An aspiring fitness model has recalled her terrifying experience after having cosmetic injections at an 'unlicensed med spa'.
Four years ago, 23-year-old Bea Amma, who’s originally from Miami, went to a California spa for some 'fat-dissolving injections' promoted as containing an ‘amazing compound’ of B12 and deoxycholic acid used to ‘break down fat’.
Little did she know that the cosmetic procedure posed a significant health risk that would land her in hospital for several months and leave her with a hefty medical bill.
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“I first tried B12 shots when I started a sales job, and they made me feel amazing. Maybe it was a placebo, maybe it was real - I'm not entirely sure,” Bea told the Daily Mail.
When the spa in question reached out to her on Instagram, Bea didn’t think twice about having the injections again.
“At the time, I was really focused on making it as a fitness and bikini model, so my appearance meant everything,” she said.
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"The med spa's Instagram was filled with impressive before-and-after shots. Everything looked so legit."
Once at the clinic, Bea was impressed with the cleanliness, the setup and the certificates on the wall. Only later on would she discover that they had been forged.
'I was just shaking, like I was about to pass out'
Within 24 hours of having the injections on her arms and tummy, she had 'extreme chills, a fever, and this intense brain fog'.
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“I thought maybe my immune system was just down - I didn't think it was anything serious at first,” she said.
The following night, she went on a date but was feeling so sick she had to leave early.
“On the drive home, I was just shaking, like I was about to pass out. I felt really strange,” she recalled.
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“Thankfully, I made it back to my studio, bundled myself in blankets, turned up the heater, and took ibuprofen to try to bring down the fever.”
'It felt like fire spreading through my body'
However, the discomfort didn’t stop as Bea saw her skin thinning out and splitting open.
“It felt like fire spreading through my body,” she said. "I was in so much pain I went to the ER, but doctors were stumped. They told me, ‘Well, it's not necrosis. You'll have to see a dermatologist.’ Meanwhile, my skin was literally bursting open.”
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When she tried to get answers from the clinic, she claims she was met with hostility.
“They cursed at me, calling me a ‘pain in their a**’ and saying, ‘Good luck suing us. It's just an allergic reaction, not our fault’.”
Bea claimed the spa's owner even offered her $800 (£630) back if she signed a document promising not to sue.
“I couldn't believe the audacity,” she said.
Alone in Los Angeles, Bea was taken in by a kind co-worker and her family who helped her get dressed, eat and do most things as she was in excruciating pain.
One night, she was rushed to the ER at 3.00am where she was underwent an IV antibiotic regimen for four months. Finally, the doctors seemed to have found the cause in contaminated vials used at the spa.
“There was so much infection in my body it couldn't have come just from the injection materials,” Bea explained. "The spread from each site showed the vials must have been contaminated.”
Years later, Bea has an eye-watering hospital bill of more than $70,000 just for outpatients that she’s repaying in minimum instalments ‘just to avoid collections’.
At one point her medical expenses were upwards of $17,000 a week.
Trying to get compensation from the spa was a dead end. “I tried to pursue a lawsuit, but once lawyers found out the spa didn't have insurance, they dropped the case, saying there was no money to be recovered,” Bea said.
Still reeling from the terrible experience, Bea is now raising awareness on her condition and dodgy cosmetic procedures on her social media.
Stefania Sarrubba