ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Three women infected with HIV after receiving “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 cosmetic procedure using needles, federal health officials said. Officials said.
of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The investigation at the clinic from 2018 to 2023 included the reuse of single-use equipment, he said in the Morbidity and Mortality Report last week.
While transmission of HIV from contaminated blood through unsterilized needles is a well-known risk, this is the first documentation of possible infections involving cosmetic services, the report said.
Many popular cosmetic treatments include injectables such as Botox to smooth wrinkles and lip fillers. The “vampire facial,” or plasma-enriched microneedling process, involves drawing a client’s blood, separating the components, then injecting tiny needles into the facial plasma to rejuvenate the skin. A tattoo also needs a needle.
New Mexico Health Department started Investigate In the year In the summer of 2018, a woman in her 40s was diagnosed with HIV despite having no known risk factors. The woman reported exposure to needles during a procedure at the clinic that same spring.
The spa was closed in fall 2018 after the investigation began, and the owner was. Accused To practice medicine without a license.
The report says the investigation shows how important it is to look for infection control practices in commercial facilities that provide cosmetic procedures that involve needles.
He also pointed out that the investigation was well delayed and said that business establishments that provide such services should have better information if customers have to get it later.