When Bea Amma visited a med spa in 2021, she was hoping for treatments that would boost her energy and help burn off some body fat. She never imagined she would end up with a drug-resistant infection that would leave her scarred and still recovering more than two years later.
Amma, then 24, had just moved to California with dreams of becoming a fitness and lifestyle influencer. She was keen to get an injection of vitamins B12 and C, as well as a compound called deoxycholic acid that was supposed to melt fat away.
“They told me that the more areas of my body they inject, the better,” Amma said. She said she was injected more than 100 times in her arms, stomach and lower back with the combination of vitamins and fat-melting ingredients.
Within 24 hours, Amma felt dizzy and feverish. Each injection site, she said, was painful and oozed with pus.
“Anything touching my skin was excruciating,” she said. “My entire body felt like it was on fire.”
The number of med spas and hydration clinics has ballooned in recent years, turning into a $15 billion wellness industry offering a variety of services, from IV therapy to skincare and cosmetic procedures. Federal health officials and representatives of med spa owners warn consumers that, along with the boom, some facilities are using unlicensed workers to inject unapproved products in unsanitary conditions.
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