Two people who received facial injections from the same spa in the US have contracted HIV, health officials have announced.
The VIP Spa in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was shut down last year and now other customers are being urged to get tested for HIV and hepatitis.
The spa offered so-called vampire facials, popularised by Kim Kardashian, whereby a person's own blood is injected into their face to replenish skin. However, the spa was closed in September after health inspectors ruled that their practices 'could potentially spread blood-borne infections'.
Both of the customers recently contracted the same strain of HIV and both received injection procedures at the spa between last May and September, however, it is not clear whether their contraction of the virus was caused by the treatment.
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According to Viral Thread, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) said: "The NMDOH investigation has not identified potential exposures for HIV transmission other than the injection-related procedures at the VIP Spa.
"Additional laboratory testing on specimens from the two clients indicates recent infection with the same HIV virus - increasing the likelihood that the two HIV infections may have resulted from a procedure at the VIP spa."
Kathy Kunkel, the NMDOH cabinet secretary, reiterated the importance of getting tested.
She said: "While over 100 VIP Spa clients have already been tested, NMDOH is reaching out to ensure that testing and counselling services are available for individuals who received injection-related services at the VIP Spa.
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"Testing is important for everyone as there are effective treatments for HIV and many hepatitis infections."
A vampire facial, or platelet-rich plasma facial, involves extracting platelets from a person's blood and injecting it below the skin of the face in order to fill out wrinkles.
Kim Kardashian brought the treatment into the public eye, though she later admitted that she regretted it, as she was unable to take painkillers during the procedure due to her pregnancy.
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In a post on her website, she said: "It was really rough and painful for me. It was honestly the most painful thing ever! It's the one treatment that I'll never do again."
The efficacy of the facial treatment is also a moot point, with some studies suggesting it could work and others suggesting it may be a gimmick.
Featured Image Credit: PA