Two test positive for HIV after ‘vampire facials’ at New Mexico spa, officials say

Two people who received “vampire facials” at a now-closed Albuquerque salon later tested positive for HIV, New Mexico officials say.

Now former VIP Salon owner Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz faces 24 felony charges, including practicing medicine without a license, the state Attorney General’s office says.

Other charges include racketeering, fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, prosecutors said.

In 2019, two VIP Salon customers who had received “vampire facials” tested positive for HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, prosecutors said.

Vampire facials are a medical procedure involving platelet rich plasma therapy to rejuvenate damaged skin, according to Allure. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Bar Refaeli have undergone the procedure.

Investigators found numerous health and safety violations at the salon in 2018, including “unwrapped needles, blood being dumped into the kitchen sink and unlabeled syringes beside food in the refrigerator,” The Albuquerque Journal reported.

Ramos de Ruiz told investigators that machine tubing was not cleaned between treatments, according to the publication. The probe also uncovered phony diplomas and licenses at the salon, investigators said.

Ramos de Ruiz hasn’t commented publicly on the charges.

“Individuals who jeopardize the health and safety of New Mexican families must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Hector Balderas in a statement.

All told, 137 VIP Salon customers sought testing for HIV and hepatitis after receiving vampire facials or other treatments, The Albuquerque Journal reported.

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