It sounds like something out of a horror film, but a new “vampire therapy” is the latest health-boosting treatment to sweep the beauty market.
UVB (medium ultraviolet rays) therapy is a cleansing of the blood and is said to re-energise, strengthen the immune system, and improve skin conditions such as acne and allergies.
The blood cleansing involves UVB Photo-biological Stimulation therapy. A small amount of blood is taken from the body and passed through a tube connected to a machine where it is exposed to UV light, before being re-directed back into the blood stream.
The unusual treatment is common in Germany and Russia — and has just arrived in the UK.
The therapy is said to cost between £150-£200 per session, with the more sessions you have, the supposedly more effective it is.
Not everyone is convinced. Dr Rajendra Sharma, of The Diagnostic Clinic in London, told the Daily Mail: “There is a lack of safety studies into this. To use this type of therapy before ruling out any underlying medical conditions with your GP might be foolish.”
Dr Sam Bunting, a cosmetic dermatologist, added: “I doubt this therapy has any major impact on the skin. Acne is caused by an abnormal release of skin cells, which block the pores, combined with excess oil production that allows spot-causing bacteria to flourish.”
If vampire therapy didn’t spook you, then so-called “Dracula therapy” might.
This new anti-ageing craze involves having your face injected with your own blood. The official term for the treatment is S3, short for Stimulated Self Serum skin therapy.
After the blood has been withdrawn from your body it is taken away and enriched with vitamins and amino acids. It is then injected back into your face as a serum.
Dracula therapy is widely used, and is a progression from dentists who use patients’ own serum to regenerate receding gums.
Whether either treatments are effective at all still remains to be seen, but they would probably do you more favours than being nibbled on by Dracula himself.