ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — According to federal health officials, three women who received “vampire facial” operations at an unregulated medical spa in New Mexico and were later diagnosed with HIV are thought to be the first known cases of someone catching the virus through a needle-based cosmetic surgery.
In its Morbidity and Mortality Report, released this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that an examination of the clinic from 2018 to 2023 revealed that it appeared to have reused single-use disposable equipment.
The paper stated that this is the first record of possible infections via cosmetic procedures, despite the fact that HIV transmission from contaminated blood through unsterile injection is a known concern.
Needles are used in many common cosmetic procedures, such Botox to smooth out wrinkles and fillers to enhance lip volume. During a platelet-rich plasma microneedling technique, sometimes known as a “vampire facial,” a client’s own blood is drawn, its components are separated, and then the plasma is injected into the face using small needles to rejuvenate the skin. Needles are also needed for tattoos.
In the summer of 2018, the New Mexico Department of Health received notice that a lady in her 40s had tested positive for HIV despite having no known risk factors, thus the department launched an investigation into the spa. The surgery at the clinic that spring resulted in needle exposure, according to the woman.
Following the start of the investigation, the spa shuttered in the fall of 2018, and its owner faced legal action for practicing medicine without a license.
According to the paper, the investigation demonstrated the need of enforcing infection control protocols at establishments that provide needle-based cosmetic operations.
It further stated that inadequate record keeping caused the probe to go on and that companies offering these services ought to retain better records in case customers need to be contacted later.