‘Vampire facials’ at unlicensed spa likely resulted in HIV infections: CDC

The shocking findings would make them the first known cases of the virus being transmitted during a non-sterile cosmetic injection procedure, the CDC says.

A “vampire facial,” according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, is a procedure where blood is drawn from the arm, placed into a machine which “separates the platelets from the rest of your blood,” then is “re-injected into you (only the part of your blood that contains a high concentration of platelets).”

The procedure is also known as “platelet-rich plasma” and is considered to be a more affordable and less invasive option than getting a facelift.

Kim Kardashian is among those to have undergone the treatment. She posted an image of her bloody face after undergoing the process in 2013 but has since come out against the procedure.

The CDC’s investigation states that a woman in her 40s tested positive for HIV while traveling abroad in 2018.