“She Ruined Me”: Woman Claims $90,000 Repairs After Celebrity Facialist “Permanently Disfigured” Her

A beauty session with famed celebrity facialist Sonya Dakar turned into an unexpected nightmare for a Los Angeles-based client.

Victoria Nelson shared her story on social media, accusing Sonya of leaving her permanently “burned, scarred, and irreparably damaged.”

Sonya has worked with several A-list celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jennifer Lopez.

“Sounds like a lawsuit to me!” wrote one social media user. 

Victoria Nelson accused a celebrity facialist of turning her session into a nightmare on social media

Woman with long brown hair touching her hair, wearing gold jewelry and a black shirt, related to celebrity facialist disfigurement claims.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

Nelson was a recurring client of the Beverly Hills-based esthetician, seeking treatment from her since 2019, to treat her acne. 

Their relationship was so strong that she felt like Dakar was her “L.A. mom.”

But that all changed in 2021, after the facialist suggested Victoria try a chemical peel. 

Four years later, on August 26, Nelson shared a now-viral 13-minute clip on her TikTok and Instagram, detailing her “scarring” experience as a result of the peel.

Woman with facial burns and discoloration, showing damage after celebrity facialist treatment and costly $90,000 repairs.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

“I don’t really know how to accurately convey how little I want to be making this video right now, but I’ve kind of run out of options. I’ve put off making this video for literal years. It’s a pretty scarring, literally, experience for me,” she began the video by saying. 

Explaining how she first became a client of Dakar, Nelson credited it to her battles with acne at the time. 

The esthetician had assured her that she would “be able to clear” it completely, which the TikToker admitted she succeeded in doing. 

Sonya Dakar’s clientele includes some of Hollywood’s biggest names, from stars like Jennifer Lopez to Cameron Diaz

Woman with facial scars sitting in a car, showing damage from a celebrity facialist and costly repairs needed

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

Comment by Brandey Porter discussing a woman urging to sue after a permanent disfigurement by celebrity facialist.

After her acne cleared, Nelson continued visiting the 40-year veteran expert for routine facials.

“Our sessions were like half skin care, half therapy. I really felt like I was hanging out with and getting advice from my mom.”

Detailing the chemical peel, which Sonya had claimed to have “no downtime or irritation,” Victoria shared, “I kind of felt this immediate burning and stinging, which, if you haven’t had a peel before, they can have a little bit of a bite to them, but this definitely felt different.”

Close-up images of a woman's face showing severe skin damage allegedly caused by a celebrity facialist treatment.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

The video has garnered over 5 million views, sparking debate over what could have gone wrong in her treatment.

One social media user commented, “As an attorney, I’m the last person that usually tells people to sue. But you should sue.”

The TikToker tried a chemical peel treatment as recommended by Sonya, who has 40 years of experience 

Woman with severe facial injuries from celebrity facialist treatment showing red, damaged skin before and after healing.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

Comment expressing outrage over $30k repair costs after woman was disfigured by celebrity facialist's mistake.

Comment on social media expressing sympathy for woman claiming permanent disfigurement from celebrity facialist's $90,000 repairs.

A few minutes into the session, when the burning didn’t stop, she opened her phone’s front camera and “pretty quickly realized that” chunks of her facial skin had “just burned.”

To treat the burns, Dakar performed 18 sessions in 2021 and 12 in 2022 with Victoria, which included “pretty aggressive micro-needling.”

But the treatments still did not reverse the damage, as Victoria revealed in the clip that she continued to have burns on her face.

She recalled feeling “like I was permanently disfigured.”

These follow-up treatments were not free of cost, as Victoria paid Dakar $30,000 during that time. 

Woman with facial skin damage and patches, highlighting permanent disfigurement after celebrity facialist treatment claims.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

It was not until 2022, during a visit with her dermatologist, that alarms were raised about her skin’s condition, despite 30 recovery treatments.

Nelson’s face was permanently “burned, scarred, and irreparably damaged”

“She was pretty immediately, one, really confused as to why Sonya hadn’t immediately referred me out to a burn unit or a plastic surgeon when this initially happened, and two, was really concerned as to what was actually in this peel since in her experience, what an esthetician would have shouldn’t do this level of damage.”

Side-by-side comparison of a woman’s skin before and after $90,000 facial repairs by celebrity facialist.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

On the advice of her dermatologist, Nelson tried laser treatment for six sessions, which cost her an additional $8,000.

She last visited Sonya in 2023 for one final treatment for the burn she had suffered, paying $10,000 for the procedure.

