New Mexico Department of Health Urges Former Customers of Defunct Spa to Get Tested for HIV and Other Bloodborne Infections
Albuquerque, New Mexico – The New Mexico Department of Health is urging former customers of the now-defunct VIP Beauty Salon and Spa to get tested for HIV and other bloodborne infections. Officials have identified several new cases of HIV tied to services provided at the spa, including the controversial “vampire facials.” The spa was shut down in 2018 due to unsafe practices that exposed customers to these infections.
Vampire facials are a type of microneedling procedure that punctures the skin with tiny needles to stimulate healing and collagen production. During a vampire facial, platelet-rich blood is added to the skin in an effort to enhance the healing process, resulting in a blood-soaked appearance. However, there is limited evidence to support the skincare benefits of platelet-rich blood.
Typically, the procedure is considered low risk since the blood is sourced from the same person receiving the facial. However, improper sterilization of the tools used for the treatment can lead to cross-contamination. This is precisely what happened at the VIP Beauty Salon and Spa.
The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Barbers and Cosmetologists Board conducted an investigation into the spa approximately five years ago, which revealed practices that could have spread bloodborne infections like HIV. As a result, the spa was permanently closed in September 2018. Over the next two years, more than 100 former customers were tested for these infections, with two cases potentially linked to the spa discovered in 2019. In June 2022, the owner of the spa pleaded guilty to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license.
Unfortunately, this year, the Department of Health’s Infectious Disease Bureau received a report of a newly identified HIV case with no self-reported risk factors other than having received a vampire facial at the spa in 2018. This case prompted the department to reopen its investigation, leading to the discovery of several other HIV cases directly or indirectly linked to the spa.
Health officials are advising anyone who received an injection-related service at the VIP Beauty Salon and Spa, including vampire facials, to seek HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C lab testing. Even individuals who originally tested negative during the initial investigation are being urged to get retested.
“It’s very important that we spread the word and remind people who received any kind of injection-related service at the VIP Spa to come in for free and confidential testing,” said Laura Parajon, deputy secretary for the New Mexico Department of Health.
To facilitate testing for former customers, the New Mexico Department of Health has organized three walk-in testing events this month at the South Valley Public Health office in Albuquerque. People can also schedule free and confidential testing at any other public health office in New Mexico. Additional information about testing services in the state can be found on the department’s website.