(ABC News) - There's a new kind of cosmetic procedure available, and it doesn't require injecting any acids, fat or toxins into your body. The main ingredient in this wrinkle removing procedure is a person's own blood.
It's called Selphyl, and it involves injecting a mixture of blood products into the affected areas. It's also known as the "vampire facelift," though calling it a facelift is not accurate. Selphyl is a non-invasive, non-surgical cosmetic filler, and a facelift is the surgical removal of skin that has become loose over time.
Some of the more well-known cosmetic fillers are artificial - Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane. There are also collagen fillers as well as fillers that use parts of a person's own body, such as fat fillers and Selphyl.
"What's nice about [Selphyl] is you're only using that person's blood," said Dr. Susan Stevens Tanne, a cosmetic and laser surgeon with New Jersey-based Cosmetic Laser MD.
Jen Bustamonte underwent this procedure at a spa in Kansas City, Mo.
She told ABC affiliate KMBC that she wanted to give her face a lift, but was nervous about what she would look like afterward.
After hearing about Selphyl, she decided it was the right option.
"It makes sense to me that if I could use something from my own body and put it back in my body to create the volume and kind of thing I was looking for, that I wanted to try it," she told KMBC reporter Kelly Eckerman.
Selphyl is prepared by drawing a patient's blood, separating the platelets from the red blood cells, blending the platelets with a fibrin mixture and injecting it to the area a patient wants to augment.
"You overfill the area by 20 percent so that a person sees an approximation of the final results, but it's slightly bigger than it will actually be," said Tanne.
In about a day, the excess is gone, and several weeks later, the fibrin matrix builds up, yielding the final result.
Bustamonte was pleased with her results.
"Nobody would look at me and point out the spot I had it done, which I love. It's very natural," she told KMBC.
That's another advantage of Selphyl, and doctors say there are a few others as well.
It lasts about 15 months, which is longer than other cosmetic fillers such as Juvederm.
"It causes almost no bruising because it's a thin, watery liquid and there's no allergy testing required since it's a person's own blood," said Tanne.
Selphyl isn't the solution for all wrinkles, though.
"You can't use it on a full face, because there's not enough product," Tanne said. "It's also better for volumnizing areas or for more delicate lines."
She also said it's better for people with thin, "crepey" skin. Crepey skin is a natural consequence of aging and is characterized by loose folds and wrinkles.
Selphyl is FDA-approved as a facial filler, and it can be used on other parts of the body with wrinkles or decreased volume.
Tanne says it's very safe, but other doctors are more cautious in their assessment of Selphyl.
"Like any other idea or innovation, cautious people want to wait until the pendulum swings to make sure it's actually safe and the results are worth the time and expense to go through the procedure," said Dr. Malcolm Roth, director of plastic surgery at Maimonides Medical Center.
"Many of the current synthetic fillers on the market – Restylane and Juvederm, for example – with outstanding safety and efficacy data with millions of patients treated have one-year results or more," said Dr. Julius Few, director of the Few Institute and commissioner of cosmetic medicine for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Roth also has some concerns about Selphyl's safety.
"One of the problems with your own blood is that some people pass out from having their blood taken," he said. "Also, blood tends to cause an itchy after-effect. Sometimes it causes burning or discoloration. You're injecting blood into a place where blood doesn't normally reside," he added.
The use of cosmetic fillers is on the rise, and there's a growing demand for procedures that are non-invasive and non-surgical. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons predicts that the number of cosmetic procedures performed will exceed 55 million, which is quadruple the number done in 2005. The group also predicts that 97 percent of those procedures will be non-surgical.
"Most of the products create instant gratification and can take five years off someone's appearance," said Tanne.
"Injectables have very little down time and very little risk," said Roth. "They are also less expensive than plastic surgery, and in this economy, that's had a major impact."
Selphyl costs somewhere in the range of $1,100 to $1,500 per injection, which is much cheaper than a facelift.
New fillers like Selphyl are part of another growing trend as well.
"There are more products coming to market to address very specific issues, such as fillers doing even more for longer periods of time," said Few. "This is an exciting time – novel technology and the development of new and promising ways to preserve a healthy appearance," said Few.
While he may not be completely sold on the benefits of Selphyl, Roth is at least intrigued by its nickname.
"Vampires are hot right now. That's a sexy name, so it works."
