News broke this week that two people are believed to have contracted HIV after having vampire facials.
The two people who have not been named visited the VIP Spas in Albuquerque for the facial, which was popularised by Kim Kardashian in 2013.
According to reports, the therapist did not use fresh needles for the procedure, which led to them contracting the virus.
The spa was closed last September over concerns on how it handed needles, and over 100 former clients have now been tested for blood-born illnesses by the New Mexico Department of Health.
Are vampire facials safe, however? And what do they entail?
What is a vampire facial?
Vampire facial is a nickname for what is formally known as a PRP facial.
For the procedure, a blood sample is taken from your arm or hand, and a centrafuge-type machine is used to spin the blood. Through this, it is separates the plasma from the red blood cells, with the technician using a small blade to put the plasma back into your face.
This plasma is supposed to be full of platelets (stem cells) which help your skin heal and regenerate itself.
People have vampire facials for anti-aging purposes, as well as so reduce the appearance of scars and lines and plump the skin. Check out our very own Ellen Scott’s experience of getting one.
Is it safe?
If done by a trained medical professional with clean equipment, it is safe.
There are a whole range of risks associated with the procedure when done in an unsafe environment, however.
As well as the risk of blood-born illnesses passed through needles and the blood preparation (such as hepatitis or HIV),
London plastic surgeon Christopher Inglefield warns that attempting a vampire facial puts you at risk of ‘bleeding, severe infection, nerve injury, blindness, and tissue necrosis’.
He also says: ‘‘This is a medical treatment which should only be performed by a trained medical practitioner or under supervision of a medical practitioner’..
There may also be risks if you already have a blood disorder which affects clotting or platelets.
If you plan to have one done, ensure that the person doing it has been qualified, and that they are using fresh equipment.
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