Saving Face, Advocating for the Safe and Ethical Practice of Aesthetic Medicine, Launched by Carol Bryan, Who Suffered Severe Facial Disfigurement from Facial Procedure
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) January 19, 2017 -- In 2009, Carol Bryan endured immense suffering at the hands of a doctor who administered fillers that resulted in severe facial disfiguration. After four frightening years of isolation and emotional and physical pain, her unprecedented case was taken on by doctors at UCLA Medical Center, who removed the substances in a partial facial transplant through eight surgeries. With her life’s mission now to prevent anyone from experiencing the emotional and physical pain she has had to endure, she is launching Saving Face https://savingface.face2facehealing.org/ which will advocate for the safe and ethical practice of aesthetic medicine.
An initiative of Face2Face Healing (http://www.face2facehealing.org) Saving Face will advocate for safe medical aesthetic practices, support and promote healing of other victims of aesthetic complications and provide information to anyone considering a facial aesthetic procedure that will help keep them from harm.
According to Bryan, who has recently shared her experience on The Doctors, which aired January 18, 2017 and in Woman’s Health Magazine, "My story is a cautionary tale for anyone going blindly into an aesthetic medical procedure without knowing about the doctor’s training or what materials are being injected into their face. Today, after everything I have experienced, there is nothing more important to me than dedicating my time to promoting and advocating for safe practices in aesthetic medicine and supporting those who have suffered from complications and/or disfigurement. If I can save one face from complications through Saving Face, my mission will be accomplished!”
Bryan is the West Coast Director of Face2Face Healing, a non-profit support network for individuals with facial and/or bodily disfigurement, their families, friends, educators, and healthcare professionals. Says Karen Scuilli, Executive Director of Face2Face Healing, “Carol came to us through an internet search when she was seeking support as she faced disfigurement and had so bravely endured the many surgeries. Through the support of Face2Face Healing and therapy, she found the courage and tenacity to direct her efforts toward helping others through Saving Face. We are so proud to partner with her as she embarks on this important mission to both support those who have experienced facial disfigurement from a procedure and educate the public on how to avoid such complications.”
Saving Face will be a resource for best and ethical practices in aesthetic and cosmetic medicine as well as for recommendations on the selection of clinicians and questions to ask prior to seeking treatment. It will also feature a blog written by Carol Bryan where she will share opinions on aesthetic procedures, offer assistance in the healing, share stories from other individuals of aesthetic medical complications, and interview some of the leading experts in the field. Carol, as well as the members of the advisory board will also answer questions on the Saving Face Facebook page. The Saving Face Advisory Board includes Dr. Reza Jarrahy, Co-director of the UCLA Craniofacial Clinic of the UCLA Face Transplant Program, Dr. J. Brian Boyd, a Professor of Surgery with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Chief of Plastic Surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Patrick Treacy, Medical Director, Ailesbury Clinic, Dublin, Ireland, and Cathleen Madrid, an Authenticity Life Coach.
Carol Bryan, founder of Saving Face, is an advocate and public speaker, whose personal experience with aesthetic facial disfigurement has driven her to dedicate her life to helping others who have suffered complications and disfigurement, and to educate the public in the perils of aesthetic medicine. In late 2009, Carol was persuaded that as a preventative aging measure, to have fillers injected in areas of her face. These procedures resulted in her face expanding, contracting, and becoming distorted. Once the initial damage was done, she was no longer able to go out in public. Corrective procedures worsened the damage, until one day, it was so bad she needed to hide her face - not only from the world, but also from her family and friends.
In 2013, Carol’s daughter finally had enough of the secrecy, and brought her back to the world to get help. She and a friend reached out to teaching hospitals all over the country, but only one would take her case. Dr. Reza Jarrahy, Co-director of the UCLA Craniofacial Clinic, of the UCLA Face Transplant Program, and Associate Professor at UCLA, with amazing compassion, assured her that he would help, but advised her that there were unknown risks as her case was unprecedented.
Carol put her faith in Dr. Jarrahy and Board Certified plastic surgeon, Dr. J. Brian Boyd, a Professor of Surgery with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Chief of Plastic Surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. With their team of surgeons, they worked miracles, replacing Carol’s forehead with tissue from other parts of her body. Despite all their most careful efforts, however, the initial surgery left her blind in her right eye. With the help of therapy and the support of Face2Face Healing, she was able to find the courage and tenacity to move on in her life and direct her efforts toward helping others through Saving Face.
Originally from Miami, Florida, Carol now lives in Los Angeles, California with her daughter. Carol’s experience in the modeling and the beauty industry including anti-aging/aesthetic medical practice’s has provided her a platform to help guide the public about the complications, precautions and resources available in regards to aesthetic and cosmetic procedures
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Randi Cone, Cone Media and Associates, +1 9177441528, [email protected]
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