“Sonya and I have not spoken since 2023. I’ve since been advised by a number of professionals that the liquid probably was medical grade or at least was something that an esthetician shouldn’t have access to.”

Netizens were outraged upon hearing about Victoria’s experience, with many saying Sonya should be held accountable, while others shared their own experiences with her.

Older woman with blonde hair smiling indoors, relating to celebrity facialist and $90,000 repairs claims.

Image credits: sonyadakar / Instagram

One user commented, “I went to her when I was 19 in Beverly Hills, horrible experience, she did a shi**y facial, and she was extremely rude… She only cared about money, not clients, unless they are famous.”

“YOU PAID FOR HER TO FIX THE DAMAGE SHE CAUSED??? Please, I’m begging you to sue!” wrote another. 

“The fact she didn’t refer you to a burn unit, continued charging you, insisted on follow ups, and MICRONEEDLED over a burn?! Genuinely horrifying…”

Nelson has not spoken to Dakar since 2023, following a “horrifying” beauty treatment

License details for esthetician Sonya Dakar in Beverly Hills with prior discipline and delinquent status.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

Image showing a lawsuit against Beverly Hills skincare owner and a woman’s review claiming permanent facial disfigurement after treatment.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

Sonya holds a license under the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which clearly prohibits estheticians from using medical-grade products or performing microneedling. 

The Board clarifies that it is “ultimately a licensee’s responsibility to understand their scope of practice as provided in Business and Professions Code section 7316.”

Comment from esthetician with 20 years experience mentioning horror stories about celebrity facialist causing permanent disfigurement.

Comment on social media criticizing facialist, mentioning victim seeking $90,000 repairs after alleged permanent disfigurement.

Woman showing facial scars and damage, discussing $90,000 repairs after celebrity facialist caused permanent disfigurement.

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

“I trusted her with my face, with my skin, honestly, with a lot of my inner-most feelings, and to feel like this person wasn’t looking out for me in the way I had hoped is just really disappointing at the end of the day,” Nelson shared. 

She revealed that she has since spent nearly $90,000 on treatments “in hopes of getting my face back.”

Woman in a car making a peace sign, discussing $90,000 repairs after celebrity facialist allegedly caused permanent disfigurement

Image credits: victorianelsonn / Instagram

 

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A post shared by Victoria Nelson (@victorianelsonn)

Nelson also said she filed a complaint with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology but has received “no resolution” so far.

She ended her video by clarifying, “To be clear, this isn’t a woe-is-me video. It’s a ‘be warned’ video.”

Netizens urged Victoria to take legal action despite her filing a complaint with the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology

Social media comment from attorney advising to sue in $90,000 repairs after facialist allegedly caused permanent disfigurement.

Comment expressing disbelief about paying for repairs after celebrity facialist permanently disfigured woman.

Comment from user Bill Gates stating estheticians are not dermatologists with over 52,000 likes related to celebrity facialist disfigurement claims.

Comment urging to get a lawyer and sue the celebrity facialist before the statute of limitations ends.

Social media comment about emotional damages and suing after $90,000 repairs from celebrity facialist disfigurement.

Comment from emergency medicine PA describing chemical burns on face caused by celebrity facialist resulting in permanent disfigurement.

Comment by Bri Parsons expressing shock as an esthetician, with 8,269 likes on a social media post.

Comment urging filing a medical malpractice claim after woman was permanently disfigured by celebrity facialist.

Social media comment expressing sympathy for woman claiming $90,000 repairs after celebrity facialist disfigurement.

Screenshot of a social media comment from a woman claiming permanent disfigurement after celebrity facialist treatment.

Comment expressing shock and sympathy about a woman’s permanent disfigurement after celebrity facialist treatment.

Commenter Kendra Sorrento expresses disbelief and sympathy over charges for fixing damage caused by a celebrity facialist.

Comment discussing chemical burn and microneedling mishap causing permanent disfigurement after celebrity facialist treatment.

Comment expressing sympathy for woman claiming permanent disfigurement and $90,000 repairs after celebrity facialist treatment.

Comment about woman claiming $90,000 repairs after celebrity facialist caused permanent disfigurement.

Comment expressing shock and anger towards a celebrity facialist involved in a $90,000 repair claim.

Comment on social media expressing disbelief about paying for follow-up repairs after a celebrity facialist caused permanent disfigurement.

Comment accusing Sonya Dakar of scamming 7k and expressing sympathy for woman claiming $90,000 celebrity facialist damages.

Comment discussing a woman suing for $24 million and mentioning facialist Sonya Dakar in a legal dispute context.

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