Nadine Dilong A spa in Albuquerque in the US had to shut shop after an inspection earlier this month revealed that non-compliant practices during PRP treatments, also known as Vampire facials, may have put several clients at risk of blood-borne infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis.
“We undertook the inspection because a client of the VIP Spa developed an infection that may have resulted from a procedure performed at the spa,” New Mexico epidemiologist Dr. Michael Landen told local news outlet KRQE.
What followed was a statement by Lynn Gallagher, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Health, released last week saying “it is very important that anyone who received a vampire facial or other injection related service at the VIP Spa in May or June of 2018 come to the Midtown Public Health Office for free and confidential lab testing and counseling.”
PRP involves the drawing of a client’s blood, which then gets re-injected after being put in a centrifuge to garner platelet-rich plasma. Said to promote cell renewal, it’s become a popular treatment after Kim Kardashian underwent the not for the faint-hearted procedure on an episode of her reality TV show.
As with any treatment involving needles and the penetration of the skin, sterile equipment is paramount for a patient’s safety. If VIP spa failed to use clean equipment, the consequences could be extremely serious for affected clients.
It goes to show the importance of proper safety and cleanliness protocols put in place in any beauty-related business, especially those offering injection-based treatments. The storage, handling, and disposal of needles has to be based on strict guidelines and practices that every staff member needs to adhere to in order to prevent cases like this one in which patients’ health and safety is put at risk.
