Hey there, fellow skin-care fiend. In case you didn't already know (and I'll assume many of you do), it's incredibly dangerous — and I can't stress this enough — to try and administer any kind of injectable by yourself. Yes, even if it claims it's totally safe for at-home use. (Spoiler alert: They're lying.)
I realize that many of you are already more than aware of the aforementioned, but I only bring it up because as it turns out, myriad people seem to be under the impression that at-home fillers are of the norm. One of these people is Tracie Samara, a 44-year-old woman who was recently featured in a troubling piece highlighting the very alarming trend of those dabbling with DIY plastic surgery.
In Samara's case, after seeing an ad that offered free, non-invasive facial rejuvenation, she decided to give the at-home fillers a try. Ultimately, her (very dangerous) decision almost caused her to go blind. "It took me a while to realize something very wrong was going on," she said, explaining that it resulted in bruising, swelling, and nearly blinded her. (How many ways can I say not worth it?)
John J. Martin, a cosmetic ophthalmic and plastic surgeon, said Samara's situation is way more common than you think. "We’re certainly seeing a lot of things that people are injecting or putting into themselves that are not legal and should not be put into your body,” he explained. "They watch a video, and it makes it look pretty easy. You just put a little injection in here. How hard could that be?”
The answer is in situations like Samara's and similar DIY horror stories. If these experiences aren't enough proof of its peril, allow Shari Marchbein, board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine, and Min S. Ahn, double-board certified facial plastic surgeon, to set the record straight once and for all.
Read more at Allure >>