Following two cases of HIV that were linked to an injection-related procedure at the VIP Beauty Salon and Spa in New Mexico, another woman has been infected with the virus after getting a “vampire facial” at the Albuquerque spa, the New Mexico Department of Health confirmed.
The Department of Health announced it launched an investigation into the spa, and requests that all former clients who have received injection-related services, including vampire facials and Botox, be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
In a former investigation, the health department said it had administered testing to over 100 clients, but they have asked that all clients who received negative results test again.
“It’s very important that we spread the word and remind people who received any kind of injection-related to services provided at the VIP Spa to come in for free and confidential testing,” Dr. Laura Parajon, Department of Health deputy secretary, said in a press statement.
The spa had originally closed in 2018 after inspectors found that employees were not practicing the necessary safety measures to prevent the spread of blood-borne infections.
At the time of this writing, the Department of Health said they had identified additional HIV infections “with direct or indirect connection with services provided at the VIP Spa,” but did not reveal how many.
Last June, the spa’s owner faced felony charges after it was discovered that the suspect was practicing medicine without a license, the Department of Health said.
Vampire facials involve injecting plasma into the skin using a micro-needling pen and is also known as a plasma-rich protein facial. The plasma, which typically comes from the blood of the client, can cause infection if micro-needling tips or syringes were reused, or if another client’s blood was used to perform the facial.
This story is developing.
