It’s been said countless times, yet the men and women who manage to forget all too often must learn the hard way that cosmetic medicine is a “buyer beware” industry full of unqualified, unscrupulous characters promising eternal youth for prices so low, you might think they’re too good to be true—and they usually are.
A recent story featured by CBS Atlanta reminded consumers of the risks involved with seeking discount cosmetic surgery by telling the story of Kenyatta Brown, a mother of four who nearly bled to death during a routine breast augmentation procedure she had performed by an Atlanta eye doctor.
The doctor, obviously practicing outside his specialty area of ophthalmology, did not have adequate plastic surgery training; however like so many physicians, he advertised drastically reduced breast augmentation prices and attempted the surgery in hopes of cashing in on the lucrative, cash-only cosmetic medical industry.
In some cases, people who are not even licensed medical professionals attempt to practice cosmetic medicine, operating low-cost, unlicensed clinics and promising unsuspecting victims body contouring and cosmetic enhancement for a fraction of the usual cost.
According to the Orange County Register, Mayra Lissette Contreras, 22, of Pacoima, Calif. was duped into seeking treatment at one such back-alley cosmetics clinic run by sisters Guadalupe Viveros, 53, and Alejandra Viveros, 50, of Sylmar, Calif.
After receiving what can only be assumed were silicone injections for buttocks enlargement, Contreras became ill and eventually died of apparent respiratory problems.
The Viveros sisters are wanted by police but may have fled to Mexico to avoid being prosecuted for Contreras’s death.
Do your research before seeking cosmetic treatments
It is important to research both your medical practitioner and educate yourself about the cosmetic procedure(s) you desire before seeking treatment. Use your common sense, and if any warning bells go off, trust your gut.
Hopefully, these cautionary tales will help prospective cosmetic surgery patients to remember that deep discounts for cosmetic treatments are probably too good to be true.
It’s not worth risking your life to save a few dollars on improving your bustline or derriere, and even if you do not experience health problems as a result of undergoing a suspiciously inexpensive cosmetic procedure, there is a good chance that the results will not be worth your money and may leave you worse off than you started.
In cosmetic medicine, you typically get what you pay for.
