Comparison

Vampire Facial vs Microneedling

A vampire facial is microneedling with platelet-rich plasma added, so the real question is whether the PRP is worth it. PRP has no FDA authorisation for aesthetic use and the evidence for the extra benefit is thin.
Written & medically reviewed by the Dermapedia team
At a Glance

A vampire facial is microneedling. The PRP is an extra step on top of it. Blood is drawn, spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and that platelet-rich plasma is applied to skin that has just been microneedled, so the open channels carry it in. It may also be injected.

So this is not a choice between two treatments. It is a choice about whether to add PRP to a treatment you are already having. The honest framing is "microneedling, with or without PRP".

The evidence for the added benefit is thin and mixed. In a meta-analysis of scar treatments, PRP on its own gave a 23% overall response, about the same as laser (22%) or microneedling (23%); added to microneedling, 43% had a marked and 23% an excellent response. But a network meta-analysis of 24 randomised trials and 1,546 people ranked microneedling with a chemical peel above microneedling with PRP on improvement, satisfaction and efficacy.

And PRP has no FDA authorisation for any aesthetic use. The kits that prepare it are cleared, but for preparing PRP to mix with bone graft in orthopaedic surgery. Aesthetic PRP is off-label practice of medicine — which is legal, but it is not what "FDA approved" means.

Vampire facial
microneedling plus PRP
Microneedling
needles alone

What it is

Microneedling, then your own platelet-rich plasma applied to the treated skin

Blood is drawn, spun in a centrifuge, and the platelet-rich fraction separated from red cells and the platelet-poor layer.

Microneedling on its own — a motorised cartridge of fine needles, no energy, nothing added
Both
These are not rival treatments. One is the other plus a step.

How it works

The same micro-injury and healing response, plus platelet growth factors delivered into the open channels

Platelets carry a set of signalling proteins — the growth factors the body uses to direct repair. The theory is that concentrating and re-delivering them speeds up healing.

Controlled micro-injury only — the wound-healing response does all of the work

Fine needles create thousands of vertical channels; healing brings fibroblast activity, new collagen and elastin remodelling.

What it is cleared to treat

Nothing. PRP has no FDA approval or clearance for any aesthetic use

PRP preparation devices are cleared, reviewed as biologics, for preparing PRP to be mixed with bone graft at an orthopaedic surgical site. That is the cleared purpose.

Facial acne scars. SkinPen is additionally cleared for neck wrinkles, in Fitzpatrick skin types II–IV only

SkinPen Precision was authorised in March 2018 (De Novo DEN160029) for facial acne scars in adults 22 and over; the neck indication followed in 2021. Dermapen 4 is cleared for facial acne scars in Fitzpatrick I–V.

Both
"PRP is FDA-approved" is simply wrong, and it is common. "PRP kits are FDA-approved" is also wrong — they are cleared, and for a different job.

What it is best at

The same targets, with a claimed boost — acne scars and overall skin quality

The added benefit is the disputed part, not the microneedling underneath it.

Atrophic acne scars, texture, fine lines and the appearance of enlarged pores

It does not tighten lax skin and has no effect on fat.

Both
PRP is not a standardised product. A review of clinic data found that FDA-cleared preparation devices produced PRP of inconsistent composition, which means results do not transfer from one system to another — a core reason the literature disagrees with itself.

Downtime

The same as the microneedling, plus bruising anywhere PRP was injected
Redness resembling a moderate sunburn for roughly 24 to 72 hours, with mild swelling and occasional pinpoint bleeding on the day
Both
These are the conventional clinical descriptions, not figures from FDA labelling.

Who tends to be happy with it

Best for
People already committed to microneedling who want to try the add-on with clear eyes about what the evidence does and does not show.
The mindset
An optional extra, and it should be priced as one.
Best for
People who want the version with an FDA-authorised indication and fewer moving parts.
The mindset
Do the well-studied thing properly first.

What PRP actually is

Platelets are the cell fragments that plug a wound. They contain granules loaded with growth factors — the signalling proteins the body uses to direct repair. PRP concentrates them from your own blood and puts them back into skin that has just been wounded on purpose.

The biology is plausible. The problem is the product: there is no standard for what "PRP" contains. A published review of clinic data showed FDA-cleared devices turning out PRP of inconsistent composition. Two clinics can both offer "PRP" and be delivering meaningfully different things.

Does adding PRP to microneedling help?

The most useful summary is that the increment is smaller than the marketing suggests.

