RAJEE NARINESINGH: You can say, “Oh, true
beauty comes from within”, but try walking around with a distorted face and having to
live it. I look in the mirror and I think, “Wow! Big difference.”
RAJEE NARINESINGH: I felt like a monster.
I really did. A sideshow circus clown.
COMM: Rajee Narinesingh is one of the world’s
best-known victims of black market cosmetic surgery. Unhappy with her looks, the transgender
activist visited a fake doctor who pumped her face, breasts, hips and buttocks full of
a toxic solution which hardened under her skin. But now, after extensive surgery to
remove the concrete-like substance, her face has been transformed.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: I’m ready for the world.
I don’t know if the world’s ready for me. Oh my god, look at my face! I mean really
look, look at it! Don’t I look younger? Come on, you have to admit it and look at
my smile. You actually see my teeth now. See before, you know, when I smiled, my lip didn’t
lift, now when I smile you see teeth. I think it’s definitely been worth it. I always
have had a core belief that one’s beauty is from within and not wanting to sound cliché
but you know, that is the truth. A person’s true beauty is from within but we live in
a world that is very superficial and, you know, people look at the way you look.
COMM: Dr. John Martin has treated Rajee for
several years and is now seeing the results of her latest surgery.
Rajee: Hi, good.
Dr. Martin: Good to see you! Rajee: Good to see you!
Dr. Martin: You look wonderful. Rajee: Oh, thank you!
Dr. Martin: Everything going well? Rajee: Yeah, good.
Dr. Martin: Good, good!
DR. JOHN MARTIN: The first time I saw Rajee
to now there’s been an enormous improvement. Because she really had these very large nodules
on her cheek that were just sticking out and they were very distinct large nodules, so
that you could really see them. Now she has a few little nodules but you can’t really
see them, so the whole appearance of her face is just much softer and smoother. And just
not nearly as deformed as it had been.
Dr. Martin: Much flatter, much smoother.
Rajee: Yeah, my face was out to here basically basically, yeah.
Dr. Martin: We talked about the mountains that you had that were really just all like
concrete in there.
COMM: A combination of ultrasound treatments
and anti-inflammatory injections allowed Rajee to eventually have some of the substance removed
from her face.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: All of those years of your
treatments got it to the consistency of like a tyre and they said that was perfect because
it wasn’t too soft that it, but it wasn’t too hard.
COMM: She recently underwent an intense course
of surgery to remove the filler from her chin, lips, eyelids and cheeks.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: Oh my god, I had four surgeries
in a span of seven weeks. We’re talking surgery, week of recovery, surgery, week of
recovery and so on and so on and so on.
COMM: Rajee still has nodules in her breasts
and buttocks but performing surgery on them may be too risky.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: When it comes to the rest
of my body, it is a concern for me. I don’t quite know what I’m gonna be facing in the
future. I have to say my confidence has definitely improved. I lived with this situation for
about 10 years and I was doing my thing regardless. I mean, I had some really down moments, times
where I didn’t think I could go on, but I was pressing on. But I have to say this
blessing came out of left field and I’m really, really happy it did, because it has
changed by life, it really has. My friends and family are so happy for me and amazed.
ISA: HI, how are you?
RAJEE: Good to see you. ISA: You look gorgeous!
RAJEE: Oh, thank you!
ISA CEPEDA: She just looks amazing and happier,
I’m just very blessed that somebody got to help her with this. Now she doesn’t have
to worry about going to a restaurant or a supermarket or down the street without people
staring at her.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: I’m a big personality
so I know I’m gonna always get stares, but the stares are a little different.
COMM: And she’s now got the confidence to focus on her love life.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: And who knows, I might even
get married soon, I can make you my maid of honour. The men situation has improved.
Getting approached a lot more. And just the whole reaction from men, it seem to be, it
seems to be a lot more receptive and they seem to be really attracted to me. Well, you
know, I am a cougar! Oh my god, I love me some young men.
ISA CEPEDA: I’m sure a lot of men are gonna
look at her more and I’m sure she’s gonna have a line waiting for her to come and, and
pick which one she wants actually.
COMM: Now, Rajee is pursuing her acting career
and continuing to raise awareness of the dangers of black market surgery.
RAJEE NARINESINGH: I’ve been doing a lot
more auditions and monologues and that sorta thing, so I’m really thinking that maybe
the casting directors will be a little more receptive to me now. As much advocacy as I’ve
done worldwide against black market injections, it’s still going on. I think maybe what
I’m seeing in the community is it’s tapered down a bit, and I would like to think that,
you know, maybe it has something to me being open about my story and sharing my story with
the world.