A fashion stylist died after developing an infection allegedly following a “fox eye” cosmetic procedure.
Adair Mendes Dutra Júnior – known online as Júnior Dutra to his 122,000 Instagram followers – passed away last Friday (3 Oct) night.
The stylist underwent a fox eye thread lift seven months ago.
READ MORE: Political commentator, 20, shot dead in bar toilet
It is a treatment that uses polydioxanone (PDO) threads inserted under the skin to pull the brow upwards for a more “feline” look.
But by June, he began suffering severe pain and complications.
Before his death, Dutra, 31, had filed a lawsuit against the man who carried out the lift.
According to the complaint, he allegedly claimed to be a specialist in facial surgery but was, in fact, a dentist, as reported by Need To Know.
“When asked to provide the medical records, the defendant refused,” the stylist’s complaint claimed.
“Later, he presented an irregular document signed with a CRO number instead of a CRM – meaning he wasn’t actually a doctor, as he had claimed to be.”
Speaking to local media in September, Dutra revealed he had developed a painful infection that left his face bruised, swollen and his lips cracked.
He said: “As soon as I had the procedure done, it felt like a vein had burst on the left side of my face.
“The right side was fine, but on the left I could feel the thread pushing out.
“He said, ‘No, it’s not the thread,’ filling my head with all sorts of things – he even told me I had a skin disease.”
Originally from Minas Gerais region, north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Dutra also worked as a fashion consultant and stylist.
He was laid to rest in São Paulo on Saturday (4 Oct).
His cause of death has not yet been confirmed by family or authorities.
In his legal filing, Dutra accused the man of the illegal practice of medicine, fraud, serious bodily harm, deception and false advertising.
Responding to the allegations, he said: “The PDO thread is absorbable and fully biodegradable.
“It dissolves, releasing collagen and elastin, and that was the thread he used.
“By the time he came back in July, August, and September, the thread had almost completely – or entirely – disappeared.
“So, in my assessment, the infection wasn’t related to the thread.”
Experts have since warned that fox eye lifts can carry serious risks, including skin puckering, infection, and thread encapsulation.
The procedure can also damage ligaments and tissues around the eyes – causing unnatural expressions and even problems blinking or closing the eyes.
READ MORE: ‘I was left paralysed and close to death after eating sushi with friends’
