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The 77 Percent examines how pressure to conform to a certain body ideal and the pursuit of the “ideal body type” have led many people on the African continent to opt for cosmetic and plastic surgery.
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00:05Hello everyone and welcome to the 77% show. My name is SK and this is where we explore
00:11the stories, trends and challenges shaping the lives of young Africans, keeping it real,
00:15relatable and always in the know. Today we are diving into a trend many women
00:24dream about but it comes with a hefty price tag. We are talking about cosmetic surgery
00:28and particularly the Brazilian butt lifts or BBLs which are among the most dangerous
00:32procedures out there. This report uncovers the hidden risks behind one of the world's
00:36fastest growing beauty obsessions and shows what can happen if things go wrong. Nigeria's
00:41beauty industry is booming. The number of people getting cosmetic surgery has greatly increased.
00:48For many, natural beauty isn't appealing enough. Whether it's getting Brazilian butt lifts,
00:53liposuction or tummy tacks, young women are risking it all for the perfect body.
00:58So as much as there's risk, if you do your body with a professional surgeon, you'll be okay.
01:08Influencers tend to create seemingly perfect beauty standards.
01:12I'm a public figure. It is well expected that most public figures should look really gorgeous and
01:18beautiful. And they influence young women. Social media right now makes it look like a woman has to
01:25be perfect in terms of her look to be beautiful. It's a problem because it's something that's not
01:31realistic. But most women can't afford expensive surgeries. Instead, they turn to cheap unqualified
01:38clinics putting their lives at risk. Something bad happened to her. Her stomach was swollen and her
01:46lips was dark and she was just smiling. The results can be dramatic, but that hasn't changed many young
01:54Nigerian minds from pursuing cosmetic procedures. People are dying every day with BBL or not. People
02:16are dying every day with BBL. We meet 33-year-old Ebi Ebikake. She's a perfume vendor in Nigeria. Her
02:30dream,
02:31to change her body appearance, she'd like to have a bigger bum.
02:36Why I want to do a BBL is to boost my confidence. If I have a BBL done, I will
02:45walk like I'm walking
02:46on the sky. A woman should define a woman's beauty, not men. That's what it should be, but it's not
02:53what
02:53it is. Men define the standards for what a beautiful woman should be, but it shouldn't be so.
03:01I would like to get my body done. Not because of a man, but because I want to wear the
03:05kind of clothes
03:05I like. So I look hotter than what I look now.
03:16Nigeria's beauty industry is rising.
03:22A lot of women are trying to make their beauty fit the modern day standards.
03:30If you feel like you are ashamed of your body, one part of your body is not good enough for
03:35you,
03:36or it doesn't attract people, if you have the money, do it.
03:41I won't necessarily say, oh, bad or good. I'll just say why. I don't think a woman with BBL is
03:46more attractive.
03:49I think BBL will fall in the extreme category, right? Because, I mean, except there is a serious
03:56problem, I don't really think it's necessary.
04:01If I have the money, I will actually go for it because it's absolutely lovely. People that does BBL,
04:07they look nice and they also look attractive.
04:11I don't foresee it because, I think because of the risk, because I know the things behind it,
04:17and one way or another, I just know that the body that I eventually get will not really be the
04:24body I
04:24was given. Actually, people that do such surgeries, they die eventually. It doesn't worth it at all.
04:36Despite the heavy price that comes with this endeavor,
04:40women like Abby still want to pursue cosmetic surgery.
04:47Today is her birthday, and many friends have come to celebrate, laugh and chat.
04:56Abby's dream of a BBL, a Brazilian butt lift, seems to excite her friends.
05:05What do you want to do?
05:07BBL life.
05:08BBL life, remember.
05:09So, where do you want to take the fats from?
05:12My tummy.
05:13Okay.
05:14Majorly my tummy.
05:16Half.
05:17Yeah, and the back rows, yeah.
05:20Okay.
05:21Do you know the pain you are going to go through?
