Bathtub caulk put in women's buttocks

NEWARK, N.J., March 8 (UPI) -- A silicone used to caulk bathtubs was injected into six women who were seeking more shapely buttocks, Essex County, N.J., officials said.

"Fortunately, these women are being treated and are recovering," Tina Tan, the state epidemiologist, told the (Newark) New Jersey Star-Ledger in a story published Monday.

The six women sought help from area hospitals last month after developing infections. No one has been arrested and it has yet to be determined if the injections were performed by the same person.

Using construction silicone, rather than medical-grade silicone, can cause abscesses that resemble a "big zit," said Gregory Borah, head of plastic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.

The six women were not publicly identified and state health officials did not say where the botched augmentation injections were done. Area hospitals were alerted about the cases and the potential for more victims, the Star-Ledger reported.