Health officials are urging people who visited the now-closed VIP Spa in Albuquerque to get tested for HIV after two people contracted the virus following a “vampire facial.”
The so-called beauty treatment “involves drawing blood and placing it into a centrifuge in order to separate the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) from the red blood cells and reinjecting it back into a person’s face,” MSN writes.
The facial was made popular by Kim Kardashian in 2013 after she posted a photo of herself undergoing the procedure onto social media.
“While over 100 VIP Spa clients have already been tested, NMDOH is reaching out to ensure that testing and counseling services are available for individuals who received injection related services at the VIP Spa,” Kathy Kunkel, New Mexico Department of Health’s cabinet secretary, said in a written statement on Monday.
“Testing is important for everyone as there are effective treatments for HIV and many hepatitis infections,” she said. According to the department, free testing services are being provided in Albuquerque at South Valley Health Commons and Casa de Salud Family Medical Office, the report states.
The VIP Spa closed in September last year after an inspection found unsafe practices that put clients at risk to blood-borne infections, such as HIV, per KTLA.
