Some people will do anything for clear skin. Luckily, there are tons of beauty treatments and products available to help us achieve our skin needs. And while the internet has made consumers smarter and more informed about what they should and shouldn’t be doing to their bodies, sometimes we still can’t help but fall for beauty fads promising us the moon and the stars. Unfortunately, when it comes to skincare, falling for these claims without doing proper research on procedures can have some serious consequences. Take for example these three women who were reportedly diagnosed with HIV after getting the famed “vampire facial” at an unlicensed medical spa in New Mexico.
READ: Three Women Were Diagnosed with HIV After Getting a Vampire Facial
Last April 25, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uploaded a report warning of a new way for HIV to spread. In the report, they talked about their investigation which tracked former and current clients of a spa who were diagnosed with HIV between the years 2018 and 2023.
Their investigation began in 2018 when the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) was notified of a woman “who had no known HIV risk factors” being diagnosed with HIV after getting a vampire facial from a local spa. Accordingly, this is the first documented case of someone contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.
Upon investigation, they found that the spa wasn’t practicing proper infection control. They found a rack of tubes filled with blood that had no labels on them and injectables such as botox and lidocaine stored in the kitchen fridge together with the staff’s food. Unwrapped syringes were also found scattered in drawers, on counters, and improperly disposed of in regular trash cans. They were also found to be reusing equipment meant for single use, which inevitably led to these women contracting the virus when they got a vampire facial from the said spa.
The spa where the three women had their vampire facial done had since closed after the CDC launched its investigation. The owner has also been prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license.
What is a Vampire Facial?
You’ve probably heard of the vampire facial before when Kim Kardashian got the procedure done during an episode of Kourtney & Kim Take Miami back in 2013.
Formally known as platelet-rich plasma microneedling facials, vampire facials are cosmetic procedures meant to rejuvenate the skin.
This is done by drawing blood from the client whose blood is then put into a centrifuge machine in order to separate the platelet-rich plasma. The plasma, accompanied by a hyaluronic acid filler, is then injected back into the face using tiny needles. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, this procedure can help reduce acne scars and wrinkles and make one look younger overall.
So, Are Vampire Facials Safe?
When done by medical professionals in licensed facilities with proper infection control practices, vampire facials, much like other skincare treatments that use needles, are generally considered safe.
The key takeaway here is to always do proper research about the facility you plan to go to before undergoing any treatment (with or without needles).
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