'Vampire facials' have been linked to HIV infection.Here's what you need to know about beauty treatments

Three women who received “vampire facials” at unlicensed medical spas in New Mexico have been diagnosed with HIV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report last week. This is the first written record of infection. .

In a new report, federal health officials say a 2018-2023 investigation into Albuquerque's VIP Spa clinic found that the clinic reused disposable equipment intended for one-time use. It said it was found that the service was transmitting HIV to customers through contaminated blood.

Vampire facials, officially known as platelet-rich plasma microneedling facials, are meant to rejuvenate skin, give it a more youthful appearance, and reduce the appearance of acne scars and wrinkles, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. This is a beauty treatment.

After the customer's blood is drawn, a machine separates the blood into platelets and cells.

The plasma is then injected into the client's face through a single-use disposable or multi-use sterile needle.

Vampire facials have become increasingly popular in recent years, with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian having undergone the procedure.

Officials say HIV transmission through non-sterile injections is a known risk of cosmetic treatments and other services.

Nevertheless, the Academy states that vampire facials are generally safe.

Health authorities say spa facilities offering cosmetic injection services must implement appropriate infection control measures and maintain customer records to prevent the transmission of blood-borne pathogens such as HIV.

The New Mexico Department of Health was notified in the summer of 2018 that a woman with no known HIV risk factors was diagnosed with HIV after receiving a spa's vampire facial service in the spring of the same year.

During the investigation, similar strains of HIV were discovered in three women who were former customers of the spa. According to the CDC report, evidence suggests that contamination from services at the spa caused these three patients to test positive for HIV infection.

Another woman who also received services at the spa and her male sexual partner who did not go to the spa were also found to have similar strains of HIV, but the HIV diagnosis of these two patients is “likely an exposure prior to receiving cosmetic injection services,” the CDC said.

Evidence suggests that three other patients tested positive for HIV infection due to contamination from services at the spa.

Health officials say blood-containing equipment was left on the kitchen counter, unlabeled tubes of blood and injections were left in the refrigerator alongside food, and unwrapped syringes were not disposed of properly. discovered. A steam sterilizer, known as an autoclave, needed to clean equipment for reuse was not found at the spa, the CDC report said.

An investigation by the New Mexico Department of Health tested approximately 200 former spa customers and their sexual partners for HIV and found no additional infections.

People who have previously frequented spas will continue to receive free testing, the CDC said.

The former owner of VIP Spa, Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Luis, pleaded guilty in 2022 to five felony counts of performing unauthorized medical procedures, including performing unlicensed vampire facials.

The New Mexico Attorney General's Office said Ramos de Luis also performed illegal plasma and Botox injections.

Prosecutors said the spa was shut down in the fall of 2018 after an inspection by the state Department of Health, Regulation and Licensing found code violations and an investigation began.

Ramos de Luis was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison, suspended for 4 years on supervised probation, and 3 1/2 years on parole, according to court documents.

Raul A. Lopez, Ramos de Luis' attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.

___

Alexa St. John is a climate solutions reporter for The Associated Press.Previously Follow her on her X twitter, @alexa_stjohn. Please contact [email protected].