It was used in the early 20th century, when some physicians believed that it had efficacy and a logical mechanism of action; it was abandoned as advancing science made clear that it lacked those.
[4] It is possible that ozonated or UV autohemotherapy may have real efficacy and effectiveness in autoimmune diseases, if they are immunomodulatory in some way (such as by interfering with the deranged autoantibodies),[2] but this mechanism of action, if it exists, is not yet well understood;[2] it is also logical that whatever molecular changes the ozone and UV bring about are unlikely to act specifically on just the desired target molecules, meaning that risks are involved.
A resurgence of interest in the 2000s[1] has led to several investigations evaluating the use of autohemotherapy as a treatment for specific dermatological conditions such as hives (urticaria) and eczema.
One fringe dermatologic application of autohemotherapy, colloquially called a "vampire facial", came to public attention in 2013 when an Instagram posting by celebrity Kim Kardashian West portrayed her "blood-soaked face" during the administration of the procedure.
[6] Side effects of the treatment may include redness, swelling, bruising, tenderness, tingling, numbness, lumpiness, and/or a feeling of pressure or fullness at the injection sites[6] which, providers claim, people recover from within two days with outlying reports from patients whose recovery took a week or more with scabbing and other problems.