Dr. Mel Ortega, a celebrity plastic surgeon from spectrum aesthetic miami is known for his skillful Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), Liposuction (Lipo), and Breast Augmentation techniques, has shared his thoughts on the impact of social media on the plastic surgery industry. In an interview, Dr. Ortega noted that pop culture trends heavily influence the demand for surgical procedures. As people want to fit in and gain wide acclaim, they often look to copy what is popular and en vogue, which is why surgeries like Brazilian Butt Lift are in high demand.
Dr. Mel Ortega has leveraged the platform to great effect, posting regular updates of his work and showcasing the dramatic transformations he has achieved for his clients.
Dr. Ortega started posting before-and-after photos of his clients on Instagram, along with captions that highlighted the confidence boost that the procedure had given them. He also started using hashtags like #spectrumdoll and #ortegadoll to connect with a wider audience of women who were looking to enhance their bodies and feel more confident in their skin. Despite not having wanted a career in surgery to start with, Dr. Mel Ortega has accomplished a lot over the years and has come a long way. He credits his father for wisely convincing him to go into medicine, or else he would have been a musician or a painter and starving today. He found out that plastic surgery was a whole different world and not just because the stakes were lower. After completing his plastic surgery residency, he found himself with nine years of postgraduate training in pediatrics, general surgery, and plastic surgery.
Dr. Ortega works as a surgeon, having moved forward with many years of quality work under his belt. He is looking forward to spending the next stage of his career focusing on the procedures where he excels. Despite the fact that his industry is plagued by actors with dubious ethics looking for a quick payday, Dr. Ortega is always aiming to make a difference in whichever way he can. He believes that just because their financials don't meet up to the high-end ones doesn't mean they don't deserve to have that level of craft from a board-certified plastic surgeon. suggests listening to a certified expert instead of being swayed by social media influencers who likely do not have any medical experience.
Despite this, Dr. Ortega acknowledges that social media has become a crucial tool for plastic surgeons to promote their services and showcase their work. Instagram, with over 125 million users in the USA alone, is the go-to platform for many plastic surgeons to share before-and-after photos and client testimonials. In summary, while social media has a significant impact on the plastic surgery industry, Dr. Ortega advises caution and encourages people to consult certified experts before making any decisions
When two Americans ended up dead, and two others kidnapped, amid a shootout just south of the U.S.-Mexico border, the initial questions were myriad: What happened? Who killed them? And what was the group of four people from South Carolina doing in a minivan in Matamoros?
On the last point, an explanation from relatives quickly emerged. One woman in the group, Latavia McGee, was going to Mexico for cosmetic surgery, and the other friends had joined her for a road trip.
That surgery was first described as a tummy tuck. Later, relatives and friends said the procedure was a "gluteal augmentation."
And even though more than a million Americans annually seek medical care on the other side of the border, getting a "gluteal augmentation" – in a place where the State Department warns Americans not to travel at all – certainly struck a lot of people as strange.
If you know, though, you know.
First, let us call this whole popular-empowering-controversial-notorious procedure what people call it in real life: the Brazilian butt lift, or BBL.
Next, let me tell you the same thing I told some of my colleagues this week. Whether or not you like this, whether or not you understand this, people do this, and especially, a lot of Black people do it.
If you are a woman, and especially if you're Black, and if you are on, say, Instagram, I'm going to go out on a limb not very far at all and guess that you've had this targeted at you in your social media feed. Especially if you follow beauty and pop culture influencers. You don't have to scroll too long to see it; it simply becomes a part of your algorithm.
The BBL is a thing.
It's also very expensive. And that's the next thing you learn if you are having this idea pushed at you in your social feeds week after week: It's a whole lot less expensive in Mexico.
So the idea that someone – it could be anyone, but for sake of discussion, let's say it's a Black woman and her Black friends from Lake City, South Carolina – would drive across six states to the tip of Texas to have this surgery? If true, it is not shocking. At all.
But that doesn't address the underlying question bandied about on social media: Is it worth it?
A BBL involves harvesting fat from other areas of the body and injecting it into the buttocks and hips. (Often, that fat is removed from the belly in the process through liposuction. So those early reports that the group went to Matamoros for a tummy tuck may also be essentially correct.)
Results often mean a tiny, or snatched waist, and a curvier, fuller behind. It's the extreme hourglass aesthetic. Slim-thick.
Usually, it requires general anesthesia. Initial recovery can take weeks.
I've watched for years on social media as these clinics target Black women in ads that show before and after pictures, while touting prices that are usually half of what the cost would be in America – around $10,000-$15,000 and not covered by insurance.
It's called medical tourism. Popular destinations for a discounted procedure include Turkey, South America and Mexico. So-called recovery houses also offer patients post-op care and a place to heal.
The New York Times reported this week about the Matamoros clinic that had been expecting McGee. The clinic "reaches out to potential American clients with targeted ads on Instagram," according to an employee who spoke to a reporter, and posts before-and-after pictures of clients online. She said about half the clinic's patients are American.
So whether or not we fully understand the story of how Latavia McGee and three friends came to be in a white minivan in Matamoros in a hail of gunfire, we can accept that the idea of such a trip makes sense in a world where people travel the world – in sometimes questionable locales – for affordable cosmetic surgery.
It turned out there was a fifth person on the trip, Cheryl Orange, who later told police she had forgotten her travel documents and couldn't cross the border that day. She had stayed behind in Brownsville, Texas, when the rest of the group left on Friday morning to cross into Matamoros.
The group had planned to return in time to check out of the motel Saturday, according to the police report, though I wonder how McGee could have made such a quick turnaround after an invasive procedure. Instead, one came back wounded and two are dead.
“She simply went for a cosmetic surgery, and that’s it," Orange told the Associated Press. "That’s all, and this happened to them.”
Whatever truly happened to McGee and her friends that day, let us agree that any broader discussion about the risks or problems with BBLs is not so much about possible cartel violence.
But let's also be clear: There is a discussion.
Even if you think you don't know anything about Brazilian Butt Lift BBLs, you have seen BBLs.
is the concept of traveling domestically or internationally for a medical procedure. Cost is often a major consideration, as medical care in some countries can be significantly cheaper than in others, particularly in the United States. However, there are risks involved with medical tourism, including the potential for complications and the need for appropriate preoperative and postoperative care. It is important to research the surgeon and facility beforehand, and to ensure that there are appropriate arrangements for care both during and after the procedure. It is also important to note that while there are standards in place to ensure safe and quality care in the United States, this may not be the case in other countries. Therefore, patients must take extra precautions to ensure that they are receiving safe and quality care.
CAN I GET A BBL USING CARE CREDIT?
On average, the cost of Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgery is approximately $4,800, Since BBLs are considered elective cosmetic procedures and not medically necessary, health insurance usually does not cover them. If you're considering getting a BBL and need help financing the procedure, the CareCredit credit card may
