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The New Mexico Department of Health has issued an official warning after two confirmed cases of HIV were linked with ‘Vampire’ facials administered at an Albuquerque spa.
Two people who contracted HIV have been identified as received the controversial beauty procedure at VIP Spa between May and September last year.
“The investigation has not identified potential exposures for HIV transmission other than the injection related procedures at the VIP Spa,” the department said in a statement.
“Additional laboratory testing on specimens from the two clients indicates recent infection with the same HIV virus -- increasing the likelihood that the two HIV infections may have resulted from a procedure at the VIP spa.”
Officials are urging anyone who underwent the same procedure to get tested for HIV as soon as possible.
According to the state's Department of Health, VIP Spa closed on September 7, 2018, after an inspection found problems with the handling of needles.
Risks and rewards
A ‘Vampire’ facial or Platelet Rich Plasma facial involves drawing blood from a patient (usually from their arm) then spinning the blood in a centrifuge to separate and ‘activate’ the nutrient-rich plasma.
The plasma is then reintroduced into the patient via hundreds of very small holes made on the patient’s face via a micro-needling process.
Practitioners claim the process helps rejuvenate and regenerate skin tissue and this helps conceal acne, scarring and wrinkling.
The beauty treatment became a trend in 2013 after Kim Kardashian posted a graphic Instagram photo of herself directly after the procedure.
Since then, Kardashian has abandoned the practise, saying that it’s too painful but the popularity for the facials continues to rise.
Vampires in Australia
In Australia, clinics in all major cities offer the Platelet Rich Plasma treatment, with prices ranging from $600 to $1,000 per session. The treatment is beginning to rival that of laser treatments and collagen injections.
At the beginning of this year, former 'Australian Idol' contestant and 'Neighbours' star Dean Geyer posted a picture of him and his girlfriend Jill post-procedure.
Besides the risk of contamination from the needling process, the procedure is not totally without risks.
In 2017, ABC reported on a woman whose face became repeatedly infected following a ‘Vampire’ facial at a Sydney skin clinic.
She was prescribed a course of antibiotics but eventually had to undergo surgery to drain the infection from her face.
According to the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia (CPCA), Australians spend $1 billion a year on non-invasive cosmetic procedures like ‘Vampire facials and laser treatments.
