Annoyed: what beauty procedures can you do with HBV?

[Arb]

Esthetic medicine and cosmetology are quite developed studies nowadays. There are plenty of procedures to reverse the effects of aging and help with your flaws: botox, fillers, red-light therapy, peelings, acids and many others. Not to mention plastic surgery.

However, I noticed that being HBV-positive is a contraindication for many of the procedures I have some concerns to address: acne scars, grayish skin tone, naso-labial folds, loss of volume in my face — because of these I look much older than I am. People give me over 40 whereas I’m only 34. Over-the-counter products can get you only so far, so I’ve eyeing a procedure called microneedling or mesotherapy with exosomes. Mesotherapy is a technique when they inject some vitamins or herbal extracts or enzymes under your skin to improve its quality. Microneedling is a procedure with a device that punctures your face with hundreds of tiny needless to promote collagen production and making the skin more firm. Additionally, it can inject exosomes — molecules that contain growth factors and proteins derived from plants.

It frustrates me that I’m not an eligible patient for these. Clinic says that being a carrier of any viral disease are not allowed to undergo the procedure. It’s not clear to me why: either they’re afraid of contamination and their own health, or these treatments can have a negative impact on us. I’m not sure what’s more true. I found one scientific article related to HIV and exosomes but I don’t know what I can make of it because I’m not an expert and don’t really understand.

So I turn to you: do you have any firsthand experience with regards to some beauty procedures, skin care treatments? Have you ever had any being HBV+? What did beauticians/ cosmetologists say about it?

[john.tavis]

Dear @Arb,

I have no first-had experience with any cosmetic issues, but I am quite familiar with HBV transmission risks during medical procedures.

Risk of transmission in the procedures you discuss can readily be managed–in exactly the same way they are managed during any surgical or medical injection procedure. The medical community manages it by having the caregiver wear gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection (to block transmission from splattered blood), by employing single-use needles and scalpels, and by having the caregivers be vaccinated against HBV. Those common-sense protections work very well.

My suspicion is that the cosmetic providers you have contacted are acting on bad information, which may well be amplified by unjustified stigma against HBV+ people.

I’m sure this won’t change the providers’ minds, but it at least gives you reliable information.

I wish you the best,

John.

[ThomasTu]

Hi @Arb,

Thanks for sharing these issues. Despite my good looks (), I’ve not been to any of these kinds of services. My understanding is that in many cases, the hydration of the skin through glycerine is the major driver of the effect, so it might be worth using some sorbolene or similar rather than undergo some of these more invasive procedures. That said, it is incredibly difficult to sort out the good studies from the bad in this area due to a lot of beauty industry distortion of the literature.

To be honest, all cosmetologists should be assuming everyone that walks through their door is potentially infectious - this type of thinking is called “universal precautions” and is standard procedure in health care settings. This should be particularly the case for Hepatitis B, as most people with hepatitis B do not know that they have it.

There should be measures in place to prevent exposure of the staff and other customers to anything from you (and vice-versa). If they are defensive about this or look unconfident about being able to ensure this, maybe it is best that you take your patronage somewhere else.

I’d be interested in hearing from @LawExperts about what actually needs to be disclosed in these circumstances, as they are perhaps outside medical procedure and law.

Cheers,
Thomas