Red Alert! Bum Injection Death: Cludia Aderotimi.

The tragic death of British Claudia Aderotimi on Tuesday the 8th of February, following silicone bum injections has shocked both the USA and the UK.
Aderotimi’s friends claimed that she believed a bigger bum would help her get more work in music videos. The 20 year old student flew to the USA to have the £1300 back alley bum injections in The Hampton Inn Hotel, South Philadelphia.
Claudia from Hackney, East London and three of her friends took the trip to the states in search of their unique style American dream. Two of them went along for moral support and a holiday while the other two had pre organised their cosmetic operations. This type of procedure wasn’t new to Aderotimi who had previously made the trip in November last year to have the injections. She returned this month for ‘top up’ injections. Aderotimi began to complain about chest pains a day after the surgery and was rushed to a local hospital where she died 90 minutes after she had been admitted. Doctors blamed Aderotimi’s death on a botched silicone injection that was pumped directly into her vascular system, which eventually stopped her heart.

It is not yet known who performed the surgeries and if it was even performed by a registered surgeon. Police insist on finding out if the two women who administered the injections were licensed to do so. Police have searched the homes of two women who allegedly injected the silicone and are investigating whether they are part of an organised gang responsible for luring unsuspecting people over the internet. One woman has been arrested.

"Back alley" surgeries like this are becoming increasingly popular amongst young people who cannot afford to pay for these types of operation. The increasing ‘Barbie doll’ cosmetic images and ideologies created by stars today is undoubtedly having an influence on the self a steam and attitudes of young people. Rapper 'Nicki Minaj' who recently visited the UK is renowned for her large silicone bum implants amongst other alleged modifications. We have to question whether 'role models' like these have an influential impression on young people and whether they hold some responsibility in raising awareness about the perils and risks present in cosmetic surgery.

Minaj is just an example of influential factors that contribute to such tragedies. But on a whole we must look at the bigger picture of society and its representations of beauty and why people feel they have to go to such lengths to be accepted or to be happy.