The “platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) method, marketed in the United States and Canada as Selphyl® is widely known as the “vampire filler” or “vampire facelift”. Selphyl® is a way of extracting platelets from the patient’s own blood and using them as a dermal filler – that is, as a substance injected under the skin of the face to fill out wrinkles so as to provide a more youthful appearance.

Platelets and other components in human blood migrate to a site of injury. Platelets are known to release a variety of growth factors that respond to tissue injury, where they initiate and promote healing. By concentrating platelets at the site of injury, physicians have the potential to enhance the body’s natural capacity for healing.

During the procedure, blood is drawn from the patient’s arm and spun in a centrifuge to separate out the platelets, which are then injected back under the patient’s facial skin. It can also be combined with other fillers, and a procedure using this combination has been trademarked as “vampire facelift”. The Selphyl® System is used to rapidly collect and isolate a patient’s own PRP for injection and contains no animal or synthetic products.