ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Vampire facials, a cosmetic procedure that seeks to rejuvenate skin, and the safety surrounding them are coming into question.
Vampire facials became popular over the past decade after celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, posted graphic, bloody pictures during the treatment on social media.
But since then, three women in New Mexico were infected with HIV following the procedure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
"It's a regenerative property, so it's pretty much using your own goods to rejuvenate yourself.”Jackie Walsh, a nurse injector who performs the facial at Meesha Aesthetics
The procedure uses aesthetic micro-needling to stimulate collagen production, then uses the patient’s own blood to increase the healing time.
The blood is drawn and separated before the needling. The platelet rich plasma, or PRP, then is used on the face after the injections.
"Plasma studies show it's regenerative; they use it in joint replacements," said Jackie Walsh, a nurse injector who performs the facial at Meesha Aesthetics, which has five locations, including Allentown and Coopersburg.
"It's a regenerative property, so it's pretty much using your own goods to rejuvenate yourself.”
'You need to know anatomy'
Walsh said she wants people know there’s no need to be scared, just safe.
“We use the Skin Pen, which is FDA approved in the United States,” she said. “It doesn't have any kind of backflow where there could be a blood mismanagement somewhere, nothing is ever left in a tube, the tip is disposable so that's removed.
"The handles are also covered with a plastic sheet, so there's no possible way that there's contamination on the machine itself.”
“Number one, it's your face. This isn't a manicure. This is very important. You need to know anatomy. You need to know how the face works, how it moves."Jackie Walsh, a nurse injector who performs the facial at Meesha Aesthetics
Walsh spoke of the importance of researching a medical spa before going and knowing that the person performing the treatment is a certified medical provider.
“Number one, it's your face," she said. "This isn't a manicure. This is very important. You need to know anatomy. You need to know how the face works, how it moves.
"We manipulate muscles with neurotoxins; we're placing filler below the skin where we can't see your vessels. So you really need to be educated.”
Chris Balbi, owner of Meesha Aesthetics, suggests clients look for credentials and certifications before treatment.
“The credentialing behind her name, RN, means that she passed school to be a registered nurse and if you don't go to someone who's a registered nurse, at minimum, you can't be sure that they went through the proper education to know what sanitation is,” Balbi said.
'Should be in a medical facility'
Balbi encouraged people to check out Meesha’s website with a list of “the five things that you should ask your injector before getting treated.”
“You as a consumer can watch what's happening in your room, and you'll get a sense of how clean is this provider," he said. "Do they have a sharps container where they're properly disposing of things?
"Are they wearing gloves during the blood draw? Are they swapping out fresh needles that are wrapped?”
“You don't want to have this done in a hotel. You do not want to have this done in somebody's basement. You should be in a medical facility. They should be confirming your name, your date of birth and know who you are.”Jackie Walsh, a nurse injector who performs the facial at Meesha Aesthetics
The CDC report out of New Mexico found that the facility was not licensed or using the correct safety and sterilization practices.
“You don't want to have this done in a hotel," Walsh said. "You do not want to have this done in somebody's basement.
"You should be in a medical facility. They should be confirming your name, your date of birth and know who you are.”
She said a medical provider such as a registered nurse or nurse practitioner should perform any injectable procedure. She said patients should research a facility and make sure it's licensed before scheduling any services.
She added that it’s OK to ask questions and go through a consultation before getting any services.
