On April 29th, 2024, 3 women from New Mexico got vampire facials. Later, those women came back positive with HIV. The spa named VIP Spa, located in Albuquerque NM, was recorded reusing single-use equipment.

What is a vampire facial? A vampire facial is a skin care procedure made famous by Kim Kardashian. Reading an article from the Columbia Skin Clinic, “A vampire facial is a combination of microneedling and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Microneedling uses short, fine needles to puncture the skin. These needles range in size from .5 to 2.5 millimeters.” (Jan. 15th 2019) Those such needles are meant to be only used once, because of the bacteria they can spread from person to person. Reading farther in the same article from the Columbia Skin Clinic, “PRP is rubbed on the skin. The PRP should remain on the skin for the rest of the day to maximize results. Patients will notice dry, red, sensitive skin, much like a light sunburn for the first few days after treatment.” (Jan 15th 2019) Leaving your skin and pores open is a major risk for disease. 

According to Alexa St. John, a writer for ABC News says, “Health officials say spa facilities that offer cosmetic injection services should practice proper infection control and maintain client records to help prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens such as HIV.” (April 29th 2024) Along with the use of contaminated needles, the VIP Spa was unlicensed. Hopefully, all three women affected by this misconduct are okay and not severely ill. There has yet to be an update about the health of these women.