Many people go in for cosmetic surgery hoping to look better. But in the wrong hands, you can end up with horrifying and often disfiguring results. 7’s Diana Diaz shows us how a South Florida doctor is helping correct “Botched Beauty.”
WSVN — Tracie Samara grew up as a beauty queen and even when she hit middle age the 45-year-old still had dreams of returning to modeling.
Tracy Samara: “I decided to go back into the industry so things were just needing a little rejuvenation.”
Looking for a cosmetic touch up, Tracie went to a Miami doctor who offered her a non-invasive rejuvenation using fillers.
Tracy Samara: “He started injecting here, here. I left there, I was bruised, bruised.”
Several weeks later Tracie developed horrible infections under her eyes.
Tracy Samara: “The infection got really bad here and took out some chunks of tissue itself. I was lucky that I didn’t lose my eye.”
The product that was injected into her lips and under her eyes soon turned into hard and lumpy nodules. After numerous surgeries to try and remove the product her face was left partially deformed.
Tracy Samara: “I sort of went underground after that. No going out, no socializing.”
After years of doctors refusing to help her, Tracie has finally found some hope. Dr. John Martin in Coral Gables is working with patients who have received bad injections.
Dr. John Martin: “The most common illegal product we see being injected is something called Biopolymer, and this is a type of silicone. After two to three weeks, it can start to form what are called granulomas, which are inflammatory nodules.”
Dr. Martin is now Ultherapy to try to break up these nodules.
Dr. John Martin: “Which is a deep ultrasound heating unit which is actually used to tighten the skin around the neck. And what we’ve found is when we use it over these nodules, it tends to soften these nodules sort of breaks them up and decreases the size.”
Patients will need numerous treatments and it can be very painful.
Tracy Samara: “It hurts. I won’t say it doesn’t.”
This is a picture of a South Florida woman who didn’t want to be identified
You can see the difference in her lips before and after the Ultherapy treatments. As for Tracie, she’s had five treatments and Dr. Martin says she will eventually be able to have some corrective surgery.
For the first time in years Tracie sees a glimmer of her old self.
Tracy Samara: “I’m still not happy with the way I look, but I feel hope. And I didn’t have that before.”
Diana Diaz: If you’re considering getting fillers make sure your doctor is board certified in the U.S. and has been trained in injecting fillers. And always ask what they are injecting and demand to see them open a sealed product.
FOR MORE INFO:
Dr. John Martin
2912 S. Douglas Rd.
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 444-5950