Prepare to faint from shock. Who could possibly have imagined that a procedure commonly known as a "vampire facial" could be dangerous? So dangerous, in fact, that the CDC had to issue a public health warning about it. If you have no idea what a vampire facial is, don't feel alone. I had to go read up on it myself, though I immediately regretted doing so. Most of us are familiar with the concept of women (mostly) going to get "facials" to improve their complexion. But there are some people working at "medical spas" who take things further... much further. They have been drawing blood from women, separating out elements of it, and injecting it into their client's faces. (I probably should have included a disturbing content warning. Sorry about that.) But three women in New Mexico got more than they bargained for. They contracted HIV from the procedure. (NPR)

Three women who were diagnosed with HIV after getting "vampire facial" procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles, federal health officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its Morbidity and Mortality Report last week that an investigation into the clinic from 2018 through 2023 showed it apparently reused disposable equipment intended for one-time use.

Although HIV transmission from contaminated blood through unsterile injection is a well-known risk, the report said this is the first documentation of probable infections involving cosmetic services.

I wouldn't blame anyone for bailing out on the story by this point, but for those with the stomach to continue, we may as well get to the bottom of what's going on here. A vampire facial involves using a syringe to draw some of the client's blood and using a centrifuge to separate out blood plasma that is rich in platelets. The plasma is then injected back into the client's face, supposedly producing a "rejuvenating" effect. 

At first glance, I suppose it doesn't sound all that dangerous. After all, the client is only being injected with her own blood, not someone else's. The trouble in the case described above is that the spa was reusing disposable syringes. If the last client had HIV (they apparently don't test for that at beauty spas) and they reuse the syringe, the next clients can and apparently did pick up the virus. 

That's far beyond simply being a dodgy practice. Who in the world would even consider doing that? I've never had a single day of formal medical training and even I realize that sounds insane. How tight was the budget at that spa that they couldn't afford to purchase more disposable syringes? The professional, glass and steel syringes used in hospitals have to be put through a sterilizer after every use. 

Then again, perhaps we shouldn't be all that surprised. The entire world of cosmetics and beauty treatments seems to have gone off-kilter in recent years. Also dealing with needles, someone apparently decided a few years back that a great way to control wrinkles on people's skin would be to inject them with botulism. I honestly thought that was a Saturday Night Live skit the first time I heard about it, but it turns out that people are doing it all of the time.

My grandmother used to have some lovely advice for youngsters, particularly the girls in our family. She would say, "God made you perfect just the way you are." That advice was frequently dispensed if any of the younger girls wanted permission to dye their hair or get their ears pierced. Perhaps we should bring those words of wisdom back for anyone considering some sort of vampire treatment or botulism injections in their faces.