Exclusive | Inside the unregulated billion-dollar med spa industry taking over NYC— and causing preventable deaths

Nypost · Aug 04, 2026 · 2101 words · By Kyra Breslin

Consumer Protection Regulatory Failure Public Health and Safety

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What to know about Consumer Protection

Inside the unregulated billion-dollar med spa industry taking over NYC— and causing preventable deaths See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 17

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Inside the unregulated billion-dollar med spa industry taking over NYC— and causing preventable deaths See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google On July 20, 2026, 27-year-old Elizabeth Baron arrived at the Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Riverdale, New York, for an NAD IV+ injection.

Common ground

The popular anti-aging molecule has become a highly sought-after treatment at med spas.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Consumer Protection story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The legal — but not FDA-approved — therapy [NAD IV+] has been touted by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner?
How does this story connect Consumer Protection with Regulatory Failure over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/lifestyle/inside-the-unregulated-billion-dollar-me…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 80% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified 1

cancel Disputed 1

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Claim 1: “The legal — but not FDA-approved — therapy [NAD IV+] has been touted by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner”

SINGLE SOURCE

While one source mentions NAD IV+ therapy's popularity and benefits, there is no specific evidence in the provided results confirming that Hailey Bieber or Kendall Jenner specifically touted it, nor a direct confirmation of its FDA status in the provided snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Hailey Rhode Bieber (née Baldwin; born November 22, 1996) is an American model, socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She is the founder and chief creative officer (CCO) of the skincare bra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hailey_Bieber

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — NAD IV+ therapy has gained popularity for its purported benefits, ranging from enhanced energy, improved cognitive function, and anti-ageing support. It is even said to help in muscle recovery and end…
https://www.voguearabia.com/article/whats-the-deal-with-the-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — new medication approved by the FDA.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/fda-approves-zepbound-for-wei…

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Claim 2: “In New York, RNs cannot evaluate patients independently, diagnose, or create treatment plans.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “Under New York’s Corporate Practice of Medicine doctrine... businesses providing medical services generally must do so through physician-owned professional entities—not ordinary LLCs.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “Sonia Dakar, an aesthetician in Los Angeles, had her license revoked in June 2026 after a patient sued her for “severe burns and permanent scarring” following a chemical peel.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “a Hell’s Kitchen-based med spa was busted after the founder, Joey Grant Luther, was caught injecting clients with phony Botox from China”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding Joey Grant Luther.

verified

Claim 6: “Under New York Law, any company providing medical services needs to file as a physician-owned LLC or PLLC.”

VERIFIED

Multiple legal sources confirm that under New York law, professional services cannot be provided by a standard LLC and must be operated as a PLLC or other professional structure.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Under New York law, LLCs cannot provide professional services. Those wishing to provide services under their professional license can only operate as: Sole proprietorships. General partnerships.
https://lawyerforbusiness.com/blog/llc-vs-pllc-new-york

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — PLLCs require approval from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) before formation. LLPs in New York are only available to certain licensed professions and provide liability protection to pa…
https://www.upcounsel.com/pllc-vs-llp-new-york

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — New York law requires certain professionals to operate through a PLLC rather than a standard LLC. Forming a PLLC involves additional steps, including obtaining approval from the applicable New York St…
https://montanarolaw.com/pllc-vs-llc-new-york/

help

Claim 7: “In July, Felipe Hoyos Foronda, a phony surgeon from Queens, was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for killing a 31-year-old woman last April, after she went into cardiac arrest from a lidocaine overdose during a body contouring procedure at a makeshift clinic.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding Felipe Hoyos Foronda.

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Claim 8: “When Cleavage Clinic opened in Manhattan in 2023, it quickly attracted attention for offering a “non-surgical natural boob job” using injectable fillers instead of implants and radiofrequency microneedling”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 9: “the market is projected to be worth a staggering $47 billion market over the next 5 years.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence mentions a global market projection of $21.47 billion in 2025 and $78 billion by 2033, but does not mention a specific $47 billion projection for the next 5 years.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The biggest advantage every med spa has is that your best patients live within driving distance. Once you understand that, your marketing becomes much simpler and far more effective. Here's what you'l…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFI2ARwIIOU

