A global warning has been issued about the danger of ‘vampire facials’ after two women in the US were diagnosed with HIV following the controversial procedure.
Brought to prominence with a 2013 Instagram post by Kim Kardashian West, the treatment involves drawing a sample of a person’s blood and re-injecting it into their face to promote skin cell renewal, collagen producton and hydration thereby slowing the appearance of aging.
The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery – Australia’s leading organisation for cosmetic surgery and medicine – has issued a warning following widespread international reports of the link with HIV.
VIP Spa in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the treatments were conducted, was closed in September 2018 following a hygiene inspection, 9Honey reports.
The ACCS urged Australians to “be vigilant when considering any medical procedure, no matter how trendy they are”.
ACCS Councillor Dr Ronald Feiner says there are steps Australians can take to ensure they are receiving these types of procedures safely.
“All Australians should carefully consider any medical procedure,” Dr Feiner said.
“Problems occur when your practitioner gives you someone else’s plasma, re-uses needles and uses infected syringes. Unprofessional practices like that can lead to infections and even blood-borne diseases.
“Vampire facials are medical procedures, they should never take place in a beauty salon or performed by a beautician.”
The ACCS website has a list of appropriately trained medical practitioners in each Australian state.
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