as they go through the process,’ Rubock said of her decision to stop using fillers and using something she sees as being fundamentally healthier for the patient, both physically and psychologically.
It can cause a little swelling and bruising, but Rubock has developed a post-procedural mask that she applies after PRPT and which has proven to increase vitality and lifting by 500 per cent. It also reduces bruising to next to nothing.
‘I find it matches client’s expectations, because so often we want that instant result. With this, you wouldn’t need to not go to work the next day.’
A small compromise, really.
Marian Rubock Clinic is located at U1/92 Forrest Street, Cottesloe. Arrange for an initial face assessment on 08 9383 4225. PPRT costs between $490 – $700, depending on the prodcedure. www.marianrubock.com.au.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
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