05:23But remember Stella, wait, wait, wait. Remember Stella Bansendoshi went for tummy talk?
05:27Yeah.
05:28That was the first time I ever heard of it.
05:29Head of it, yeah. That was the first time I heard of it.
05:31It was lipo, yeah. He moved himself to my tummy, yeah.
05:33He died.
05:34Yes, he died.
05:35Have you done your research?
05:36Before I would go under any procedure, I would do my research.
05:42I have an appointment.
05:42Okay, on Monday, you're going to say, I'm chilled. I'm chilled. I'm excited.
05:48So, that means before this year rounds out, we are going to get it done.
05:51No, let's do it.
05:53No, let's do it.
05:54Yeah.
05:55Let's go get that money, baby.
05:57Get that body.
05:59Go get that body.
06:01Most TV stars, advertisements, and influencers define the idea of beauty acting as role models
06:08for women like Ebi.
06:11We are invited to join actress Uche Ogbodo for the filming of her new movie.
06:16She is one of the biggest and best known influencers in Nigeria.
06:20Her appearance is her asset, so cosmetic surgery has become her reality.
06:27I'm a career woman. You know, I'm a public figure.
06:31It is well expected that most public figures should look really gorgeous and beautiful.
06:36But at the time in my life, I started seeing the beauty fade for me.
06:41So, within that period, I got pregnant for my third baby.
06:45My body started to change rapidly.
06:47Yeah, so all that made me start to feel less confident.
06:51And I felt like I was fading away from the Uche that I believe that I am.
06:56Before Uche became a mom, the actress was a fitness model inspiring millions of followers
07:02on her social media platforms. Looking good or perfect has become an obligation,
07:07which led Uche to her first liposuction procedure.
07:12So, I was a bit scared. But then again, I said to myself, what could be the worst case scenario?
07:17I was like, okay, fine. This is a 50-50 for me. I'm going to take it.
07:21So, I was so scared that when it was time for me to go into for the surgery, I hugged
07:27my husband.
07:28And I'm like, if I don't come back, well, that's it. I made up my mind. It was for me.
07:35And not for my husband or my kids. It was for me.
07:38Uche's transformation is followed by countless fans. She's very open about her surgeries
07:44and has become a model for beauty standards among many women. Like other influencers,
07:50she's redefining the idea of beauty for women, both in Nigeria and worldwide. This often artificial
07:58lifestyle becomes a life goal for many people. It feels good that a lot of people look up to me.
08:05I feel grateful. And then I'm really happy that out of the whole wide world, I'm one of the people
08:12that
08:13a percentage of people that other people look up to. So, I feel nice. I feel good and happy
08:21that I'm able to help and influence people.
08:29What are you doing? What are you doing calling her baby? Are we calling her baby right now?
08:35Since Uche can afford the best doctors, her chances of putting her health and life at risk are minimal
08:41compared to other women. The average cost of getting a BBL is up to $10,000. Since this is quite
08:48expensive,
08:49many opt for cheaper options and this puts their lives in jeopardy.
08:53So, I don't feel responsible. I feel like it's a personal thing. You decide what you want your life to
08:59be.
09:00You don't have the money to have cosmetic surgery because it doesn't come cheap. I don't advise
09:07people who don't have the money to go to quacks, please, because there's a lot of risk involved. Not inject
09:15insulin. I don't know. I don't support that. I think you're risking your life.
09:34The injections contain unsuited substances that can cause a harmful reaction to the body.
09:40A Nigerian woman allegedly died after a procedure to get the BBL.
09:46I got my body done and I can say it was the worst mistake of my life.
09:55Brazilian butt lifts are among the most dangerous procedures in cosmetic surgery. Qualified doctors
10:00are therefore essential. Since Abby wants to minimize the risk, we follow her as she goes to her
10:08first consultation. It's important to me in so many ways. Now, you know that I already have interest in
10:18doing my body. So, it's an opportunity for me to get detailed information, one, two, from a professional
10:30doctor in that field. And I'm super, super, super, super, super looking forward to it.
