'Vampire Facial' linked with HIV cases in New Mexico

The fans of ‘Breaking Bad’ TV show might remember Albuquerque in New Mexico as house of Walter White and his ‘Meth Lab’. But little did you know that this town in the United States was home to a day spa that used to perform ‘Vampire Facials’. Six years ago, that day spa was closed after the New Mexico health department began investigating the facility’s practice of these ‘Vampire Facials’.

Now a report by the US Centers for Disease Control, released this week, has found that the day spa contributed in transmitting HIV to five individuals due to unsanitary procedures at the facility.

Commonly referred to as a vampire facial when applied to the face, the process involves separating platelets from  blood drawn from a vein and reinjecting them using microneedling into areas of the skin such as scalp, cheeks, and brow.

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While little scientific evidence exists, it is claimed the concentration of platelets accelerates healing and reduces wrinkles, scar visibility, and other blemishes associated with ageing.

The US CDC found that a woman in 2018 who tested positive for the HIV without any history of drug use or sexual contact outside her relationship or blood transfusion, had a facial procedure at the Albuquerque spa.

“Incomplete spa client records posed a substantial challenge during this investigation, necessitating a large-scale outreach approach to identify potential cases, as opposed to direct communication with all clients,” the CDC discusses in its report.

“Requiring maintenance of sufficient client records to ensure adequate traceback by regulated businesses that provide injection services could ensure adequate capability to conduct traceback.”

Spa owner Maria de Lourdes Ramos De Ruiz pleaded guilty to five counts of practicing medicine without a license in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)