Several women have come forward alleging they suffered severe complications, including stiff lips, intense pain, and clumps of filler, after receiving cosmetic injections from an Arizona woman who was operating without a license. Sayde Holladay, who advertised 'board-certified' procedures such as Botox and lip fillers on social media since 2024, was arrested at a Phoenix office following an undercover operation, as reported by ABC 15 News.
Victims Speak Out
Multiple women, who chose to remain anonymous and declined to show their faces, have shared harrowing experiences after undergoing treatments with Holladay. 'Every hour it just kept getting worse,' one patient told Fox 10 News. Another woman described realizing something was wrong immediately after returning home: 'They were so tight I thought they were going to explode with how much swelling was in my lips.' She added, 'I didn't want to go to sleep because I didn't know what was going to happen in the morning.'
A third unidentified woman told Arizona's Family: 'There are certain areas of my lip that are stiffer than others. I also have a small bump in my lip that's like a clump of filler.' She expressed concern about future treatments: 'Now I'm concerned, am I gonna get denied services because I have God knows what in my lips?'
Legal Consequences
Holladay faces multiple felony charges, including operating without a license and participating in fraudulent schemes. Her arrest followed an undercover operation by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, prompted by a complaint from the Arizona Medical Board on April 27. The board had added Holladay to its 'imposter' list after discovering she marketed herself as a licensed practitioner without a state-licensed medical director or required oversight.
During the sting, an undercover officer paid for 50ml of Botox and observed Holladay preparing the needle for injection. Authorities determined she placed clients at risk of injury or death. Holladay's services included fillers, 'fat dissolve' treatments for the stomach, chin, arms, and thighs, and liquid rhinoplasty, with a portfolio of photos on social media.
Expert Warnings
Deborah Peraza, a registered nurse, warned that symptoms consistent with botched injections can lead to severe, sometimes permanent damage, including blindness, tissue necrosis, and scarring. Dr. Randall Craft, a Scottsdale surgeon and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, explained: 'The issue is those blood vessels around the lips, when you blindly shove a needle into it and then put a volume of filler into it, it can block that blood vessel so it no longer supplies that tissue with blood and when that tissue doesn't have blood it dies.'
Shannon Bitza of the Arizona Board of Nursing noted that unusually low prices often indicate illegal, counterfeit, or black market products. 'Companies will not sell products to individuals who do not have licensure,' she said. Recent data shows lip filler is a top-five procedure, with nearly 1.5 million performed in 2025 alone, not including illegal procedures.
Victim Accounts
One woman, who later had her lip filler dissolved and was told she had an occlusion (blocked blood vessel), said: 'If I hadn't come and saw her, I would have gone to the ER to have an operation on my face. It was so bad.' Another patient admitted she assumed Holladay was licensed because she had a suite, wore scrubs, and displayed a certificate. After her arrest, Holladay posted an online statement asking clients to write letters of support, claiming, 'None of you have anything to worry about on your behalf.'
Experts advise patients to verify licensure and ask about medical supervision before undergoing any cosmetic procedure.
