What the devil is a vampire facial?
I first heard about the vampire facial, sometimes also called a “vampire facelift” when professional celebrity Kim Kardashian reportedly got one.
I weighed in on that five years ago here. There was some question in how this procedure was portrayed as to whether it involved stem cells, which seems unlikely at this point.
Kim apparently did this to try to keep a young look, but I figured it had to be risky. Now since her marriage known as Kardashian West, she reportedly has regrets about getting a vampire facial.
According to Allure,
“A few years ago, I heard about a ‘vampire facial,’ and I was so intrigued,” Kardashian West wrote. Right before she signed up to try the treatment, she found out she was pregnant, which meant that she couldn’t use the a numbing cream or painkiller before the treatment as doctors typically recommend, she says. That made for a super uncomfortable experience. “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 procedure is risky too, which is not surprising if the devices are used with many clients and potentially not cleaned and disinfected properly. Microneedling devices used for these facials look like torture devices to me (see below).
CNN reported just a few days ago that a New Mexico firm called VIP Spa that sold vampire facials may have exposed clients to infectious agents including potential HIV and other viruses through questionable practices:
“Now the department (of health) is urging clients to visit the state’s Midtown Public Health Office this week for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C lab testing and counseling.”
Some clinics and docs offering vampire facials also sell other iffy things like unproven stem cell offerings too, which could pose risks of infections and other negative outcomes.