- Sunitha Rao R
Three women in New Mexico tested HIV-positive after getting a vampire facial at an unlicensed beauty spa. This is the first documented case of HIV spread via unsterilized needles in a cosmetic procedure.
Vampire facial is a cosmetic procedure. Here, a person’s blood is drawn from the arm. The platelets are separated and this platelet-rich plasma is reinserted to the face using microneedles.
Vampire facial claims to rejuvenate the skin by boosting collagen, improving skin tone and retaining moisture. The anti-aging cosmetic procedure can help tighten skin and avoid wrinkles.
Upon investigating multiple cases of HIV in those with no known risk factors, the US CDC revealed that the infected people had received vampire facials, which could have led to them contracting the infection.
The lack of adequate infection control practices at the spa and the reuse of disposable syringes in the cosmetic procedure could have led to the spread of HIV.
A microscopic image shows how the human T-cells (in blue) get attacked by the bloodborne pathogen HIV cells (in yellow).
As per reports, the first HIV case linked to the spa in Albuquerque was seen in 2018. The New Mexico Department of Health offered free tests to those treated with microneedles at the spa.
The ongoing investigation of the spa scrutinized people who underwent vampire facials in the spa between 2018 and 2023.