Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – They wanted perfect noses, fuller lips and voluptuous breasts. What they ended up with instead were grotesque snouts, disfigured lips and breast cancer.
Thousands of women in Indonesia have become victims of a trendy beauty treatment called the silicone injection. Long outlawed in most developed countries, the treatment has in recent times been attracting numerous Indonesians dissatisfied with their flat noses, unpronounced cheekbones or small bosoms.
The appeal? It is very affordable. Unlike conventional cosmetic surgery, which costs at least six million rupiah (S$1,020), a treatment of liquid silicone starts from 50,000 rupiah (less than S$10) per shot. And it can be done at many beauty salons.
The affordability is exactly why Mrs Tike Suhariadi, 33, had her shots a year ago. "I'm married and I wanted my husband to stay attracted to me," she said.
She went to a salon in East Jakarta which offered a complete "face and body overhaul" and she was instantly attracted by the promises outlined in a brochure. "For less than 400,000 rupiah, I could have a new nose and be able to wear a low-cut dress," she thought then.
The treatment initially went well and she was able to enjoy her new look. But two months after the treatment, her nose started to go extremely red and swollen and painful hives appeared on her breasts.
She is now too embarrassed to leave home. Every time she looks at her red "clown-like" nose in the mirror, she breaks down and cries. She is also worried that she may have to surgically remove her breasts because of severe infection. She is now undergoing treatment to cleanse her body of silicone.
And it is not just educated urban women who are being attracted to silicone makeovers. Those living in small villages have also been lured by the promise of silicone injections.
In Indramayu, a town in West Java, thousands of young women have been injected with silicone. They were approached by door-to-door salespeople who showed them photographs of beautiful celebrities, stars who had supposedly benefited from silicone injections.
Dermatologist Indah Yulianto now treats many of these women. Out of her 50 patients every day, at least five are seeking recovery treatment after being infected by silicone. One of her patients has big holes in her cheeks and tongue; another one is dying of breast cancer. "Imagine injecting poison into your body, it will not like it," said Dr Indah, who is based in Solo, Central Java.
The skin tissues infected by the liquid silicone become inflamed and tumorous. Many victims die because of severe complications affecting the liver, kidneys and lungs.
Although the use and sale of liquid silicone is illegal in countries like the United States, there is no specific law regulating it in Indonesia.
The 1992 law on medicines requires all drugs and its components to be registered with the Ministry of Health. None of the liquid silicone used here has been registered.
The absence of law enforcement makes it impossible to stop the practice. "Everyone is busy talking about politics, no one cares that silicone injections can be just as deadly as riots," said Dr Indah.