Priyanka Chopra's facialist accused of 'burning and permanently disfiguring' woman's face in skin treatment gone wrong

Celebrity esthetician Sonya Dakar has worked with high-profile clients, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Priyanka Chopra and Kim Kardashian.

In an August 26 Instagram video, Victoria Nelson, a client of celebrity esthetician Sonya Dakar, shared she was left ‘permanently disfigured' after a chemical peel treatment at Sonya's Beverly Hills clinic. Victoria alleged that Sonya's treatment, intended to address her acne, resulted in severe burns and scarring.

The Beverly Hills, California-based facialist's celebrity clients reportedly include Priyanka Chopra, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sofia Vergara, Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox, Drew Barrymore, and Cameron Diaz.

Celebrity esthetician facial gone wrong

In the video she posted, Victoria detailed how she experienced permanent facial damage after receiving a chemical peel from Sonya. Initially a loyal client, she described how a routine facial ended with a peel that burned her skin, leading to scabbing and disfigurement.

She wrote in her caption, “Sorry, it’s a bit long but it’s long overdue. This is my story about how celebrity esthetician, Sonya Dakar burned, scarred and irreparably damaged my face. I’m perpetually consciously and subconsciously covering it up, but I’m not sure why I’m the one who feels ashamed and like I have to hide something in this situation.”

Victoria added that her intention in sharing her story was to warn others about the risks of certain aesthetic services, even those from seemingly reputable professionals. She wrote, “In an ideal world, this would’ve all been handled privately and professionally, but after doing everything in my power to take the 'right' steps and handle things the 'right' way through the proper channels, unfortunately, I have been left no other option but to publicly share about such an incredibly vulnerable experience. All I ask is that you please be kind, and please be safe.”

‘She changed my face forever’

Victoria narrated in the video she posted that despite Sonya's assurances of repair and numerous expensive follow-up treatments, the damage persisted, causing her to spend an additional $30,000 on other professionals. She also highlighted the esthetician's lack of accountability, expressing concern that Sonya may be performing unlicensed and harmful procedures on other, potentially young, clients.

Victoria started the video by saying, “This is my story about my experience with celebrity esthetician Sonya Dakar and how she changed my face forever. I've put off making this video for literal years... I try not to curse and I'm going to try not to cry, so just please bear with me.”

She added, “I started seeing Sonia in late 2019. I was 26 and was insecure about having acne. That's not really that far out of the realm of normal for a lot of people. I tried a lot of other solutions, and I stumbled across Sonya. I started using her products at home and then ended up going in and seeing her in her clinic. I was immediately enthralled. She was so intelligent and so convinced that we could be able to like clear my acne, which, if anyone's been through that, that's the dream.”

What actually happened

Victoria shared that she underwent a chemical peel treatment in April 2021, which she claims was supposed to have no downtime or irritation. However, the moment the solution hit her face, she felt an 'immediate burning and stinging' and told Sonya that she was in pain.

Victoria said, “Flash forward to April of 2021 and I was going in for a routine facial, which by this point I had done plenty of times. We go into the room, everything is normal, standard facial. We're chit chatting and then she insists that we finish out the appointment with a peel. We had done a peel before. I trusted her. She, one, is the expert, two, knew my skin better than anybody else, and three, the way it's described both on her website and in the room is having no downtime or irritation.”

Victoria also shared photos showing prominent white markings on her cheeks and forehead, which later developed into scarring. She continued, “It (her face) was still just like really on fire and I was kind of confused as to why this hurt so badly. So I opened the front-facing camera on my phone to use as a mirror as any millennial woman probably would, and saw what I thought looked like a white cream or a white lotion. But pretty quickly realised that that was actually my skin just burned. I immediately snapped these photos and I sent them to my group chat, where my friends immediately started freaking out, rightfully so.”

‘I spent about in the ballpark of $30,000 with Sonya’

Still hopeful that Sonya would be able to 'fix' her skin, Victoria shared, “So I did about 18 sessions with her in 2021 and 12 sessions in 2022. These treatments often included pretty aggressive micro-needling. I don't know if I can show some of the photos because they're quite graphic and I think these apps might take them down. But I think this gives you a pretty good idea of what the treatment and the recovery was like. All of these treatments were followed by diligent use of her products and kind of this constant checking in with her of ‘Are we making progress, is it looking better, and still feeling on the inside’ like I was permanently disfigured... During this time in 2021 and 2022, I spent about in the ballpark of $30,000 with Sonya.”

She added that a dermatologist who examined her after Sonya was confused as to why Sonya hadn't immediately referred her to a burn unit or plastic surgeon. Victoria shared, “Sonia and I have not spoken since 2023. I've since been advised by a number of professionals that the liquid probably was medical grade or at least something that an (8:45) esthetician shouldn't have access to.”

What are chemical peels and are they safe?

Chemical peels have become a widely recommended solution for a range of skin concerns — from dullness and acne scars to pigmentation and fine lines. This non-invasive cosmetic treatment uses specially formulated acids to exfoliate the skin, revealing a smoother, brighter, and more youthful-looking complexion underneath. Click here for everything you should know about the beauty treatment.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.