New HIV infection traced to spa’s vampire facial

Well being Alert: Former Shoppers Urged to Get Examined for HIV After Vampire Facial Therapy

A current well being alert has been issued for former shoppers of a medical spa in New Mexico, urging them to get examined for blood-borne infections, notably HIV, after one other case of the virus was linked to a vampire facial remedy supplied on the now-closed VIP Magnificence Salon and Spa in Albuquerque.

The spa was pressured to close down in September 2018 after at the least two shoppers examined optimistic for HIV following the facials, which concerned drawing a affected person’s blood after which injecting parts of the blood again into the face utilizing microneedles. In March, one other former buyer examined optimistic for the HIV virus, with their solely reported threat of publicity being the vampire facial acquired on the spa earlier than its closure.

The New Mexico Division of Well being has reopened its investigation into the enterprise following the latest case. Officers had beforehand recognized practices on the spa that would probably unfold blood-borne infections like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C to shoppers.

Whereas a vampire facial completed appropriately is taken into account protected based on the Mobile Medication Affiliation, there are severe dangers if the process is carried out improperly. The affiliation warned that improper practices can result in cross-contamination, which might be deadly to people.

Through the preliminary investigation in 2018 and 2019, greater than 100 former shoppers have been examined. Well being officers are actually encouraging anybody who acquired injection-related providers at VIP Spa to bear retesting, even when they initially examined destructive.

The Mobile Medication Affiliation emphasised that the suppliers on the New Mexico spa have been unauthorized to make use of the title “Vampire Facial” and weren’t correctly skilled. They have been by no means licensed by the affiliation, elevating considerations in regards to the high quality of care supplied on the spa.

In a authorized growth, the proprietor of the spa pleaded responsible to 5 felony counts of working towards medication and not using a license in June 2022. Subsequently, she was sentenced to a few and a half years in jail in early October for her function within the illicit medical practices on the spa.

For the security and well-being of former shoppers who underwent vampire facial remedies on the VIP Magnificence Salon and Spa, well being officers strongly advise getting examined for HIV and different blood-borne infections as a precautionary measure.