"Vampire facials" at unlicensed spa infected 3 with HIV, CDC says

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Edited By Aimee Picchi Updated on: April 28, 2024 / 8:12 PM EDT / CBS News U.S. strategy to end the HIV epidemic Breaking down U.S. strategy to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 05:19 A cosmetic process known as a "vampire facial" is considered to be a more affordable and less invasive option than getting a facelift, but the process can be a serious health hazard if done in unsanitary conditions, according to a new report.
That proved to be the case for three women who likely contracted HIV from receiving vampire facials at an unlicensed spa in New Mexico, making the first known cases of the virus being transmitted during a cosmetic injection procedure, according to the findings published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the CDC report didn't name the unlicensed spa, the New Mexico Department of Health in 2018 had shut down the VIP Spa in Albuquerque after state inspectors found practices that could potentially spread blood-borne infections, including HIV, to clients.
Requiring adequate infection control practices at spa facilities offering cosmetic injection services can help prevent the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne pathogens, the CDC stated in its report.