“She spent 30 years hiding her face—then came one life-changing surgery.” After a long-standing misdiagnosis, Starrina finally got the help she needed 💔 See her powerful before-and-after photos in the article 👇📸
Starrina from Arizona had lived for decades with a facial growth so severe that she would accidentally bite into her own skin while eating. But after years of struggling, she finally received the life-changing surgery she had always dreamed of.
When Starrina appeared on Botched By Nature, she was hopeful that experts might finally give her answers — and a solution. Previously, doctors had told her she had a hemangioma, a condition where extra blood vessels form a benign tumor. But that diagnosis turned out to be completely wrong.
Dr. Paul Nassif and Dr. Terry Dubrow, the show’s leading surgeons, quickly noticed something didn’t add up. After examining Starrina, Dr. Nassif revealed, “This isn’t a hemangioma. This is a vascular malformation — the blood just pools in certain areas.” Unlike hemangiomas, which usually shrink with age, her growth had continued to expand over the years.
Now with the correct diagnosis after 30 years, Starrina’s treatment could finally begin. The doctors laid out a two-step plan. First, they would perform an embolization — a procedure that uses a special foam to block blood flow inside the growth. The second step would be surgery to physically remove the affected tissue.
The procedure wasn’t without serious risks. Dr. Nassif warned that operating near facial nerves and blood vessels could cause bleeding, nerve damage, or further scarring. “It’s a very delicate and complex surgery,” he explained. “We won’t know everything until we get in there.”
Still, Starrina was ready to move forward. “I’ve waited my whole life for this,” she said. “I’m just excited to finally move toward the future.”
To give her the best chance at success, the team brought in Dr. Greg Levitin, a leading expert in vascular abnormalities. Together, the surgeons carefully began removing tissue from Starrina’s lower lip and inside her mouth.
After the surgery, the results were already promising. Dr. Nassif estimated she was “about 75% improved.” A second embolization followed a few weeks later, and three months after the initial surgery, Starrina returned to show her progress. Her smile was brighter, her words were confident — and the results, she said, were “amazing.”
Dr. Nassif emphasized that recovery takes time. “You can’t fix something that developed over 30 years in just two months,” he said. “But we’ve made a big step.”
