Former model’s battle with flesh-eating illness after spa treatment sends shockwaves. In a chilling tale of beauty aspirations gone awry, former swimsuit model Beatriz Amma has faced a horrifying battle with a flesh-eating illness, highlighting the potential dangers lurking beneath the pursuit of aesthetic perfection and beauty spa treatment.
Three years ago, at the age of 23, Ms. Amma sought to enhance her physical appearance through a treatment regimen at an upscale spa in Los Angeles, shelling out a significant $800 (approximately ₹66,000) for a series of vitamin injections.
These injections, comprising a combination of vitamins B1 and C, alongside “fast-dissolving” deoxycholic acid, were administered 60 times into various regions of her body, including her arms, back, and stomach. What followed was a nightmare that forever altered her life.
Just days after the treatment, Ms. Amma began experiencing a series of unsettling symptoms, as she recounted, “I developed welts on my skin, and they began appearing in the areas where the injections had been administered… My entire body seemed to be self-destructing.” The grim diagnosis was Mycobacterium abscessus, a well-known bacterial infection notorious for causing painful skin lesions. Medical professionals attributed this dire outcome to the improper administration of deoxycholic acid.
For Amma, the dream of becoming a fitness influencer and embarking on a life filled with travel disintegrated as she embarked on a grueling journey of multiple surgeries to excise infected tissue.
Three years later, she remains tethered to six hours of daily intravenous antibiotic treatments, an ordeal that has profoundly transformed her life.
What renders this narrative even more haunting is the air of legitimacy that surrounded the spa where the injections took place.
Amma recalls, “An employee assured me it was produced by a highly reputable company and even displayed the vials to me. I was thrilled.”
This tragic incident underscores the pressing issue of unsuspecting individuals assuming grave risks in their pursuit of aesthetic enhancements.
Amma’s battle for survival took a toll on her physically and emotionally, as she found herself bedridden, her body seemingly turning against her.
“I couldn’t even dress myself. I required assistance to use the restroom, shower, and change. I felt like I was deteriorating in bed,” she recounted. She vividly remembers the moment when she feared she might not survive, saying, “I prayed to God and said, ‘If this is my time, take me.’ My body had reached its limit.”
Despite the immense challenges she has faced, Ms. Amma refuses to let this traumatic experience define her. Instead,
she has channeled her efforts into promoting body positivity and raising awareness about this disfiguring ailment.
Nonetheless, her ongoing struggle with the consequences of that ill-fated spa visit persists. As she remarked, “I’m now in the third year of this journey, and it’s far from concluded. I never would have imagined that something as seemingly straightforward could nearly claim my life and leave me still grappling for survival.”
Beatriz Amma’s story serves as a stark reminder of the importance of thorough research and vigilance when seeking cosmetic treatments, and it underscores the need for enhanced safety standards in the cosmetic industry to protect individuals from potential harm.
