VIP Beauty Salon and Spa It closed in 2018, but health officials continue to investigate former customers’ exposure to blood-borne diseases.
Trendy ‘Vampire Facial’ May Infect Two People With HIV
The New Mexico Department of Health is investigating a now-shuttered spa after officials determined it could spread blood-borne diseases.
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A New Mexico spa previously under investigation for allegedly exposing clients to HIV with “vampire facials” has been linked to at least three cases. US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) He said Thursday.
In July of last year, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) advised former VIP Beauty Salon and Spa customers to get tested after the first case of HIV was confirmed in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico.
According to the DOH at the time, clients who received “injection-related services,” including vampire facials or Botox injections, may be at risk of blood-borne diseases.
While the salon was closed on September 7, 2018, following a government inspection, testing of 100 former customers continued into 2019 after investigators found practices at the salon could spread blood-borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
In the year In a preliminary investigation in 2019, it was determined that two cases of HIV could be linked to procedures given at the spa.
HIV in New Mexico Spas: New HIV case linked to ‘vampire face’ at derelict spa, New Mexico health department says
Five patients were identified, three of which were associated with ‘vampire face’.
The Department of Health’s Bureau of Infectious Diseases received a report in 2023 linking another HIV case to immunization services. Case in point is a spa treatment known as the “Vampire Facial” or “PRP Facial,” which combines microneedling and plasma taken from the client’s own blood.
Following this vision, DOH opened free testing sites. In the year In 2023, five HIV patients will be identified, including four women who received treatment in the bathtub, and one of the four patients was a man who had a sexual partner, according to the CDC.
All four female patients received at least one PRP with microneedling at the spa. Two of the patients had more advanced infections, indicating that their cases may have been due to exposure before receiving treatment in Spain. The remaining three patients had no other known risk factors for HIV, known social contact between them, and no specific mode of transmission between these patients, the CDC said.
“Information indicates that contamination from an unknown source in the spa in the spring and summer of 2018 caused the transmission of HIV-1 to these three patients,” he concluded.
In total, the research team tested 198 spa clients and their sexual partners between 2018-2023, identifying 59 clients at risk of exposure. Fortunately, no further HIV infection was detected, nor were hepatitis B or hepatitis C detected. But there is still an independent investigation as the investigation is ongoing.
Unlabeled blood, used needles are available in the spa
Although the CDC recognizes HIV as a common hazard from unsterilized needles and syringes, the transmission of cosmetic needles through contaminated blood has not been previously documented, making this the first investigation to link HIV transmission to unsterilized cosmetic needle use.
An analysis of the evidence suggests that the transmission of HIV is most likely to occur from receiving PRP through microneedling or “vampire face” procedures, although the source of contamination is unknown. The CDC believes the outbreak may have been caused by poor infection control practices found at the spa during a fall 2018 inspection.
These conditions found by inspectors included unmarked blood tubes and medical needles stored in the kitchen refrigerator with food; needles left in drawers, on tables and in regular waste bins; unlabeled blood tubes sitting on a kitchen table with a centrifuge and heated dry bath; Improper cleaning practices, including lack of necessary sterilization equipment, tools, and chemicals.
Free testing is available to former spa customers and the investigation and public health response is ongoing, the CDC said.
What is ‘Vampire Face’?
A Vampire face or PRP face It is a process to rejuvenate the skin using your own blood. This involves using the plasma and platelets in your blood through microneedling or conventional needles on your face.
The traditional vampire facial begins with the provider taking a small amount of your blood, spinning it in a centrifuge to extract the protein-rich plasma, extracting the platelets, and pooling the sample to create platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
This can be applied to the surface of the face, followed by microneedling, or the use of multiple micro-needle pads to create superficial punctures in the skin. The procedure benefits the skin by stimulating cell turnover, increasing collagen and elastin production, and creating a smoother, younger and firmer appearance.
Patients with deep wrinkles, loss of volume, or other skin problems are recommended for a Vampire face lift or PRP face lift; It uses PRP, similar to dermal fillers, that is injected directly into the face.
People undergoing these procedures are advised to consult and have the treatment performed by an experienced, board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. When not properly sterilized by a licensed provider, PRP treatments can easily pose a serious health risk.