Vampire Facial Can Transmit HIV After Multiple Spa Clients Diagnosed With Virus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released its investigation on the cases of HIV transmission through the use of cosmetic needles -- the first documented cases of patients contracting the virus through cosmetic services.
In 2018, a woman was diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in New Mexico without having any known HIV risk factors. The only exposure the woman, identified to be between 40 and 50 years old, had at the time was to needles from the platelet-rich plasma microneedling facials, also known as vampire facials, she received at a spa.
The spa in question is the now-shuttered VIP Spa in Albuquerque, The Associated Press noted. The unlicensed facility operated at multiple locations.
Vampire Facial is a combination of microneedling and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), wherein the skin is punctured and injured by small needles, prompting it to produce elastin and collagen, the Columbia Skin Clinic explained. PRP is then applied to the skin to help the tissue heal while also reportedly treating other skin issues.
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"The patient reported no injection drug use, recent blood transfusions, or recent sexual contact with anyone other than her current sexual partner, who received a negative HIV test result after the patient's diagnosis," the paper read.
Further investigation by the CDC and the New Mexico Department of Health found three more former spa clients and one partner of a client who were diagnosed with HIV.
Analysis revealed "highly similar HIV strains" in all cases linked to the spa. The facility is believed to have reused equipment made for one-time use, transmitting the contaminated blood from client to client.
"This investigation is the first to associate HIV transmission with nonsterile cosmetic injection services," researchers of the paper said.
"Requiring adequate infection control practices at spa facilities offering cosmetic injection services can help prevent the transmission of HIV and other bloodborne pathogens."
According to data from the World Health Organization, an estimated 39 million people lived with HIV in 2022. About 1.5 million of this number are children.
In the same year, 630,000 people died of HIV-related causes. This is a significant decrease from 2010's 1.3 million deaths.