10:35In the future, I'm super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super, super.
10:52Hi! How are you? I'm good. Nice to meet you. In here. Yeah. Hey, go to the center.
11:00Dr. George Oyenjekoe is one of the best cosmetic surgeons in Nigeria.
11:06He practices in Lagos and Abuja.
11:10How long does it take for standard BBL?
11:14Yeah, so for the BBL, like I said, the BBL means Brazilian butt lift.
11:20And what it means is transferring fats to the hips and the butt.
11:24So usually it will be obtained or harvested from the tummy, the flanks, the back.
11:29So the liposuction aspect starts the procedure.
11:32From the start of the liposuction, usually an hour or 30 minutes should be done with the tummy, flanks,
11:39depending on how much fat the patient has and how much you are harvesting.
11:43What do you think makes someone qualified enough for them to be able to procedure?
11:48So you must be physically fit, you must be medically cleared to have the surgery.
11:54It's not an emergency. You must be ready also psychologically, right?
11:58For example, we do a BBL. I'll ask you not to sit for a couple of weeks.
12:02So you have to be mentally ready. You have to be financially ready.
12:06Very important because the surgery itself costs money, the recovery process.
12:10There are a lot of things that you need to put into consideration.
12:13Okay, so any surgeon can do a BBL procedure?
12:17Well, I wouldn't say any surgeon can.
12:19Yeah. So you want to make sure that, yes, the person you're meeting has a further interest in aesthetic surgery
12:24and also performs a lot of those procedures, including the BBL or breast or whatever it is the patient is
12:30interested in.
12:30So for cases like the bad ones that led to death and whatnot, what do you think could have been
12:38a factor?
12:40Meeting somebody who is not fully qualified may mean that the person does not know all the possible things that
12:47can go wrong.
12:47We see people performing surgeries in theater, in hotel rooms, in cases of people performing procedures in sterile environments,
12:59different stories from across the world.
13:01So all those things can result in poor management, sepsis, infection setting, and all of that.
13:10You're welcome. Yeah, it's been a pleasure. Yeah, thank you for stopping by.
13:15Thank you so much. All the best with your inquiries and all that.
13:19All right.
13:19Okay, bye-bye. Yeah.
13:21Bye.
13:21Bye.
13:26In the recent years, there have been numerous deaths due to cosmetic surgery procedures in Nigeria.
13:32However, no exact figures have been documented.
13:35A 36-year-old woman has lost her life when she went for a bot enlargement injection.
13:42Furthermore, co-work doctors or clinics are not always held accountable.
13:47Many simply carry on as there is often no legal basis for action.
13:52Even without statistics, one thing is clear, the beauty industry has a dark side.
14:02Hi.
14:04Hi.
14:05Sorry, I was so late.
14:07I wasn't trafficking.
14:08Crazy one.
14:09One hour 30 minutes.
14:10Hi, Zelinda now.
14:11She's fine.
14:12We meet Ijeoma Ochuba.
14:14The fashion entrepreneur is visiting her sister.
14:17I like you.
14:18You're looking beautiful.
14:19In 2022, Ijeoma lost her best friend Ezango, who died after a so-called simple liposuction procedure.
14:27After Ezango gave birth to her son, her body changed and she hoped the surgery would fix that.
14:34She wasn't an insecure person, but you know, having a child and then being a single mother, she felt the
14:41need to look perfect.
14:44Having a child changes your body.
14:47So sometimes it's like you feel insecure.
14:51Do I still look that way?
14:52Do I still?
14:53Yeah.
14:54And then being a single mom, she wasn't married.
14:57So yeah, clearly she was looking to meet people for relationship, marriage or whatever.
15:03Yeah.
15:03So she felt the need to touch her body to be perfect.
15:08So she opted for the procedure called laser lipolysis, which is a non-surgical procedure for removal of fat in
15:17the tummy.
15:18We'll tell her, oh, you don't need to do that.
15:20It's not, your body's not that bad, but everybody wants what they want.
