Doctors later said the victim suffered a severe staph infection. A worker in another salon reported getting herpes from one of McCabe's needles, according to a state report. While their efforts are aimed at unlicensed practitioners, investigators lamented in interviews last week that they also are in the business of saving consumers from themselves. While most victims believe they are being treated by licensed doctors, they almost never check. Others are aware of the situation but do not view cosmetic procedures as medical treatment.
Regulators are up against a sociological tidal wave.
Surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed legally in the U.S. increased 25 percent last year and were up a whopping 173 percent between 1997 and 2000, the society found. Baby boomers led the way, and wrinkle-reducing injections were by far their most popular cosmetic fix. The trend of illegal injections is only magnified in cities like Miami, where a thriving glamor culture collides with a large population of immigrants. Investigators say 70 percent of injection victims they see are from countries where medical care is delivered in more casual settings like a doctor's home. There is no magic pill.