Auckland hair salon offers $650 ‘vampire facial’ with no evidence of medical qualification, claims doctor

A hair and beauty salon in Auckland is performing “vampire facials” without the required medical qualifications putting customers at risk of stroke, nerve damage and embolism, a doctor claims.

The salon, which the Herald has chosen not to name, advertises the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facials otherwise known as “vampire facials” alongside its services of haircuts and colours.

The facial, a treatment made famous by influencer Kim Kardashian, involves drawing blood from the arm, putting it through a centrifuge machine, and then injecting the resulting plasma into the face or scalp.

The treatment aims to improve texture, fine lines and pore size and reduce scarring, and there are claims it can reduce hair loss. The Herald has been unable to verify these claims.

Kim Kardashian shared this picture on Instagram in 2013 after undergoing a "vampire facial".

PRP facials have been linked to the spread of HIV infections overseas.

A visitor to the South Auckland salon, said they were alarmed to see the $650 facials on offer and asked the owner about them.

A sign outside an Auckland salon advertises plasma treatment among its range of services.

“She said she did them but also had another woman who had done an online course in Sri Lanka,” the visitor said.

“These facials involve taking blood and use needles so a New Zealand-registered nurse or doctor should do them.”

A doctor told the Herald that PRP or vampire facials were low risk when performed by a qualified professional in a sterile environment and with the correct equipment.

“But they are dangerous when performed by someone not medically trained because you can inject into a nerve ending or vein. Injecting a bubble into the vein could end in embolism or stroke. There is also a risk of infection,” claimed the doctor.

They also questioned where the salon was sourcing equipment such as test tubes and needles.

“Is it sterile? Is it from Temu or Ali Express?”

When the Herald later visited the salon, the owner said a nurse took the blood and the owner injected the plasma herself.

But when the owner was told she was speaking to a journalist she said that PRP facials were unavailable as her nurse was overseas.

She then said she did not perform the facials herself.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facials involve blood being taken from a customer's arm and spun in a centrifuge machine. The resulting plasma is then injected into the face or scalp.

In New Zealand, any cosmetic treatment using needles, such as botox, dermal fillers and PRP, must be performed by a registered cosmetic nurse or doctor according to the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Medicine (NZSCM).

Regulations are stricter in the UK, where anyone injecting for cosmetic reasons must be medically qualified as a surgeon, doctor, dentist or nurse with current registration with the General Medical Council (GMC), General Dental Council (GDC) or Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC).

In New Zealand, cosmetic nurses are registered nurses who then undergo further training in their specialised field.

Dr Sarah Hart from the NZSCM said: “We would have significant concerns about anyone other than a nurse or doctor doing this.”

She said it was not something the association had encountered before and it would be seeking further information.

Kirsty Wynn is an Auckland-based journalist with more than 20 years experience in New Zealand newsrooms. She has covered everything from crime and social issues to the property market and has a current focus on consumer affairs.