I started surgery at 56, now I have a BBL and I’m dating a man 20 years younger, it was worth risking death & paralysis
A MOM has revealed how she had two dangerous plastic surgery procedures within weeks of each other, but insists it was worth it.
Rae Richmond, 57, said she looked like "a balloon" after one life-threatening op, but luckily her 37-year-old boyfriend was on standby for support.
The mom-of-two had an "excruciating" Brazilian Butt Lift just three weeks after her facelift, paying $35,000 for her surgery.
In an exclusive interview, she told The U.S. Sun: “If I did it all over again, I would wait longer between both operations.
“When you have a BBL you have to sleep face down for six weeks, which I did not do.
“I had had the facelift three weeks before the BBL, so that facial area swelled back up. I looked like a balloon.
"But I am really happy with the results. I am all for women or men doing whatever makes them feel good about themselves."
Over the years, thousands like Rae have opted for BBLs wanting to shape and lift their butts.
At one point, the surgery was one of the fastest-growing in the world.
According to the Aesthetic Society, there were 40,320 BBLs done in 2020, using either implants or fat grafts.
But a 2017 report by the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation revealed that one to two out of 6,000 ops led to death.
The issues surrounded the large blood vessels in the area, which drain into the inferior vena cava and travel to the heart.
If fat is injected into the wrong place, blood flow can be obstructed.
Rae admitted she worried about getting the dangerous BBL.
“I did a lot of research and put my faith in everything being okay,” she said.
“I would never have had a silicone BBL, so did the fat transfer.
“The silicone tends to move and there are complications.
“It can cause an embolism and go to your heart. You can die.
“They have fine-tuned the procedure with the way that they inject the fat now.
“Now they use ultrasound to guide it so they can see where the fat is all going.
“There are also risks associated with a facelift, you can get paralysis.”
Rae, a senior manager in training and quality assurance, is also a successful adult content creator.
She started her plastic surgery journey in July and boosted her online brand.
“When I was in my 30s, I knew that when the time came, I would want to get plastic surgery,” she said.
“I started to notice sagging skin and heavy eyelids, which was bothering me.
“I was doing Botox a couple of times a year and tried filler, but needed a more permanent solution.”
Rae took the plunge after managing a 17-year eating disorder.
“I was 23 and taking on negative comments and name-calling from an ex about my weight," she said.
“I lost quite a bit of weight, but then yo-yo dieted over the years.
"I did have body image issues but therapy and self-help books helped me resolve them over time.
“I fixed those internal issues first, so that when I finally had cosmetic surgery, it was for the right reasons."
Opting for a Miami surgeon, Rae started with a face and neck lift, as well as eye surgery.
She was under the knife for eight hours during her first op.
“I did my face and neck and had my upper and lower eyelids lifted, which removed excess skin and the bags,” she said.
“I also had fat transferred to my cheeks.
“I was sedated, so was awake for some of the time and could feel tugging and pulling but no pain.
“I woke up while he was working on my eyes.”
Rae looked swollen and bruised for several weeks after her first op.
She went to a different surgeon for the BBL, who transferred fat from her waist and thighs to her butt.
“I had several post-op visits which carried out checks on my face and removing drains," she said.
"Then I was cleared for the BBL.
“They did fat liposuction from the front, sides, and back and so those areas hit the worst
“I was bruised pretty much all over my rear area for several weeks.
“The pain was probably there for about two weeks and the first couple of days were bad.
“It was excruciating, I am not going to lie.”
Rae detailed the recovery process which involved sitting on a special pillow.
“You are not allowed to sit, but can have a BBL pillow after a few weeks," she said.
“My surgeon recommended no sitting at all for four weeks, but I did not follow it.
“Where the fat was transferred, it needs to have the best chance of survival.
"You have got to keep the pressure off it so that blood flow gets established.”
Rae is enjoying her new face and shape alongside her 37-year-old boyfriend, who she met in 2022.
“He loved me before the surgery and thought I was beautiful before as well," she said.
“He was supportive though and I am still very happy that I did it.
“I have recently launched a YouTube channel and a podcast.
"Interestingly, most of my fans are in their 20s to 40s. One follower told me I looked 'old' before the surgery was done."
Rae, who is in the top 0.8% of creators on OnlyFans added: “Above all, I do not want to look back or have any regrets.
“I want to help empower other women.
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"This is especially in my age range but really so that all ages can be successful online like I am.
“I believe the market is big enough for all of us to exist together, no matter what age."
