The CDC has described five cases of HIV positivity following the beauty treatment known as a vampire facial or vampire lift. The procedure was performed in an unlicensed center. How it is performed and what are the risks of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Kim Kardashian immediately after undergoing the vampire facelift. Credit: Kim Kardashian / Instagram
Four women have contracted the HIV virus after undergoing a beauty treatment known as vampire facial, vampire facelift, vampire lift and other similar names. The partner of one of them also tested positive. The curious names of the procedure, formally known as Platelet Rich Plasma o PRPare related to the fact that it is based on the blood sample of the patient, from which the platelets are extracted by centrifugation. The cell bodies are then treated with plasma and injected under the skin. The purpose of the techniqueon which there is conflicting scientific evidence, is to improve the skin tonereduce the wrinkles and more generally rejuvenate the appearance of the face, thanks to the growth factors released by the platelets.
The name of the treatment is also linked to the appearance “bloody” – clearly only temporary – which is obtained during the procedure, with the appearance of extensive red spots on the face. The vampire facelift is an increasingly popular beauty procedure, especially thanks to the advertising made by some VIPs on social networks. Among they too Kim Kardashianwhich in 2015 posted a photo of himself on Instagram immediately after undergoing PRP. Although the treatment mini-invasive is considered safe, if done in unauthorized centers that do not respect basic safety standards there are significant risks for customers precisely because it involves the use of blood and devices to inject it.
The five cases of positivity to the HIV virus, responsible for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), were found among four clients (and the partner of one of them) of a beauty center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, following an investigation conducted by the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States. It all began in 2018, when a woman tested positive for the HIV virus despite not having sexual intercourse outside of her stable relationship, not using drugs and not having undergone transfusions, all situations that can catalyze the risk of contract the infection. In a short time, the aforementioned center was identified, where the woman had undergone the vampire facelift.
What is Tourette syndrome: symptoms, causes and treatment of “tic disease”
Not only did the venue not have any medical authorization (license) to carry out the delicate aesthetic procedure, but the investigations revealed several infringements of the most basic safety regulations. Among others, they have been found tubes with unlabeled blood and stored in the refrigerator together with the food; syringes used stored in drawers and on the counter; and absence of a necessary steam sterilization system. If that wasn’t enough, the business – which was closed and its owner jailed – didn’t even have a complete customer register, so it took several years to contact at least a portion (around 200) of its customers, to alert them of the risk of HIV and carry out ad hoc checks.
During the investigation conducted between 2018 and 2023, as indicated, a total of five people were found positive, four women who had undergone the vampire facelift and a man, partner of one of the four who tested positive. “Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed highly similar HIV strains among all cases,” the CDC explained in a report. One of the clients, three years after receiving this treatment, was hospitalized with symptoms of AIDS. Before this story, there were no known cases of HIV linked to blood injections for a cosmetic procedure, so this is a significant precedent linked to the risks of these practices.
“Although HIV transmission through unsterile injection practices is a known risk, it is important to determine new routes of HIV transmission among people with no known risk factors for HIV. This investigation identified an HIV cluster associated with receipt of cosmetic injection services at an unlicensed facility that did not follow recommended infection control procedures or maintain client records,” the CDC said. The details of the document “Investigation of Presumptive HIV Transmission Associated with Receipt of Platelet-Rich Plasma Microneedling Facials at a Spa Among Former Spa Clients — New Mexico, 2018–2023” were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) of the American body.