The physical consequences were only part of May's ordeal.
For someone whose appearance had been tied so closely to her professional identity, watching her face change was devastating.
May has spoken unusually openly about the emotional crisis that followed.
In her 2021 account, she recalled spending enormous amounts of time visiting doctors and searching for an answer. Eventually, the distress became overwhelming.
She said she no longer wanted to go outside.
She also disclosed that she had reached a point where she thought about suicide.
In a more recent 2026 interview, May again discussed how deeply the transformation of her face had affected her. Reporting on that conversation, El Financiero said she described undergoing the procedure at around age 30 and experiencing a profound emotional crisis afterward.
Her testimony changes the way the story should be understood.
This was not simply a celebrity who received an unfortunate cosmetic result.
It was a person dealing with an unwanted, potentially irreversible alteration to her body—and doing so while the public watched.
Photographs comparing her appearance at different ages circulated repeatedly. Her face became entertainment content. People mocked her. Univision has reported May discussing insults directed at her appearance, including being called a “monster.”
For a woman once celebrated as a beauty icon, those attacks added another layer of cruelty to an already painful experience.
Yet she continued appearing publicly.
And eventually, instead of hiding the story, she began talking about it.
PART THREE — FROM PERSONAL TRAUMA TO A WARNING FOR OTHERS
“Be Careful Who You Go To”
Years after the procedure, May began using her experience to deliver a simple message about cosmetic treatments: know who is treating you and know what is being injected.
Speaking about cosmetic procedures, she has warned people to seek qualified doctors and avoid individuals who inject questionable substances. In comments reported by El Universal, May specifically cautioned that people can be told they are receiving Botox or hyaluronic acid when the substance may be something entirely different.
Her warning aligns closely with guidance from medical regulators.
The FDA recommends that dermal filler procedures be performed by licensed health-care professionals with appropriate experience in injection techniques, facial anatomy and the management of complications. It also advises patients to understand the risks and benefits of a procedure before undergoing it.
Modern dermal fillers are regulated medical devices in the United States, and approved products have specific intended uses. The FDA stresses that patients should not assume that any substance marketed as a “filler” is safe simply because someone is willing to inject it.
That is one of the most important lessons contained in May's story.
Cosmetic injections may appear simple because they can sometimes be completed quickly and without traditional surgery. But an injection still places a substance beneath the skin, where mistakes can cause serious consequences.
The FDA has documented cases involving unlicensed practitioners performing illegal injections in homes, hotels and other non-clinical environments. It warns that unapproved injectable silicone used for cosmetic enhancement can result in permanent disfigurement and, in severe cases, life-threatening complications.
Again, these FDA warnings should not be read as confirmation of exactly what substance was used on May. Her account concerns oil allegedly passed off as collagen.
The connection is the underlying safety lesson: patients need to know both who is performing a cosmetic procedure and exactly what material is entering their body.
Five Questions Every Patient Should Ask
May's experience occurred in a different era of cosmetic medicine, but the questions raised by it remain relevant.
Before receiving an injectable cosmetic treatment, patients should know:
Who is performing the procedure?