Three women have been diagnosed with HIV after undergoing skincare treatments at an unlicensed spa in New Mexico.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta announced the HIV infections in a report last week. The CDC report stated the women contracted HIV after undergoing “vampire facials.”
The CDC report marks the first documented cases of people contracting the HIV virus through cosmetic services using needles.
Vampire facials have gained in popularity as celebrities such as Kim Kardashian (pictured above) publicize the procedure on social media.
Vampire facials are cosmetics procedures using micro needles to inject platelet-rich plasma (blood) into the patient’s face.
The procedure typically uses the patient’s own blood. But the micro needles are sometimes contaminated with blood from previous clients.
CDC officials say HIV transmission via unsterile needles is a known risk of beauty treatments in unlicensed spas.
Despite this, the American Academy of Dermatology says vampire facials are safe.
Health officials say spas that offer vampire facials should practice strict infection control and maintain client records.
Nearly 200 former clients of the New Mexico spa, and their partners, were tested for HIV, but no additional infections were found.
