California woman goes to Mexico for cosmetic surgery. She doesn’t feel well after—then she learns it’s because they took a kidney
It may be tempting. It may be cheap. Not to mention, it may even be easy. But don’t ever, ever go to a shady plastic surgeon just to save some coin.
The horror stories literally never end: Filler nightmares, BBL-induced brain death, botched teeth—there are enough cautionary tales to fill a storybook, and yet people still keep making the same mistake. Now, one woman is going viral for having met a victim of a cosmetic surgery gone wrong.
‘We need to make informed decisions’
In a TikTok first posted on Feb. 21 with over 25,000 views, hairstylist Chanel Darjean (@lasef_langka) shared a wild story she heard from one of her regular salon customers.
“She goes on to tell us that she went down to Mexico to have a consultation to get some cosmetic work done, some cosmetic surgery done, like … boobs, BBL type of stuff,” Darjean says in her video. “Anyways,
they told her about their post-op care and all that kind of stuff, and, you know, walked her through the whole thing. Sounded good, the prices sounded good.”
Thinking that everything seemed fine, Darjean’s customer mentioned that her sister and friend might also be interested. The cosmetic surgery team seemed to eat that up, and encouraged everyone to go in on the procedures, offering a “a bigger post-op apartment” and “the same caregiver” for all three women.
After “two weeks in post-op care, everything was fine.” But then, upon returning to the U.S., Darjean’s client said “she wasn’t feeling that good.”
“So she went to her doctor to check and see what was up, what was wrong with her,” Darjean recounts. “One thing leads to another. She finds out that they took a kidney.”
That’s right. She entered for cosmetic enhancement and allegedly exited one kidney short.
Understandably horrified, Darjean’s customer notified her sister and friend about what had happened. And it only got worse from there.
“They went to get checked out, and their kidneys were gone, too,” Darjean says. “So just thought I’d share that information with you because [expletive] is crazy out here.”
While the Mary Sue has reached out to Darjean via email for more details, the hairstylist did finish her video with one appeal to logic for all the women out there thinking about getting cosmetic surgery abroad.
“I know we want to look good and feel good and all that kind of stuff,” Darjean finishes. “But, you know,
we need to make informed decisions. Crazy.”
Is cosmetic surgery in Mexico cheaper than in the U.S.? Is it safe?
To put it frankly, cosmetic surgery is comically cheaper in Mexico than it is in the United States. One Mexico-based cosmetic surgeon, Dr. William Parada, writes on his website that cosmetic procedures in Mexico cost “often 40% to 70% lower than in the United States.” This phenomenon is part of the reason there is now an entire sector called “medical tourism.”
CMQ hospital, also based in Mexico, even has a comparison chart on its website outlining how much American cosmetic surgery patients can save in various countries like Mexico or Thailand. According to the chart, Americans can even save up to 89% in some cases. This holds true even for non-cosmetic surgery, as well. According to CMQ, while a heart valve replacement can cost about $170,000 in the U.S., it’s only about $27,000 in Mexico.
So clearly, getting procedures done in Mexico is great for your wallet. This is largely due to a generally lower cost of living across the board. But what about the body?
Well, if you’re going to a reputable and experienced surgeon, it doesn’t matter where you go. This is as true in the United States as it is in Mexico. Great surgeons and shady surgeons both exist everywhere, and Mexico has some fantastic, globally accredited hospitals that offer cosmetic surgery.
@lasef_langka The things I learn from salon clients never cease to amaze me!!! Salon tea is served honey!!! #BBL #organharvest #kidneytransplant #breastaug ♬ original sound – Chanel – Mayari Luxe LLC
However, if you stumble across a surgeon whose prices seem suspiciously low—even when factoring in their country’s cost of living and economy—then it might be time to pump the brakes. Always research the average cost of a cosmetic surgery in any given country and city, and make sure you don’t dip below that price point. In the words of one r/cosmeticsurgery commenter, “you reduce the price … you really have to ask yourself if those risks are worth it.”
“I wouldn’t do Mexico,” the commenter advised a prospective cosmetic surgery patient. “And I wouldn’t do a US clinic that was charging half the price. I think fundamentally, you get what you pay for.”
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