15:24So you, and then you go for it.
15:26So she made up her mind that she was going to do it.
15:29And then she, there was a date fixed for the procedure and then she went for the procedure.
15:34Here in Abuja in 2022, Ezango underwent a tummy tuck.
15:41However, complications arose during the procedure and she died shortly afterwards.
15:45The clinic refused to give a comment on the incident when asked by DW.
15:50We visit the graveyard where Ezango is buried and meet Edith.
15:55She was part of Ezango's family for many years and took care of her little son.
15:59With Ezango's death, the two have lost an important part of their lives.
16:05Everything was okay.
16:07She's the one putting pressure on herself because she wants to go back to her normal life.
16:11She wants to be a good mom to her child.
16:23My wife started beating first.
16:26I said, I don't understand.
16:30I said, something bad happened to her.
16:40Her stomach was swollen.
16:44And her lips was dark.
16:46And she was just smiling.
16:54I don't know how to do this.
16:59To this day, the circumstances surrounding Ezango's death remain unclear.
17:05However, for the person who treated her, it's business as usual.
17:09She continues to practice and perform cosmetic procedures.
17:18And then there's Ebi.
17:21The risks are real.
17:22But she still dreams of getting a BBL surgery.
17:28She aims to raise the needed funds for a competent doctor by selling perfume.
17:37As much as there's risk, out of 100%, how many percent has gone bad?
17:46How many percent of people who have done their body have gone bad?
17:50How many?
17:51Very few.
17:52People are dying every day with BBL or not.
17:55People are dying every day from cancer, from malaria, people are dying.
18:01So, let's just say life happens.
18:08As soon as she's saved enough money, she'll get the surgery.
18:15Finance is the major thing holding me.
18:18Finance is the major thing holding me.
18:20Apart from finance, my mind has already been made up donkey years ago.
18:27I saw one advert on TikTok for one of these surgeons, I think in Abuja or somewhere.
18:38And the lady posted that she used $10,000 to get her body done.
18:44That's a lot for me.
18:46That's a lot.
18:48But would I want to spend $10,000 to get my body done?
18:53If I had it, definitely yes.
18:58Until she can afford it, Abby must wait.
19:04Yet, the obsession of a perfect body hunts not only her, but countless other women who are chasing beauty that's
19:12more of an illusion rather than a reality.
19:21Honestly, thinking about it, it makes me reflect on why we feel the need to change ourselves so drastically.
19:26There's so much pressure to look a certain way, but at the end of the day, beauty isn't about curves
19:31or procedures.
19:32So, before you undergo any treatment, remember, everybody including you is beautiful just as they are.
19:37But don't just take that from me.
19:39Let's get to hear from more people.
19:41BBL is a very good thing.
19:45Okay.
19:46Personally, would you embark on a BBL journey?
19:50If I have the means, I will.
19:53Okay.
19:53If the means is, if it's $10,000, you still go for it?
19:57Yes, I will.
19:57Would you date a lady who has a BBL?
20:01Nah.
20:02Why?
20:03That's the artificial.
20:05Why do you think most girls now, why do you think they really do it?
20:09It's peer pressure, basically.
20:12Peer pressure.
20:13Yup.
20:14Their friends are out there chilling in clubs.
20:16Yeah.
20:17Twirking and all of that.
20:18Yes.
20:19They don't have anything.
20:19BBL comes with risks and dangers.
20:22Do you have anything to say about that for people who probably want to embark on it?
20:28You know, there are so many risks with BBL.
20:32If you get the wrong, let's say, the wrong operation done, then you actually suffer more.
20:40Because you spend more to treat yourself first, before you can even get all those things out.
20:44Yeah.
20:46I feel like, to some extent, there's no need doing that because you were actually made, you were actually created
20:52in a very good image.
21:04But what if you already underwent an operation that has gone wrong?
21:08We went to Kenya to ask a surgeon how to fix it.
21:15Dr. Kevin Mouriu is a board-certified surgeon based in Nairobi, Kenya.
