THE world’s biggest Ricky Martin fan who blew a staggering £850,000 on surgeries to look like him isn’t happy with the results.
Fran Mariano, 33, has admitted that he hasn’t achieved his goal of resembling his icon despite the numerous operations.
Mariano has been obsessed with the Puerto Rican singer for as long as he can remember.
He went under the knife in a bid to transform himself into his idol at the age of 18 and has since had around 30 surgeries – some of which have left him fighting for life.
“If I’m honest, I still don’t feel like I don’t look like Ricky Martin,” he said.
“I’ve been through a lot of physical pain and been on the brink of death from surgeries that were unnecessary.
“But I will never let myself grow old.
“Someday I will grow up and everything will fall, but I will never see myself as a grandpa with grey hair.”
The business coach from Buenos Aires, Argentina first saw Martin on television and decided to turn himself into his twin at the age of 16.
“When I saw him I remember thinking if only I could look like him, everyone would love me.
“That’s when my obsession with looking like him began.
“Ricky had everything – the beauty, the talent, the love of the people, everything that I had wanted.”
He sneaked out of school for appointments with surgeons but it wasn’t until he was 18 that he had his first nose job followed by some botox applications.
Since then, he underwent beauty procedures such as face lift, eyebrow lift, botox, dermolipectomy, liposuction, bichectomy and filler in his eye bags.
Mariano also had work done on his eyelids, chin, ears, cheekbones, lips, buttocks and teeth.
One of the surgeries, dermolipectomy – a form of cosmetic surgery to tighten the abdomen – even put Mariano’s life at risk.
DOING research is crucial if you're considering getting cosmetic surgery done overseas, the NHS advises.
It may be less expensive than in the UK, but you must balance the hazards and potential savings as standards for safety might not be as strict.
Surgery carries some risk. After surgery, complications can arise in the UK or overseas.
The onus of providing follow-up therapy falls on the surgeon in the UK if you experience complications following an operation.
It’s possible that follow-up care in overseas clinics is either not offered at all or is not offered to the same standard as in the UK.
Additionally, it’s possible that they don’t have a UK-based medical expert you can contact in case of issues.
If someone is considering cosmetic surgery, most advice is very much the same whether they receive treatment in the UK or overseas.
Learn everything you can about the aesthetic procedure.
This includes the consultations, the procedure itself, any risks or complications, and aftercare.
You run a higher risk of a potentially fatal blood clot if you fly or have serious surgery.
It is advised that you avoid flying for five to seven days following treatments like liposuction and breast surgery, and for seven to ten days following tummy tucks or cosmetic facial procedures.
You can access the NHS website to find out more.
He said: “I had problems with the dermolipectomy. The stitches opened and I started to lose blood.
“They had to give me three blood transfusions.
“Then the same thing happened with my buttocks. My body rejected them and they had to be removed.
“Also in the liposuction, I became anaemic.”
After suffering health complications, Mariano wishes he’d done things differently.
He said: “The truth is that I have no place to think about regret since it is nothing that I can go back to but yes, I would have decided differently now.
“For example, to settle for my first nose job and not get three.”
But despite posing dangers to his life and splashing £850,000 to look nothing like Ricky Martin, Mariano doesn’t plan to stop yet.
He said: “Fifteen days ago I had botox and I already spoke with my surgeon about what age I would have my first facelift, probably at 38 or 39.”
The superfan is yet to see his idol in person and doesn’t lose hope that the long-awaited meeting will come.
He added: “I have not had the opportunity to meet him yet.
“He is one of the dreams of my life, I believe that one day I meet him.”
