Women Contract HIV from ‘Vampire Facial’ Cosmetic Procedure in US Clinic

At least three women in the United States have contracted HIV through the use of contaminated needles during cosmetic procedures. This was established by the CDC, the American representative of the RIVM after research. This is the first time that the disease has been found to have been transmitted through a cosmetic procedure involving the use of needles.

It happened at a clinic in New Mexico. After a woman treated there was diagnosed with HIV in 2018, the CDC launched an investigation. This showed, among other things, that the clinic items that should have been thrown away after one use were reused.

The clinic was closed in 2018 after suspicions about the infections. It later emerged that the clinic did not have the correct licenses to perform the treatment. In 2022, the former owner of the clinic was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.

The three women underwent a so-called ‘vampire facial’, a popular treatment in which platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is injected into the skin. In this way, wrinkles and other imperfections in the skin can be eliminated.

It is known that HIV can be transmitted when using non-sterile needles, but this is the first time it has been confirmed that this has happened during a cosmetic procedure. Many popular cosmetic treatments, such as Botox and fillers, are performed with needles.