A LESSON IN RECONSTRUCTION: THE STORY OF JULIANA OLIVEIRA

In 2017, seeking a more feminine appearance, Juliana Oliveira from Passo Fundo, Brazil, underwent a clandestine facial procedure at an unlicensed clinic. Believing she was receiving industrial silicone, she was instead injected with 21 syringes of mineral oil. Over the next several years, her body developed a chronic foreign-body reaction, causing severe swelling, chronic inflammation, and extensive tissue fibrosis that blurred her normal anatomical layers and drastically altered her face.

Beyond the physical toll, Juliana faced financial hardship and severe social media harassment, earning the moniker “Juju do Pix” while crowdfunding for medical care. Finding a surgeon willing to operate was exceptionally difficult due to the high risk of damaging essential facial nerves, blood vessels, and muscles embedded within the hardened tissue. In November 2025, plastic surgeon Dr. Thiago Marra and his team initiated a staged reconstructive journey at Hospital Indianópolis in São Paulo, carefully removing damaged tissue while preserving vital facial structures.

By June 2026, following multiple delicate procedures to treat her face, neck, and cheek regions, Juliana experienced significant physical relief, restored mouth mobility, and improved facial contours. Her story serves as a stark medical warning about the severe, long-term dangers of clandestine injections and the complex, painstaking process required to reconstruct damaged human tissue.