3 weeks ago
Four middle-aged women were infected pinch HIV while receiving 'vampire facials' astatine a spa successful New Mexico, nan CDC has confirmed.
The charismatic connection marks nan first known HIV cases transmitted done cosmetic injection.
VIP Beauty Salon and Spa successful Albuquerque offered 'vampire facials' and was closed successful 2018 aft an investigation revealed unwrapped needles scattered successful nan salon and unlabeled syringes.
'Vampire facials', popularized by celebrities for illustration Kim Kardashian, impact extracting humor from elsewhere connected nan assemblage and injecting it into nan look successful nan dream of stimulating new, rejuvenated tegument cells.
The proprietor of VIP Spa, Maria Ramos de Ruiz, 62, pleaded blameworthy successful June 2022 to 5 felony counts of practicing medicine without a licence and is serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence
VIP Beauty Salon and Spa successful Albuquerque (pictured successful April 2017) offered 'vampire facials' and was closed successful 2018 aft 2 cases of HIV were linked to it. In 2023, a further 3 cases among anterior clients were identified
It is thought that HIV could person been dispersed via shared needles utilized by nan spa.
The first female tested affirmative for HIV successful summertime 2018 aft getting a vampire facial. She had nary history of injectable supplier use, caller humor transfusions aliases caller intersexual interaction pinch personification pinch HIV.
The 2nd and 3rd women besides received vampire facials successful 2018. One was diagnosed pinch nan earliest shape of HIV successful 2019, and nan different successful 2023, erstwhile she was taken to nan infirmary pinch terrible symptoms.
A abstracted female and a man besides tested affirmative for HIV. The female was fixed a vampire facial astatine nan spa, while nan man contracted nan infection done having activity pinch her. He ne'er received immoderate services from nan spa.
The patients ranged successful property from 40 to 60 years, nan CDC said.
The CDC and wellness section investigators wished that up to 59 spa attendees whitethorn person been exposed to HIV and of those, 20 had received vampire facials.
In June 2022, nan spa's owner Maria Ramos de Ruiz, 62, pleaded blameworthy to 5 felony counts of practicing medicine without a licence and was sentenced to three-and-a-half years successful prison.
Maria Ramos de Ruiz (pictured successful 2021) was indicted connected much than 20 felony counts aft 2 clients claimed they contracted HIV from a 'vampire facial' astatine her salon
Kim Kardashian popularized nan 'vampire facial' erstwhile she posted a selfie of her look covered successful humor successful 2013
The spa, astatine 809 Tijeras Avenue, closed in September 2018 aft an inspection by nan New Mexico Department of Health and nan CDC discovered unwrapped needles scattered successful drawers, connected counters and discarded successful trash cans, arsenic good arsenic a rack of unlabeled humor tubes.
The vampire facial process was made celebrated by celebrities and is said to trim good lines and wrinkles, plump sagging tegument and amended tegument tone.
Blood is usually taken from nan limb and separated into 'youth-boosting' platelet-rich plasma, which is past applied to facial tegument that has been pricked pinch microneedles.
Inspectors besides recovered clone certificates for cosmetic medicine training connected nan wall and a clone certificate from nan University of Phoenix, The Albuquerque Journal reported.
Ramos de Ruiz's cosmetologist licence had expired successful 2013.
Inspectors uncovered galore wellness codification violations, including unwrapped needles, humor being dumped into nan room descend and unlabeled syringes beside nutrient successful nan refrigerator, The Albuquerque Journal reported.
Ramos de Ruiz told inspectors that she did bosom and hips sculpting, cellulite treatments and 'vampire facials'
She was ordered by the New Mexico Medical Board to extremity her unlicensed believe of medicine successful nan authorities successful December of 2018.
Ramos de Ruiz is presently serving her condemnation astatine Springer Correctional Center, according to inmate records.
