In July last year, Madam Asmah noticed a swelling on the upper area of her right chest where 'hormones' had been injected. It developed into a pus-filled boil that burst, with blood oozing out.

Petrified, she consulted a doctor at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and had an operation to remove the abscess in her right breast.

She recently had another operation there and now has two scars on her breast.

She has tried calling Madam Nora for an explanation and even went to her Batam salon, but the beautician did not pick up her calls and was not at her salon each time.

Madam Asmah has lodged a report against the beautician with Batam police.

She now believes that what had been injected into her was not all collagen. 'I think she mixed it with something,' Madam Asmah alleged.

Another account is from a fellow Singaporean who wanted to be known only as Mr Jefri.

The 36-year-old technician had gone to see Madam Nora in 2006, hoping to get the dimpled chin of one of his favourite actors, John Travolta.

Mr Jefri had responded to a small advertisement in the Berita Harian newspaper. He said, on one occasion, he went to a flat in the MacPherson area, and the second time to a flat in Choa Chu Kang, where Madam Nora gave him treatments.

She allegedly injected his chin with what he thought was collagen. She also supposedly injected something around the eye area to smooth out his wrinkles.

His face swelled after the session. He went back to see her about it but she said this was normal and allegedly gave him 'two, three more jabs'. In total, he paid her $1,000.

Now, he has - instead of a dimple - a hard permanent lump on his chin. He said when up close, people can see an obvious lump.

'Of course I am angry with her. This is not only cheating, but also dangerous to my health,' he said.

He does not want to consult a doctor about the lump for fear of making things 'worse'.

The third Singaporean with a horror story is a housewife who wants to be known only as Madam Lyn. She now has swollen, pus-filled breasts when what she wanted were firmer breasts.

She had gone to Madam Nora's salon in August last year. She claimed she got an injection filled with a liquid which Madam Nora allegedly said was silicone.

She had also wanted a trimmer waist and wanted to rid her face of wrinkles. Madam Nora allegedly gave her some silicone jabs for her waist and Botox jabs for her face.

But her waist remained the same. Worse, her face started to swell. Madam Lyn had paid $2,000 for the injections.

She is still spending more money, but this time to consult a doctor in Singapore to repair the damage done to her.

She had the pus removed from her breasts and has been going for further check-ups.

Said the 45-year-old mother of three who lives in Choa Chu Kang: 'I really regretted it. I wanted beauty but instead, all I got was pain and misery.'

Carolyn Quek

Nur Dianah Suhaimi

This story was first published in thesundaytimes on Nov 2, 2008.

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