21:20Part of his work focuses on helping patients repair surgeries that didn't go as planned.
21:26We deal with both aesthetic and reconstructive concerns.
21:29Now, usually when people speak about botched surgeries, what they're referring to is a surgery where the outcome of the
21:37surgery falls well below the patient's expectations.
21:42Across sub-Saharan Africa, cosmetic surgery procedures are rising, often faster than regulation and proper reporting.
21:50One procedure stood out for its high risk, the BBL, or Brazilian butt lift, raising serious concerns about safety and
21:59technique.
22:00The BBL, or Brazilian butt lift, or more properly termed in medicine, would be a lipotransfer,
22:06where fat is transferred from another part of the body into the buttocks.
22:10And traditionally, when this was done blindly, what would happen then was that the risk of a patient developing a
22:17clot from the fat that was transferred,
22:18which would then travel to other parts of the body and cause very serious complications, was seen to be high.
22:25The plastic surgery societies commissioned studies to see what exactly was going wrong.
22:30And what they discovered was that the technique used for BBLs, what was putting patients at risk.
22:37Now, once this was recognised, the recommendation then became using ultrasound to see where you're putting the fat.
22:45It's now been found to be a very safe procedure.
22:49Not every surgery ends as planned, but how to decide whether a facility is trustworthy?
22:57For a facility to be qualified to perform a service, it involves several things.
23:05Beyond the equipment, we also have the infrastructure that needs to be in place.
23:09Does this facility have referral networks?
23:12If these things are missing, then I think we can safely say that that facility would be unqualified to provide
23:19that service.
23:21Safety in plastic surgery goes beyond the surgeon.
23:24It depends on the entire system supporting the procedure.
23:28In an industry driven by fast trends, reconstruction remains the quiet promise of repair, recovery and hope.
23:35Many poor outcomes go unreported, making it difficult to understand how widespread the problem really is.
23:42One of the things I will repeat to patients over and over again is that plastic surgery, I encourage them
23:50sometimes to,
23:52let's focus on the surgery part now, so that we understand what the potential risks are.
23:57And when you're making a consent, or when you're agreeing to undergo a procedure,
24:03then you're fully equipped with the knowledge of what can happen.
24:10The process of getting plastic surgery, it doesn't have to be some arduous journey, right?
24:16And, but what this involves is you taking responsibility for your part of it,
24:22being careful in terms of selecting a plastic surgeon, a practice, etc.
24:29Ensuring that you find somebody that you can work with, that you, that you, that you, you trust, yeah?
24:35Because now you offload a lot of stress, by finding that, starting off by finding that person.
24:41And then also in educating yourself.
24:44Your experience of that process of recovery, surgery itself, etc.
24:50is greatly transformed by your understanding of it ahead of time.
24:55Every time Dr. Murillo steps into the operating room, his goal is simple.
25:00That the patient leaves better than they came in, with a future they can choose.
25:06Well, that's all we have for you today.
25:09But despite the risks and dangers, will you still embark on a BBL journey?
25:12Let's talk more on our social media pages.
25:15You can find us on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
25:17Until next time, my name is SK, and I leave you with this amazing song,
25:21Lie by Chis Daniel.
25:22See ya!
25:23Girl, I don't really care about your body type
25:25What really matter now your vibe
25:28I'll be the one for you, one for you
25:32Don't really have to be the one to go
25:35Ain't nobody fine like you
25:38Girl, I'll be the one for you, one for you
25:40And I feel like I've known you my whole life
25:43Feel like I need you my life
25:45Nobody if you tell me otherwise
25:48This baby will be mine
25:50I feel like I've known you my whole life
25:52Feel like I need you my life
25:55Nobody if you tell me otherwise
25:58Everybody, everybody, everybody does say
26:00Your mommy, I know they love you
26:02My mommy, I'm good
26:02My mommy, I'm good
26:04My mommy, I'm good
26:05The other day I will be the one for you, one for you
26:06You
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