Brazil’s Botox Refuge for the Elite—and a Would-Be President

The man who may soon be Brazil’s next president, Vice President Michel Temer, treats his sun spots at Dr. Kogos's clinic. He swears by her Vitamin C-infused facial serum. His wife, a small-town beauty pageant contestant who is 43 years his younger, is also a regular client. So are Brazilian TV stars, heiresses, supermodels, and politicians, not to mention American executives and the queen of Sweden.

Ligia Kogos, age deliberately withheld, is the eccentric cosmetic dermatologist who claims ownership of the biggest Botox clinic in Latin America. Allergan Plc, the maker of Botox, confirms she is among its biggest clients. Her facility is located inside a refurbished colonial-style mansion in São Paulo’s ritzy Jardins neighborhood, with a back entrance for the most exclusive clientele concerned with prying eyes. Paintings of France, plush zebra chairs, and Marie Claire magazines decorate the lobby. Espresso and diet lemonade are on the house. On a recent afternoon, luxurious SUVs were parked outside, and the doctor's personally curated Spotify list piped Forever Young into the lobby.