Fake cosmetic surgeries wreak havoc on social media

© BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Archives

It's ugly and mean. Social networks have become the ideal hunting ground for fake plastic surgeons, ready to do anything to attract a clientele eager for quick and cheap physical transformations.

The practices are chilling. The rise of clandestine surgeons on Instagram and TikTok, offering illegal operations such as liposuction or dubious injections, has reached a new level. “It's terrifying,” Jean-Baptiste Andreoletti, deputy general secretary of the national union of plastic surgeons, told AFP. In their videos, women posing as professionals perform high-risk procedures without respecting health protocols. The consequences ? Serious infections, necrosis and potential deaths. All under the cover of attractive prices and spectacular, but often fake, transformations.

The phenomenon is growing, with a record number of reports each year. The Order of Physicians reports 128 alerts in 2024, or one every three days. The ban on certain products such as the “Lemon Bottle” has not been enough to stop the machine. This liquid supposed to melt fat is in reality a cocktail of untested and potentially deadly substances. “The most worrying thing is that we have no idea what's in it,” warns Éric Plot, president of the Society of Cosmetic Surgeons.

Behind these illegal acts are scammers who make fun of the consequences on the health of their victims, convinced that they prefer to avoid filing a complaint, often for fear of reprisals. Meanwhile, women risk their lives for a dream figure, but deformed forever.

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