Model permanently disfigured after injecting cooking oil into her face when doctors refused more fillers

Warning: This article contains graphic images which some readers may find distressing

A South Korean model's face swelled to enormous proportions after she injected herself with cooking oil.

Hang Mioku was just 28 years old when she underwent her first cosmetic procedure. However, she soon became addicted to having cosmetic treatments in order to enhance her beauty, undergoing further procedures in pursuit of achieving smoother skin.

Mioku later moved to Japan to continue her career, where she continued to have cosmetic procedures – all of which left her face considerably swollen and enlarged.

Eventually, doctors refused to operate on Mioku, with one physician even suggesting she may have be suffering from a psychological disorder (per The Telegraph).

Hang Mioku has been left swollen and disfigured by the procedures (SBS)

Mioku briefly received support for her addiction to plastic surgery but soon fell back into her old ways, this time procuring vials of silicone to inject into her own face.

When she ran out of silicone, Mioku then started injecting cooking oil into her skin.

What happens if you inject cooking oil into your body?

It should come as no surprise that injecting cooking oil anywhere into your body is extremely dangerous and can cause various long-term health issues.

Research on the adverse effects of injecting oil into the body is thin on the ground, however a study published in the Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery revealed that complications such as inflammation, abscesses and hard oedema (excess fluid in connective tissues) had been documented in patients who injected oil into their bodies for cosmetic reasons.

Hang Mioku became addicted to plastic surgery (SBS)

Injecting cooking oil can lead to masses under the skin (SBS)

The oil can also form hard lumps or masses, known as oleoma, under the skin, causing permanent damage to the affected area.

A second study, published in Acta Biomedica, revealed complications from tissue damage, such as ulcers, abscesses and fistulas (a connection between two parts of the body that shouldn't be there, which sometimes carries blood, pus, or poo to undesirable locations).

Mioku's addiction to injecting cooking oil became so severe that her face swelled beyond recognition. She was often referred to as the 'standing fan' in her hometown, due to the difference in size between her face and body.

She injected herself with cooking oil because she ran out of silicone (SBS)

Hang Mioku at the height of her plastic surgery addiction (SBS)

As her story gained traction, Mioku was featured in TV documentaries in South Korea, which led to well-wishers sending donations, which allowed Mioku to undergo various corrective surgeries.

She has since undergone various operations to remove hundreds of grams of oil, greatly reducing the size of her face, but remains disfigured.

Mioku isn't the only case of extreme disfigurement after injecting cooking oil into the face either, as Mexican actor Lyn May was left permanently disfigured after she was scammed into having unregulated fillers.

Like Mioku, May was also left with a swollen face after being injected with a mixture of baby oil, cooking oil, and water.