A former beauty queen has revealed the horrific results of her botched “facial rejuvenation” which left her scarred for life, as she warned others to tire of 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 received the facelift when she was in her 40s and has regretted it every day since, as it left her with permanent scars and bruising, altering her life forever.
Today, Tracie issues a warning to anyone looking to have cosmetic procedures as she urges people to have confidence in themselves.
Tracie Samara, 61 (pictured after procedure) narrowly escaped permanent blindness after winning a competition which promised her a free cosmetic procedure.
The Miami-based model (pictured before procedure) had a makeover when she was in her 40s and has regretted every day since
She revealed the horrific results of her botched ‘facial rejuvenation’ that left her scarred for life (shown after procedure)
Tracie once boasted an impressive modeling career. However, in her mid-40s, she decided to bid farewell to the industry to start a family.
When she reached her 40s, she decided to get back into the beauty world but wanted to freshen up her look with non-invasive procedures.
And as luck would have it, around the same time, Tracie found a newspaper ad for a competition for free non-invasive facial rejuvenation.
She explained: “I thought about having some non-invasive procedures to freshen up my look and turn back the clock a bit.
“I should have consulted a reputable doctor, but when I came across a newspaper ad 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 had a cosmetic procedure and wasn’t sure what to expect.
However, she was confident that everything would go well. She entered the clinic and noted that it seemed credible.
‘I I had never had a cosmetic procedure before and didn’t know what to expect when I arrived for the first treatment. It didn’t look fishy or anything. It was a real medical clinic, not a backyard apartment,” she said.
When she reached her 40s, she decided to get back into the beauty world, but wanted to freshen up her look with non-invasive procedures (shown after the procedure).
The ex-model (shown after the procedure) had never had a cosmetic procedure 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 pushed me away and told me to lie down and try to relax,” she added.
Tracie has had numerous fillers on her cheeks, lips and eyes.
Immediately after the procedure, Tracie’s face was bruised and completely swollen.
The old 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 of my eyes were infected, and the swelling and bruising underneath was so bad that huge bumps appeared, almost blinding me.
“When I told the doctor who performed the procedure, he blamed it on my vegetarian diet, saying I was iron deficient.”
“He made me feel like I had done something wrong.”
Despite a bad experience, Tracie remained hopeful that she would get better and decided to undergo the rest of the procedures at the same clinic to try to restore her face to its original appearance.
Immediately after the procedure, Tracie’s face was bruised and completely swollen.
Today, Tracie (shown after the procedure) is still trying to repair the damage.
However, early surgeries had taken a toll on his facial appearance, leaving he was disfigured from the deep infection that had penetrated the underlying tissues beneath his skin.
Today, Tracie is still trying to repair the damage.
Hoping to raise awareness about the potential dangers of free or cheap cosmetic procedures, Tracie warned others by sharing photos of the consequences of her facial rejuvenation.
She also advised people to think twice before making the decision to change their appearance, noting that if you decide to undergo a procedure, you should make sure you do your research.
Tracie said: “I’ve put together a list of things to look out for when choosing a cosmetic surgeon or practitioner for non-invasive facial procedures to help individuals 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,” she said.
Tracie’s top red flags about a surgeon performing your procedure include: no board certification, limited portfolio work, pressure on you to go bankrupt, poor communication, too good a deal to be true and no information regarding tracking.
Hoping to raise awareness about the potential dangers of free or cheap cosmetic procedures, Tracie warned others by sharing photos of the consequences.
She recommended you also take a look at their past work to see previous patient results (displayed after the procedure).
She further spoke about “fuzzy credentials,” adding that you should always look at “qualifications, certifications and their track record for non-invasive facial procedures.”
She recommended you also take a look at their past work to see the results of previous patients.
If a surgeon pressures you to have surgery immediately, he or she advises you to run.
And if they offer you a deal that seems like it might be real, Tracie suggests avoiding them at all costs.
She noted that this was a “big warning sign.”
The old model also noted that when a surgeon doesn’t give you any follow-up instructions, you shouldn’t trust them.
