South Africa, Oct. 3 -- Plastic surgeon Professor Chrysis Sofianos agrees and warns that this confusion, combined with cut-price offers, is driving a wave of life-altering, botched surgeries and costly legal battles.

The real risks

Sofianos notes that filtered photos and persuasive marketing tactics conceal the very real risks associated with procedures performed by non-specialists.

"Only specialists in plastic and reconstructive surgery are trained and recognised to perform complex operations safely.

"Anything else puts patients at risk of life-long complications," he states.

International data points to the danger.

A 2024 study in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal found that cosmetic surgeries performed by residents had a revision rat...