Yellow Light: Slow Down Before Jumping Into Plastic SurgeryTyra Banks Show Urges Caution With Cosmetic Procedures
Published: Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 21:25
The daytime talk show landscape is riddled with filler such as women fighting over a shared boyfriend and grossly overweight babies, but every once in a while there's an educational gem or cautionary tale to heed. Recently, the "Tyra Banks Show" explored several plastic surgery horror stories and gave advice to people planning to go under the knife or laser, or take a dip in the pedicure tub.
Tyra Banks Show Exposes Plastic Surgery NightmaresThe show opened with a profile of Yvonne, a twenty-something mother who wanted to get a tummy tuck and liposuction to tailor her body after childbirth. Yvonne, who had always felt self-conscious of her stomach, opted to get the procedures done in Tijuana to save money.
Yvonne's dream of a better body soon became a nightmare, after the practitioner performing the procedure ended up removing too much flesh, excising her stomach and part of her vagina rather than just a few pounds of stomach fat. After the botched surgery, infection and other complications set in. She was unable to get follow-up care from this facility, and is under the impression that she waived her right to sue. (The facility refuses to send Yvonne copies of the paperwork she signed to confirm.)
Three other women revealed complications following laser hair removal treatments. Elealah visited a spa at a local mall to get hair removed from her face and chin before embarking on a business trip. She still bears dark scarring on her face and neck and must wear heavy-duty makeup that just barely hides the damage.
Jaz received laser hair removal on her stomach. She had had these treatments before and perceived that day's procedure to exceptionally uncomfortable. She forced the practitioner administering the treatment to stop after being ignored initially. She blacked out from pain on the way to the hospital. Jaz still has signs of the burns present - a rectangular patch of textured banding stretching below her navel toward her bikini area.
Laser Hair RemovalKimberly went to a place her sister worked at to get hair removed from her upper lip. Like Jaz, Kimberly had experienced laser hair removal before and knew the treatment on the fateful day of her disfiguration felt different. Before the treatment ended, she heard the hair over her lip crackling from the intense heat. As a result of the damaging procedure, she has a permanent keloid on her face, as well as a crater and areas of hyper pigmentation.
Two other women acquired flesh-eating bacteria infections after receiving pedicures. One woman received over 100 open sores on her legs from a condition called micro-bacterial infection. The scars, which resemble cigarette burns, remain. The other woman ultimately died after full-body sepsis set in following the micro-bacterial infection and the loss of a fair amount of flesh on her leg, her cousin reported.
To avoid these extreme types of complications - or any others - two experts weighed in on what to look for with cosmetic procedures and pedicures.
Jay Calvert, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon for the Roxbury Clinic and Surgery Center in Beverly Hills, CA, had this advice:
Go to a medi-spa, where a licensed professional serves as a supervisor, for procedures. Ask for referrals from your primary care physician, a plastic surgeon, or family and friends.
Research the business. How long has it been around? How long have the practitioners been there? Do they have malpractice insurance coverage? You also will want to check at your county courthouse or its Web site to see if the medi-spa has ever been involved in a malpractice suit.
Research online what typically occurs during the procedure you've scheduled or ask a plastic surgeon or your primary care physician for an explanation.
Ask who the medical director of the medi-spa is. The person should have some sort of medical degree, as well as certification for the state in which the spa is operating.
Confirm that technicians performing procedures are licensed and are up-to-date on administering treatments through ongoing training.
Ask for a consultation. This will prevent you from receiving the wrong procedure for what you want to achieve.
Check the equipment. Is it maintained properly? Has it been inspected?
Tina Bright, co-owner of L.A. Vie L'Orange Spa, and Banks' mani-pedi person, had this advice for getting pedicures:
Skip the pedicure chair with massage jets. To really clean these, they must be virtually taken apart. Most salons don't do this on a regular basis.
Ensure the tools used on you are completely sterile, as opposed to cleaned with soap and water. You may want to bring your own set of tools to use.
One final word of advice is to trust your instincts. If something seems like it's not going right, you're probably correct. Several guests on the show recalled ignoring their gut feelings of uneasiness or discomfort and now regret doing this. You may also want to read Body Philosophy's Guide to Choosing a Surgeon and Medical Spas: How to Make an Informed Decision.
