The New Mexico Department of Health is urging anyone who received an injection at an Albuquerque spa to get tested after two people who had a "vampire facial" were diagnosed with HIV.



The agency is investigating after the HIV infections were detected in two clients of VIP Spa who received "vampire" facials — a procedure in which a person's own blood is injected into their face as a way of refreshing their skin — between March and September 2018.

The two people were found to have contracted the same virus strain — increasing the likelihood that the two cases resulted from procedures done at VIP Spa, health officials said.

According to the state's Department of Health, VIP Spa closed on Sept. 7, 2018, after an inspection found problems with the handling of needles.

Kathy Kunkel, the New Mexico Department of Health cabinet secretary, said in a statement that more than 100 clients who received injection services have been tested for HIV, as well as hepatitis B and C.

"Testing is important for everyone as there are effective treatments for HIV and many hepatitis infections," Kunkel said.



The procedure was popularized in 2013 by Kim Kardashian West after she posted a selfie on Instagram with blood on her face.