The skin rejuvenation procedures like ‘Vampire facial’ are conducted by cosmetologists in order to regenerate the damaged part of the patient’s skin, which will make you look younger. In many regions, even a spa offers this service. But is it really safe? Is there any risk behind it?

In Vampire facial, the platelets are extracted from the client’s blood and re-injected back into the face via micro-needling method. Though this procedure seems to be effective, no research study claims that it has a long-lasting effect. The risk is found especially in handling the blood.

When a client reported that she got affected by an unspecified disease following the Vampire facial procedure, the health officials from the New Mexico Department of Health, along with representatives of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department and the Barbers and Cosmetologists Board, visited the spa located in Albuquerque, from where she had gone through her facial. They checked the injectable procedures, where the spa owner claimed that she uses only disposable needles.

Michelle Copeland, M.D., the plastic surgeon from New York City, said "The risk of infection using blood products is greater than using sterile injectables. It's not a closed syringe, so there is a risk when transferring the product from one tube to another." 

Still, on the safer side, the officials recommend that the clients should get themselves tested for blood-borne diseases like hepatitis-B/C and HIV.

Lynn Gallagher, the NMDH Cabinet Secretary, said “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.”