According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, illegal silicone treatments are on the rise in the United States. This is a disturbing trend among younger individuals who are seeking a cheap alternative to actual cosmetic surgery… Cheap: If you consider gambling with your life cheap, YES. Safe: NO WAY!
This underground world of illegal silicone injections is typically hosted by individuals at “pumping parties” where groups of attendees inject each other in areas body like the breasts, lips, and buttocks with silicone for an instant pump.
According to Associate Professor of Dermatology at Tulane University in New Orleans, “ [the substance] can migrate into different organs and there have been deaths reported from the migration problems.” Take this case for example:
“On March 16, 2009, Elsa Then, an unlicensed cosmetologist, went to the Bronx home of a 44-year-old Dominican woman. She jabbed her client in the thighs and buttocks with a syringe filled with a gel-like silicone, charging $800 a cup.
Some of the silicone entered Fiordaliza Pichardo's bloodstream. She died the next day at a hospital from a blood clot. According to media reports, an autopsy showed that she had 1,400 milligrams of silicone in her lungs.
Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the New York City Medical Examiner's office, said the death was ruled a homicide because the silicone injections had been administered by ‘a nonmedical, unlicensed person.’”
There are plenty of safe options available out there, including injectables like Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesee, Boxtox, and Sculptra, all legal, FDA-approved substances available at Pope Plastic Surgery. And, as we always mention (because it is so important to your health), make sure that if you are considering a cosmetic procedure, that you consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Find out if your doctor is board-certified here.
George H. Pope, M.D. is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Pope specializes in Revisionist Surgeries, Rhinoplasty, Gynecomastia, and Breast Augmentations. He and his professional staff also administer injectables, including Botox, Restylane, and Sculptra among others.
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