ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Three women who were diagnosed with HIV after undergoing “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a procedure cosmetic with needles, federal health officials said.
He Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its Morbidity and Mortality Report last week that an investigation of the clinic from 2018 to 2023 showed it apparently reused disposable equipment intended for single use.
Although HIV transmission through contaminated blood through unsterilized injections is a well-known risk, the report says this is the first documentation of probable infections involving cosmetic services.
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Many popular cosmetic treatments are administered with needles, such as Botox to eliminate wrinkles and fillers to plump lips. A “vampire facial,” or platelet-rich plasma microneedling procedure, involves drawing the client’s own blood, separating its components, and then using small needles to inject plasma into the face to rejuvenate the skin. Tattoos also require needles.
The New Mexico Department of Health began investigating the spa in the summer of 2018 after it was notified that a woman in her 40s had tested positive for HIV even though she had no known risk factors. The woman reported being exposed to needles during the procedure at the clinic that spring.
The spa closed in fall 2018 after the investigation was launched and its owner was prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license.
The report says the research showed how important it is to require infection control practices at companies that offer cosmetic needle procedures.
He also noted that the investigation was delayed by a poor track record and said companies that provide such services should keep better records in case customers need to be contacted later.