Updated: 7:32 AM PDT Apr 22, 2021
Maggie Krajewski
Digital Media Manager
The former owner of a now-closed spa is facing 24 felony charges after an investigation found that at least two clients contracted HIV after receiving a "Vampire Facial."New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the indictment Wednesday charging Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz with a slew of charges including practicing medicine without a license, racketeering, fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.The VIP Salon closed in September of 2018 after an inspection found practices that could potentially spread blood-borne infections such as HIV and hepatitis B and C to clients. In April 2019, the New Mexico Department of Health announced that at least two clients who had received a Vampire Facial at the salon had tested positive for HIV. The clients had received the injection-related procedure between May and September of 2018. In a Vampire Facial, a small amount of a client's blood is drawn and then spun to extract its plasma. That plasma is then injected into the face with a needle.The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department said the owner of VIP Spa did not have a licensed professional to draw blood.Only a medical professional can do that."Individuals who jeopardize the health and safety of New Mexican families must be held accountable," said Attorney General Balderas. "We look forward to presenting this case at trial."Balderas, along with the DOH, continues to encourage anyone who is interested in this kind of procedure to do their homework first.Consumers should ask questions of providers of PRP therapy or "Vampire Facials" prior to undergoing the procedure. Consumers have the right to know:Whether or not the establishment uses universal precautions — similar to tattoo parlors or a medical facility.What precautions are utilized?Who will be performing the procedure? Will it be performed by a licensed medical professional? Cosmetologists and estheticians are not licensed to conduct medical procedures. At a minimum, one must be qualified as a phlebotomist to draw blood, and if injections are administered below the sub dermis, a nurse or physician must perform the procedure.Does the establishment have a medical director? If so, what are their qualifications? Is it a physician or a nurse practitioner?