Online influencers can really have an impact on people around the world. This is especially true of those who have millions of followers and they may give cosmetic advice, even if they aren’t qualified to do so.
One person who gave such advice was Kim Kardashian, and when she does something, people are going to follow it. Unfortunately, this led to a tragic outcome because three women have contracted HIV from the ‘vampire facials’ that were suggested.
Those three women contracted HIV after having the cosmetic injections done at a New Mexico spa. Unfortunately, the spa was not operating legally so they did not have the proper sanitary options in place to prevent such a problem.
A vampire facial, which is also known as a vampire facelift or a platelet-rich plasma facial involves pulling some of your own blood out and extracting the plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood. The plasma is then injected back into your face with needles.
A single needle may be used and placed in various areas of the face in a process that is similar to injecting fillers. It may also be done with microneedling, which involves a pen-like device that has a small needle tip.
The New Mexico spa services that were responsible for transmitting HIV have been under investigation since 2018. At this point, there are four former clients identified as well as the sexual partner is one of the customers who now have HIV infection.
Since that time, the spa has been closed but it was later found that the owner was operating without an appropriate license at multiple locations. There was also no way to store the client’s contact information, so the issue could actually be larger.
An inspection of the spa showed that there were multiple unsafe infection control practices, including the heating dry bath and a centrifuge. Unlabeled tubes of blood medical injectables were also found stored in the kitchen refrigerator alongside food. In drawers were unwrapped syringes or they were just discarded in regular trash cans.
Many celebrities were promoting this type of facial, including Kim Kardashian. It just shows that you should always look into anything and not simply take the word of an online influencer because your life could be at stake.