Very few people know the devastating truth behind silicone injections. Women are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their bodies. Plastic surgery is rarely an option because of the price tag that comes with it. What’s a girl to do?
Many are opting for illegal silicone injections to fill in the areas they aren’t happy with. A popular area to inject is the buttock. However, the silicone can be injected into any part of the body (breasts, lips, face, thighs). In certain cases the injection site must be sealed with cotton balls or super glue to prevent the liquid from seeping out. The biggest problem with silicone injections is that it mixes with the body’s tissues. Once the silicone becomes a part of the body’s tissues, its impossible (at least for now) to completely remove the substance. In fact, undergoing surgery is the only way to remove some, not all, of the substance.
Reactions to the silicone vary from no reaction at all to severe pain and even death. The body’s rejection to the silicone can instantly lead to a heart attack, organ failure, excruciating pain, infections, and granulomas. On the other hand, silicone can be in the body for years before symptoms surface. This is the case for a woman I interviewed from Miami, FL. For her anonymity, I will call her Rosy. She had her injections done 10 years ago. At first, she was happy to finally fill in her “flat” backside. By the seventh year she began to feel pain in her legs. She noticed lumps and dimples on her buttock. Not realizing that this was her body rejecting the silicone, she simply ignored the symptoms. It wasn’t long before she could no longer ignore what her body was trying to tell her.
Rosy was forced to have surgery or risk dying. She set her fears aside and underwent the delicate procedure. The first few days were incredibly difficult. The pain was prevalent and sitting was not an option. A few months after recovering from her first surgery, Rosy was brave enough to undergo a second necessary procedure (very rarely is one procedure sufficient). The second time has been even more difficult than the first.
When I asked her “When you look back was it worth it?” she responded, “Life has taught me a very hard lesson. I’ve learned to love my body the way God gave it to me. I was desperate to change it to satisfy men. So no it was not worth it. I regret my decision everyday.”
These days Rosy is interested in helping other woman. At first, she saw her pain as a curse. Now, she considers her journey a blessing. She says her scars are proof that she fought long and hard to stay alive. Rosy is in the process of creating a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating women about the dangers of silicone injections.