Face Treatment Gone Wrong: Three Women Contract HIV After Getting 'Vampire Facials' at Unlicensed Spa in New Mexico

Compared to facelifts, vampire facials are thought to be less invasive and more affordable. However, it could lead to serious health issues if conducted in insufficient sanitation conditions.

Contracting HIV Due to Vampire Facials

This is what happened to three women who likely got HIV following vampire facial treatments done in an unlicensed spa in New Mexico. This serves as the first known case of HIV transmission in a cosmetic injection procedure. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released such findings in the "Investigation of Presumptive HIV Transmission Associated with Receipt of Platelet-Rich Plasma Microneedling Facials at a Spa Among Former Spa Clients - New Mexico, 2018-2023" report.

In a vampire facial, blood is drawn from a person's arms. The platelets are then separated and applied to the patient's face through microneedles. Such a procedure is also known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Proponents of the treatment claim that this could help reduce fine lines and pore size while boosting the skin's rejuvenation.

However, it appears that several people who do not have any known risk factors for HIV likely got infected via vampire facials at a facility that has since been closed. The CDC explains that this investigation serves as the first one to link nonsterile with HIV transmission.

The spa facility drew the state health officials' attention after a spa client tested positive during an international trip in 2018. Another one ended up testing positive during life insurance routine tests in 2018, and a third one did not know that she had HIV until just one year ago, when she got hospitalized with an illness related to AIDS.

ALSO READ: Fake Botox Injections: 22 Sickened, 11 Hospitalized in the US After Undergoing Mishandled, Counterfeit Procedures in Non-Medical Settings, CDC Reports

Safety in Spas

This case shows the risk of patronizing spa facilities that are not licensed. Though the exact spa facility was kept confidential, the Albuquerque VIP spa was shut down in 2018 by the New Mexico Department of Health. This was after inspectors of the state discovered practices that could end up spreading blood-borne infections, such as HIV, to their clients. This included unlabeled blood tubes over a kitchen counter and other injectables kept with food in the refrigerator of the kitchen.

Those who seek injections for cosmetic or medical reasons must ask if a spa, clinic, or provider is trained or licensed. Moreover, they should ask if any of the involved products are bought from reliable sources and are FDA-approved. Certain states have a search tool for verifying licenses.

The CDC notes in the report that mandating sufficient infection control practices in such facilities that offer cosmetic injection procedures can help in preventing HIV and other blood-borne pathogen transmission.

In a separate investigation, the CDC is looking into an outbreak of botulism associated with fake Botox versions that were administered in non-medical settings, such as spas or homes.