In Venezuela, cosmetic procedures are often regarded as a normal, even necessary rite of passage for young women. But the currency crisis, which has already caused chronic shortages of staple foods, medical supplies and even toilet paper, has now created a scarcity of breast implants.

Though official figures do not exist, patients considering breast augmentation have increasingly reported being unable to find prosthethics, especially those that meet US Food and Drug Administration approved standards.

Venezuela is believed to have one of the world’s highest rates of plastic surgery, with 85,000 implant operations last year, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

But plastic surgery clinics in the capital, Caracas, say brand-name implants are now nearly impossible to obtain, and some now offer the option to use Chinese-made implants which are often of lower quality.

“Our doctors don’t like Chinese-made prosthetics because they find them too hard, and they often lack the cohesiveness they prefer,” said Marisela Sira, an administrative assistant at one of the city’s best-known clinics.

Plastic surgeons say that strict currency controls have deprived them – along with other importers – of the cash to buy foreign goods. Some have turned to the internet where a black market in implants of uncertain origin thrives.

Other patients with overseas accounts hire door-to-door services to bring the prosthetics via special courier service from the US. “It’s just like buying food. You go to every single shop, and still you can’t find them,” said a recovering patient who preferred to go unnamed. “Those who can afford to, and are lucky enough to find airline tickets, will wait for their next trip to the US. I had a friend bring them back.”