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The death of Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis has left many people asking what plasmapheresis is. He suffered a cardiac arrest at an Athens medical practice where he had gone for a scheduled plasma-exchange procedure. Investigators are examining the circumstances of his death; whether the procedure played any role has not been established. The questions extend beyond his case: why is a medical treatment also being discussed as a way to slow aging?
From facials and injections to biohacking and “longevity” routines, the search for ways to hold back the signs of aging never seems to stop. In recent years, attention has turned to a procedure most people would once have encountered only in a hospital: plasmapheresis.
But can a treatment used for specific illnesses really become the next big anti-ageing trend?
What is plasmapheresis?
During plasmapheresis, blood passes through a machine that separates its liquid component, called plasma, from the blood cells. In therapeutic plasma exchange, some of that plasma is removed and replaced with a suitable fluid, often a solution containing albumin, a blood protein.
This is not a new medical technique. Plasma exchange is used for certain illnesses, and organizations such as the American Society for Apheresis assess its medical uses against the available evidence.
The anti-ageing interest rests on a different idea: that substances circulating in plasma change as we get older and that removing or diluting some of them might affect processes linked to ageing.
From medicine to the longevity industry
That theory has brought plasma exchange into the world of longevity treatments and biohacking. It has also prompted studies involving healthy people.
In one small trial involving 42 adults over 50, researchers compared different plasma-exchange schedules with a sham treatment. They reported changes in several biological markers, including measures sometimes called “biological age clocks,” that they interpreted as signs of rejuvenation. But the study measured markers. It did not show that participants lived longer, developed younger-looking skin, or experienced a clinically proven slowing of aging.
Another human study, published in 2025, looked at repeated plasmapheresis in healthy blood donors. Under the protocol it tested, researchers found no evidence of epigenetic rejuvenation. They did observe changes in blood fats and other markers, as well as reductions in proteins and albumin. Their findings did not support a rejuvenating effect in the general population.
The research is intriguing. It is still a long way from proving that plasma exchange is an anti-aging treatment.
Will it make you look younger?
There is currently no good clinical evidence that plasmapheresis reduces wrinkles, tightens skin, increases collagen, or makes people look younger.
A change in a laboratory measure of aging does not automatically translate into a visible result in the mirror. That is why claims such as “blood detox,” “rejuvenation” and “anti-ageing plasma therapy” deserve a closer look.
Is it the same as “young plasma”?
No. Therapeutic plasma exchange should not be confused with infusions of plasma taken from young donors, which have also been promoted as a possible way to fight aging.
In a 2024 update, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it had not approved young-donor plasma for anti-ageing or other promoted wellness uses and was unaware of evidence that it works for them.
Is it a simple wellness treatment?
No. Plasmapheresis is a medical procedure, not the equivalent of a facial or a routine beauty appointment.
In patients with certain conditions, plasma exchange can remove harmful antibodies or other substances from the blood. Its value in those cases does not establish a benefit for a healthy person hoping to slow aging.
Where does that leave the anti-ageing claim?
Plasmapheresis is an example of an established medical procedure attracting interest from the newer longevity industry. Early studies give scientists reasons to keep investigating it, but the results so far do not make it a proven anti-ageing or beauty treatment.
That would require larger, longer studies showing a real benefit to people’s health or appearance, beyond changes in biomarkers. For now, its use for anti-ageing remains experimental.
*This article is for information and does not replace medical advice or an individual medical assessment.
