'Falling into the trap' of cosmetic surgery near Tet

The 1.5 m tall, 80 kg woman, who was self-conscious about her appearance, went to a spa in Truong Dinh (Hanoi) for liposuction in mid-December. The spa advertised the service as "no anesthesia, no invasion, go home immediately after the intervention". Hearing the advertisement as if "pouring honey into her ears", she paid the entire cost in advance and underwent the surgery while awake.

After liposuction, the spa staff provided 4 injections at home, saying they were antibiotics but the ingredients were unknown. A day later, the woman felt tired and weak, which was explained by "blood loss and high doses of antibiotics". Her condition did not improve, and she was hospitalized in critical condition, with septic shock, a hard, distended abdomen, and severe necrosis in the lower abdomen, flanks, and around the navel. The patient is currently at Hanoi Medical University Hospital.

The patient was treated for shock, infection control, constant dressing changes and skin grafting was planned to replace the necrotic area. "I went through terrible pain," she shared. Dr. Hoang Hong, Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, said that although the woman's life was saved, the skin on her abdomen could not be restored.

Many cases have suffered serious complications after "falling into the trap" of untrustworthy beauty facilities, like the woman above, according to Ms. Hong. In addition to mild infections, this place is treating many patients with poor prognosis. For example, a 29-year-old girl spent 100 million VND for liposuction at a private facility advertised as "painless, no complications". However, the person performing the procedure was not qualified, causing her abdomen to become tight and lumpy. Dr. Hong said these deformed lumps caused pain, were unsightly, and had to be removed.

Another woman, 35, had filler injections to lift her face at a beauty salon, and was promised "beauty after the first injection". The next day, she had a headache, her face was swollen and stiff, and the injection site had an abscess and pus. The hospital had to prescribe antibiotics and antibacterials, but the scar on her face needed long-term treatment.

About two months before Tet, beauty salons launched many promotional programs such as "pre-Tet beauty without swelling or pain", "instant beauty", "cheapest in the world"... Many places offered 50-70% price reductions, even refunds if ineffective, to attract customers. Not to mention, beauty salons also impersonated famous doctors to make money and profit; untrained staff, lacking licenses or certificates, still practiced. Many facilities "disguised" as hospitals, performed surgeries with incorrect procedures. Therefore, the number of cases of accidents and complications also increased.

"Gullible people can easily fall into the advertising traps of these establishments and become easy prey, even risking their health and lives, which is extremely dangerous," said Dr. Hong.

Dr. Hoang Thanh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Aesthetic Center, 108 Central Military Hospital, said that people who want to beautify themselves are of many ages, from young to middle-aged, and women after giving birth, who want to have quick and beautiful cosmetic procedures to celebrate Tet. Usually, people choose services that require little intervention and quick recovery such as filler injections, nose lifts, face lifts, lip and eyebrow tattooing, skin rejuvenation, etc. Many people take advantage of the long Tet holiday to undergo major surgeries such as breast augmentation, buttock augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, and jaw reduction.

"However, any intervention or invasive method has risks if the procedure is not guaranteed and the person performing it is not skilled enough," the doctor said. Eyelid surgery, filler injection, dimple creation... have risks of inflammation, infection, and drug shock. Many cases of complications require skin grafting and plastic surgery, which takes a lot of time, money, and health. Major surgeries have risks of bleeding, blood loss, and severe cases of necrosis, deformity, requiring long-term treatment, organ occlusion, and even death if the procedure is not followed.

Doctors recommend that everyone needs to be serious and sober before doing beauty treatments, not to rush, to be greedy for cheapness leading to "falling into advertising traps" and losing money. When doing beauty treatments, you need to consult experts and choose a reputable beauty facility. Do not follow trends, but choose reasonable beauty services that are suitable for your age.

"There is no method that can 'immediately beautify' after just one session as advertised," said Dr. Tuan, advising that beauty requires time, care and must be performed at a reputable facility. You should listen to the doctor's advice, learn carefully about the method, how to perform, process, materials, medications to take... For example, major surgeries such as breast augmentation, liposuction, buttock augmentation must be performed at the hospital, must be anesthetized, and monitored after the intervention. Even injecting fillers, which seems simple, requires the person performing the procedure to be a well-trained, experienced doctor.