Liz Oakes from Ladybridge in Bolton volunteered to be a model at an open evening at Laserase Bolton and allowed members of the public watch her try out a revolutionary facial rejuvenation treatment – the ‘Vampire Treatment’. She is delighted with how it went.

63 year old Liz, who is Regional Fundraising Manager for Children Today, a national charity which helps local families by buying children with disabilities individual pieces of equipment to make their life easier, decided to have the treatment to improve the overall health, tone and elasticity of her skin.

Liz said: “I want to remain youthful looking in a natural way, without looking like I have had a makeover, and when I heard about the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment, nicknamed the Vampire Treatment, it sounded really exciting, so I thought I would give it a try.”

The Platelet Rich Plasma treatment is a non-surgical procedure which involves taking platelet rich plasma from a person’s own blood and re-injecting it into areas of the face and neck to smooth out fine lines and rejuvenate the skin.

Liz has had the first of three treatments so far and is aware that the full benefits will only be seen after the third treatment; nevertheless she says her skin is already feeling softer and smoother.

The treatment took place at Laserase Bolton, on the site of the Royal Bolton Hospital, and was carried out by a trained and qualified nurse, following a free consultation.

PRP treatment was originally used in the treatment of various injuries to help with healing, but more recently has also become popular as an anti-ageing treatment, thanks to its high profile use by the likes of Kim Kardashian and other Hollywood celebrities.

Although the ‘Vampire Treatment’ can sound a bit scary, Liz reassures anyone considering going ahead with it. “After treatment everything was absolutely fine – no swelling, bruising or side effects.”

Clinic Manager Julie Kershaw explains how PRP treatment works. “The procedure involves taking a small amount of blood from a person’s arm and spinning it in a centrifuge machine at high speed until the red and white blood cells have separated. This produces a plasma rich with platelets which is then re-injected into the patient’s face and neck.

“The platelets release growth factors, triggering surrounding cells to proliferate which in turn stimulates the repair of cells and increases the volume and rejuvenation of the skin.”

One of the main benefits over other skin rejuvenation treatments is that PRP is non-invasive and involves no foreign bodies. Because the material injected back into the patient is part of their own blood, there is very little chance of rejection.

Liz adds: “The treatment at Laserase Bolton was carried out with complete professionalism and I had total confidence in the nurse treating me and at no time felt vulnerable or uncomfortable. All my questions were answered before the treatment started and having members of the public watch and participate in the session was quite good fun.”