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of scar treatments (13 randomised trials meta-analysed, 10 more reviewed) put PRP alone at a 23% overall response — statistically indistinguishable from laser at 22% or microneedling at 23%. Combined with microneedling, 43% had a marked and 23% an excellent response. The authors open by noting there is no convincing evidence for its use and close by describing it as safe and additive. Both halves are in the same paper.
  • A network meta-analysis of 24 randomised trials and 1,546 participants found microneedling plus a chemical peel outperformed microneedling plus PRP on improvement, satisfaction and efficacy.
  • For RF microneedling specifically, the one randomised comparison (20 people, neck laxity) found both groups improved, but the PRP group's advantage in dermal thickness was not statistically significant. The authors wrote that it remains questionable whether adding PRP helps.

Why the licensing of the clinic matters here

This procedure involves drawing blood, handling it, and putting it back into open wounds. That makes basic infection control non-negotiable.

In 2024 the CDC reported an investigation in MMWR into presumptive HIV transmission among former clients of a New Mexico spa offering PRP microneedling facials. Four former clients and one sexual partner of a client were diagnosed with HIV between 2018 and 2023 despite low reported risk, and genetic sequencing showed highly similar virus strains across the cases. The facility was unlicensed, did not follow recommended infection control procedures, and kept no client records, which made tracing and notifying other clients much harder.

The lesson is not that PRP causes HIV. It is that any procedure combining blood handling with needles has to happen in a licensed facility, with sterile single-use equipment and proper records. Ask where the blood is spun, who is doing it, and whether the facility is licensed. A clinic that cannot answer clearly is the risk — not the biology of PRP.

Anything applied into open channels goes deeper than a serum

A 2025 systematic review found 15 published cases of granulomatous reactions after microneedling — firm inflammatory lumps, most often linked to motorised microneedling pens and topical vitamin C applied to freshly treated skin. Improvement was inconsistent across steroids, antibiotics and systemic anti-inflammatories, so some cases proved stubborn.

Those cases involved topical products, not PRP. The transferable point is that a microneedled face is not normal skin, and whatever is put onto it is going somewhere a serum never reaches.

Before you book

  • If you get cold sores, tell your provider at booking, not on the day. Antiviral medicine is started in advance. There is no study of cold sore reactivation after microneedling specifically; the precaution is borrowed from laser resurfacing, where reactivation is well documented.
  • Ask whether the facility is licensed, who draws and spins the blood, and whether all equipment is single-use.
  • Treatment should be deferred over any active infection in the area — an active cold sore, impetigo or cellulitis. Microneedling creates thousands of open channels and can spread a local infection across the field.

Get emergency help now

  • Fever, spreading redness, or pus from the treated skin — signs of infection that is not staying local

Call your provider if

  • Redness, swelling or pain increases after day three instead of settling
  • New firm lumps or nodules appear in the treated skin over the following weeks
  • A cluster of small painful blisters appears — a cold sore flare needs prompt treatment
  • Skin darkens in the treated area, especially after sun exposure
  • You later learn the facility was not licensed, or you have any doubt about how equipment was handled

Related

Questions people ask+
Is a vampire facial just microneedling?It is microneedling plus platelet-rich plasma made from your own blood, applied to the treated skin and sometimes injected. The microneedling part is identical; PRP is the add-on.
Is PRP FDA approved?No. PRP has no FDA approval for any aesthetic use. The devices that prepare PRP are FDA-cleared, but the cleared purpose for the widely used product code is preparing PRP to be mixed with bone graft in orthopaedic surgery. Aesthetic PRP is an off-label use.
Does adding PRP actually make it work better?The evidence is mixed and the increment looks smaller than the marketing suggests. One meta-analysis found PRP added to microneedling produced marked improvement in 43% and excellent improvement in 23%, but a network meta-analysis of 24 randomised trials ranked microneedling with a chemical peel above microneedling with PRP.
Is a vampire facial safe?The main published safety lesson is about the facility, not the fluid. CDC investigators reported presumptive HIV transmission among clients of an unlicensed New Mexico spa offering PRP microneedling facials between 2018 and 2023, where infection control was not followed and no client records were kept. Blood handling plus needles requires a licensed provider and sterile single-use equipment.
Why is it called a vampire facial?It is a marketing name, from the blood draw and the look of PRP on the skin during treatment. It is not a medical term and it does not describe a distinct procedure.
Can I have PRP with RF microneedling instead?It is offered. The one randomised comparison, in 20 people treated for neck laxity, found both groups improved but the PRP group's dermal thickness advantage was not statistically significant, and the authors said the benefit remains questionable.
Is PRP applied on top the same as PRP injected?Both are done — applied immediately after microneedling so the channels carry it in, or injected into the skin. The two routes have not been compared in published research, so there is no evidence-based answer on which is better.