At least three women infected with HIV after ‘vampire facials’

At least three women were infected with HIV during cosmetic “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed spa in Albuquerque, federal officials said Thursday. It is the first time that HIV transmission through cosmetic injection services has been documented, they said.

The three were among a cluster of five people sharing highly similar HIV strains, four of whom had undergone a procedure called platelet-rich plasma microneedling at the spa. The fifth individual, a man, had a sexual relationship with one of the women.

Investigators still do not know the precise source of the contamination. A 2018 HIV diagnosis in a patron who reported having no behavioral risk factors led to a public health investigation when the woman said she had received the cosmetic procedure.

An inspection of the spa found unlabeled tubes of blood lying on a kitchen counter, others stored along with food in a refrigerator, and unwrapped syringes in drawers and trash cans.

The facility also appeared to be reusing disposable equipment intended for single use only, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The so-called vampire facials involve drawing a patient’s own blood; putting it in a centrifuge to separate out platelet-rich plasma; and then using very fine, short needles to puncture the skin. This is said to prompt the skin to produce elastic and collagen and to create openings for the plasma, which is applied topically to help with skin repair.

The spa closed in the fall of 2018, shortly after the identification of the first unusual infection. But the investigation, as well as attempts to notify clients and former clients that they may have been exposed to HIV, was hampered by the spa’s poor records.

Eventually, investigators managed to put together a list of names and phone numbers from consent forms that clients had signed, handwritten appointment records and phone contacts. They identified 59 clients who were at risk for infection, including 20 who received “vampire facials” and 39 who got other services, like Botox, between the spring and fall of 2018.