A former beauty queen has revealed the terrifying results of her botched ‘facial rejuvenation’ which left her scarred for life as she warned others to stop being ‘guinea pigs’ for cosmetic procedures.
Tracie Samara, 61, narrowly escaped permanent blindness after winning a competition that promised her free cosmetic surgery.
The Miami model got the facelift when she was in her 40s and has regretted it every day since as it left her face permanently scarred and bruised – changing her life forever.
Now, Tracie is warning anyone looking to get cosmetic surgery as she urges people to exercise confidence.
Tracie Samara, 61, (pictured after the procedure) narrowly escaped permanent blindness after winning a competition which promised her a free cosmetic operation
The Miami model (pictured before the procedure) got the facelift when she was in her 40s and has regretted it every day since
She revealed the terrifying results of her botched ‘facial rejuvenation’ that left her scarred for life (seen after the procedure)
Tracie once boasted an impressive modeling career, however, at the age of 40, she decided to say goodbye to the industry to start a family.
When she reached her 40s, she decided to return to the world of beauty, but wanted to renew her appearance with non-invasive procedures.
And as luck would have it, around the same time, Tracie found an ad in a newspaper for a contest for a free non-invasive facial rejuvenation.
She explained: “I thought about doing some non-invasive procedures to freshen up my look and turn back the clock a bit.
“I should have gone to a reputable doctor, but when I came across an ad in the paper announcing a competition for a free non-invasive facial rejuvenation, I jumped at the chance and entered.
“To my surprise, I won.”
The former model had never had any cosmetic surgery and didn’t know what to expect.
However, she was confident that things would go well, she walked into the clinic and noted that it looked reliable.
‘I I had never had any cosmetic procedures before and had no idea what to expect when I arrived for my first treatment. It didn’t look shady or anything. It was a proper medical clinic, not some backyard apartment,” he said.
When she reached her 40s, she decided to return to the world of beauty, but wanted to refresh her appearance with non-invasive procedures (seen after the procedure)
The former model (shown after the procedure) had never had any cosmetic surgery and wasn’t sure what to expect
She noted that before the procedure began she tried to ask questions, but the doctors dismissed her.
“I tried to ask questions but the doctor pushed me away and told me to lie down and try to relax,” he added.
Tracie received several fillers in her cheeks, lips and eyes.
Immediately after the procedure, Tracie’s face was covered in bruises and completely swollen.
The former model assumed that this was just an initial part of the healing process.
However, several weeks later, it became painfully clear that something was wrong.
She explained: “Both of my eyes were infected and the swelling and bruising underneath got so bad that there were huge bumps, which almost blinded me.
“When I mentioned it to the doctor who did the procedure, he blamed it on my vegetarian diet, saying I was low in iron.
“It made me feel like I had done something wrong.”
Despite the bad experience, Tracie remained hopeful that she would get better and decided to undergo the remaining procedures at the same clinic in an attempt to restore her face to its original appearance.
Immediately after the procedure, Tracie’s face was covered in bruises and completely swollen
Today, Tracie (shown after the procedure) is still trying to reverse the damage
However, the initial operations had taken a toll on her facial appearance, leaving her disfigured by the deep infection that had penetrated the underlying tissue beneath her skin.
Today, Tracie is still trying to reverse the damage.
In the hope of raising awareness of the potential dangers of free or cheap cosmetic procedures, Tracie has warned others by sharing photos of the aftermath of her facelift.
She has also advised people to think twice before deciding to change your appearance, noting that if you do decide to undergo a procedure, you should be sure to do your research.
Tracie said: “I’ve put together a list of things to look out for when choosing a cosmetic surgeon or non-invasive facial procedure practitioner to help people make safer choices.”
She explained that if she could help even one person, she would be happy.
“If my story can prevent this from happening to just one person, I would consider that a success,” he noted.
Tracie’s top red flags for a surgeon who is going to perform your procedure include: no board certification, limited portfolio work, pressure to back off, poor communication, a deal too good to be true, and no information about aftercare.
Hoping to raise awareness of the potential dangers of free or cheap plastic surgery, Tracie has warned others by sharing photos of the aftermath
He also recommended that you take a look at their previous work to see the results of previous patients (shown after the procedure)
He further spoke about “fuzzy credentials” adding that you should always review “their qualifications, certifications and track record with non-invasive facial procedures”.
He also recommended that you take a look at their previous work to see the results of previous patients.
If a surgeon pressures you to have surgery right away, he advised you to run.
And if they give you a deal that seems too good to be true, Tracie suggests avoiding them at all costs.
He noted that this was a “big warning sign”.
The former model also noted that when a surgeon doesn’t give you aftercare instructions, you shouldn’t trust them.
