A former beauty queen has revealed the horrific results of her botched ‘facial rejuvenation’ that left her scarred for life, as she warned others to get fed up with being a ‘guinea pig’ for beauty procedures.
Tracie Samara, 61, narrowly escaped permanent blindness after winning a competition that promised her a free cosmetic procedure.
The Miami-based model got the facelift in her mid-40s and has regretted it every day since as it left her face with permanent scars and bruises, which changed her life forever.
Now Tracie is warning anyone looking to have cosmetic procedures done, as she urges people to practice self-confidence.
Tracie Samara, 61, (pictured after procedure) narrowly escaped permanent blindness after winning a competition that promised her a free cosmetic procedure
The Miami-based model (pictured before the procedure) got the facelift in her mid-40s and has regretted it every day since
She has revealed the horrific results of her botched ‘facial rejuvenation’ that left her scarred for life (shown after the procedure)
Tracie once had an impressive modeling career, but in her mid-40s she decided to say goodbye to the industry to start a family.
In her mid-forties, she decided to return to the beauty world, but wanted to freshen up her appearance with non-invasive procedures.
And coincidentally, around the same time, Tracie found an ad in a newspaper for a competition for free non-invasive facial rejuvenation.
She explained: ‘I was thinking about having some non-invasive procedures to freshen up my appearance and turn back the clock a little.
‘I should have gone to a reputable doctor, but when I came across an advertisement in the newspaper announcing a competition for free non-invasive facial rejuvenation, I took a chance and entered.
“To my surprise, I won.”
The ex-model had never undergone cosmetic surgery and didn’t know what to expect.
However, she was confident that everything would go well. She went to the clinic and noticed it looked believable.
‘I had never had cosmetic surgery before and had no idea what to expect when I arrived for the first treatment. It didn’t look shady or anything. It was a real medical clinic, not an apartment in the backyard,” she said.
In her mid-40s, she decided to return to the beauty world, but wanted to freshen up her appearance with non-invasive procedures (shown after the procedure)
The ex-model (shown after the procedure) had never had a cosmetic procedure before and wasn’t sure what to expect
She noted that before starting the procedure, she tried to ask questions, but the doctors turned her away.
“I tried to ask questions but the doctor waved me away and told me to just lie back and try to relax,” she added.
Tracie received numerous 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 only the first part of the healing process.
However, a few weeks later it became painfully clear that something was seriously wrong.
She explained: ‘Both my eyes were infected, and the swelling and bruising underneath got so bad that huge lumps appeared, almost blinding me.
‘When I told the doctor who performed the procedure, he blamed my vegetarian diet and said I had low iron.
“He made me feel like I had done something wrong.”
Despite having a bad experience, Tracie remained hopeful that she would get better and decided to undergo the rest of the procedures at the same clinic in an attempt to return 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 undo the damage
However, the first operations had taken their toll on her facial expression and she left it was disfigured by the deep-seated infection that had invaded the underlying tissue beneath her skin.
Today, Tracie is still trying to undo the damage.
Hoping to raise awareness about the potential dangers of free or cheap cosmetic procedures, Tracie has warned others by sharing photos of the aftermath of her facial rejuvenation.
She also advised people to think twice before making a decision to change your appearance. She noted that if you decide to undergo a procedure, make sure you do your research.
Tracie said: ‘I’ve put together a list of things to look for when choosing a cosmetic surgeon or practitioner for non-invasive facial treatments so people can make safer choices.’
She explained that if she could help just one person, she would be happy.
“If my story can prevent this from happening to just one person, I would consider that a success,” she noted.
Tracie’s top warnings for a surgeon about to perform your procedure include: no board certification, limited portfolio work, pressure on you to go under, poor communication, a deal that’s too good to be true, and no information about the aftercare.
Hoping to raise awareness about the potential dangers of free or cheap cosmetic procedures, Tracie has warned others by sharing photos of the aftermath
She recommended that you also look at their previous work to see results from previous patients (shown after the procedure)
She went on to talk about “vague credentials,” adding that one should always look at “qualifications, certifications, and their track record with non-invasive facial procedures.”
She recommended that you also look at their previous work to see results from previous patients.
If a surgeon pressures you to have the operation right away, she advises you to flee.
And if they give you a deal that seems too good to be true, Tracie suggests avoiding them at all costs.
She noted that this was a “big warning sign.”
The former model also noted that if a surgeon doesn’t give you aftercare instructions, you shouldn’t trust him.