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Project Market. Магазин для покупки внутри игровых предметов на сервах Company, Labs и Magix!
https://projectmarket.store/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The global Med Spa market is projected to reach $21.47 billion in 2025, growing toward an estimated $78 billion by 2033. In Orange County, that growth is visible on nearly every major commercial corri…
https://marcweisberg.com/2026/03/med-spa-photographer-orange…

info

Claim 10: “in 2008, med spas occupied 20,641 feet of retail space. In 2024, that had jumped to 83,370.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general definitions of 'retail' from Wikipedia and Merriam-Webster and does not contain any specific square footage data for med spas.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Retail formats (also known as retail formulas) influence the consumer's store choice and address the consumer's expectations. At its most basic level, a retail format is a simple marketplace, that is;…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retail

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The retail industry comprises retail businesses that sell goods and services directly to end consumers. It is a fundamental pillar of modern commerce, influencing consumption patterns, urban infrastru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retail_industry

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · The meaning of RETAIL is to sell in small quantities directly to the ultimate consumer. How to use retail in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retail

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Claim 11: “While receiving her IV treatment, Baron went into cardiac arrest... and was pronounced dead shortly after.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Elizabeth Baron suffered a medical emergency/cardiac arrest and died shortly after the treatment.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Elizabeth Mortimer, Lady Percy and Baroness Camoys (12 February 1371 – 20 April 1417), was a medieval English noblewoman, the granddaughter of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, and great-grandd…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Mortimer

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile; c. 1437 – 8 June 1492), known as Dame Elizabeth Grey during her first marriage, was Queen of England from 29 September 1464 until 3 Oct…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Woodville

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk also known as Elizabeth Plantagenet (22 April 1444 – c. 1503) was the fifth child and second daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (a great-grandson o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_of_York,_Duchess_of_…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “The number of so-called medical spas have increased sixfold nationwide since 2010”

DISPUTED

One source (Brenton Way/American Med Spa Association) states ownership increased from 1,600 in 2010 to 9,520 in 202x, which is roughly a 6x increase. However, other sources provided do not confirm this specific 'sixfold' statistic, and the provided evidence is fragmented.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This Is Us is an American drama television series created by Dan Fogelman that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents and their…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Us

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Us, us, uS, or US commonly refers to: Us (pronoun), the objective case of the English first-person plural pronoun we U.S., an abbreviation for the United States Us, us, uS, or US may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “The clinic was run by Luis Rojas Cabrera, a man who claimed he held a doctor’s license in the Dominican Republic but not... in New York.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Luis Rojas Cabrera ran the clinic and claimed to have a license in the Dominican Republic but not in New York.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Officials confirmed he holds a license in the Dominican Republic but not in New York or anywhere else in the United States as a physician. New York law requires that NAD+ IV therapy be prescribed by a…
https://www.jfeed.com/news-world/unlicensed-medical-practice

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The clinic was run by Luis Rojas Cabrera, a man who claimed he held a doctor’s license in the Dominican Republic but not, he allegedly admitted in the aftermath of the tragedy that unfolded, in New Yo…
https://nypost.com/2026/08/04/lifestyle/inside-the-unregulat…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Luis Rojas Cabrera, who claims to hold a medical license in the Dominican Republic but has only an esthetician license in the U.S., is facing charges of reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice…
https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/consumer-protection/what-…

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Claim 14: “On July 20, 2026, 27-year-old Elizabeth Baron arrived at the Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Riverdale, New York, for an NAD IV+ injection.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results confirm that 27-year-old Elizabeth Baron died after receiving an NAD+ IV treatment at the Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Riverdale, NY, on July 20, 2026.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Tue, July 21, 2026 at 1:46 PM UTC. 2 min read. Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.Police said the procedure took place Sunday at Bereshit Lifestyle Center on Riverdal…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/woman-died-bronx-anti…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A 27-year-old woman died after suffering a medical emergency while receiving treatment at the Bereshit Lifestyle Center in Riverdale, according to police. Investigators say Elizabeth Baron was injecte…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIDGbZBpbfA

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A New York wellness clinic, Bereshit Lifestyle Center, is at the center of an investigation after 27-year-old Elizabeth Baron died shortly after receiving an alleged NAD+ IV treatment.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/glob…

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Claim 15: “under New York law, “medical spa” isn’t a legal business category at all—it’s a marketing term”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “The Cleavage Clinic lists Tariq, a “board-certified physician and artist” based in Florida... as its medical director.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “Public records reviewed by The Post show Cleavage Clinic is set up as a standard limited liability company rather than a physician-owned professional corporation or professional limited liability company.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.