NPR

Quest For Beauty In Colombia Sometimes Ends In Tragedy

A mishap in Colombia highlights the dark side of cosmetic work in a country that is a hot spot for body rehabbing. Each year, hundreds of thousands of procedures are performed on locals and tourists.
Doris Cuervo holds a photo of her daughter, Ximena Lopez. She died after visiting a spa for an injection to give her a curvier behind.

Ximena Lopez wanted a bigger behind. She was 21 and lived in Medellín, Colombia, a hot spot for cosmetic work.

More than 357,000 surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures are performed in Columbia a year, making it the world's No. 8 country for body rehabbing.

A friend named Hanna Valencia told her, "Look, I've done the butt job." She recommended the "spa" she went to in a mall in a posh Medellín neighborhood.

"Before we started," she told Ximena, "[the owner's son] said a prayer. It gave me confidence." Then Rafael Nieto injected what Hanna described as a mix of gel and liquids in each buttock with a large needle.

Hanna loved the result.

So on March 17, 2016, Ximena went in for the procedure. She didn't tell

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min read
Switzerland's Nemo Wins Eurovision 2024 In A Year Of Protests
The Swiss singer and rapper was one of two nonbinary artists in the finals at this year's event held in Malmo, Sweden. Meanwhile, protesters called for Israel's disqualification from the contest.
NPR4 min read
Israel Expands Evacuation Orders In Rafah As Aid Groups Struggle To Prepare
Israel's military issued new evacuation orders in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, forcing even more Palestinians to relocate on Saturday ahead of a likely expanded ground operation there.
NPR2 min read
Brian Wilson Of The Beach Boys Is Being Placed Under A Legal Conservatorship
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the conservatorship Thursday, noting that Brian Wilson suffers from "a major cognitive disorder." Wilson has agreed to the conservatorship.

Related Books & Audiobooks