What started as a seemingly lucky Halloween win quickly turned into something out of a scary movie.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A Los Angeles-based influencer found herself going viral on social media after sharing what she described as a “cosmetic nightmare” following a free lip filler treatment she received through a giveaway — and her story is now serving as a warning to thousands online.
Jessica Burko, known on TikTok as @jessicacaileyburko, had no reason to expect things would go wrong. Per Glamour, lip fillers are one of the most common and popular cosmetic procedures today – widely seen as a quick, relatively simple way to enhance volume using hyaluronic acid.
And for Burko, this wasn’t her first time either. She had undergone the procedure six times previously without any issues. So, it was understandable that she sat down in the practitioner’s chair without a worry.
But this time was different.
“It was a free giveaway that I won, it was for Halloween,” she explained in a video that has since racked up more than 11.9 million views. “He certainly had me looking very scary. I would never go back.”
Almost immediately after the procedure, something felt off.
Burko noticed unusual swelling in her lips — the kind that didn’t resemble the typical post-treatment reaction. Concerned, she returned to the doctor, where she was given a steroid injection in an attempt to control the swelling.
Instead, the situation escalated.
Over the next few hours, her lips continued to swell dramatically, leaving her in visible distress and prompting growing concern among viewers when she shared the footage online.
According to Burko, the cause of the reaction was serious. She revealed that the practitioner had “hit an artery,” which led to the severe swelling and complications that followed.
The situation was alarming, but thankfully, there was a somewhat swift resolution. The following day, she returned to the clinic where the fillers were dissolved — a step that ultimately restored her appearance back to normal.
Despite the ordeal, Burko hasn’t turned her back on cosmetic treatments altogether. Instead, she’s using her experience to highlight the risks — particularly when it comes to free procedures.
“Never do free cosmetics. But also don’t be scared to get your lips done,” she said. “I love getting them done, and I will be back to my regular girl.”
Her story has struck a chord online, with thousands of viewers flooding the comments section.
Some were quick to point out that she didn’t need fillers at all. “You’re so pretty without all that. Leave yourself alone. Nothing can compare to your natural beauty,” one person wrote.
Others saw it as a clear warning. “This was a sign to leave my lips alone,” another added.
The conversation around cosmetic procedures — particularly fillers — is nothing new, but Burko’s experience adds a stark reminder that even common treatments carry risks if something goes wrong.
It’s a sentiment echoed by others in the public eye.
Actress Courteney Cox has previously spoken openly about her own regrets with fillers, describing how the process can gradually escalate. “You don’t realise that you look a little off, so then you keep doing more, ’cause you look normal to yourself,” she explained, per the Huffington Post. “You look in the mirror and go, ‘That looks good.’ You think and you don’t realise what it looks like to the outside person.”
Looking back, Cox admitted she regrets “just doing too many fillers and having them removed,” adding that she’s thankful she was able to reverse the changes.
Featured image credit: TikTok/@jessicacaileyburko (screenshot)
