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| Lip fillers or Botox: 'My lips were so swollen after the injection that I couldn't even close my mouth |
When Harriet Green left the salon after getting her lip plumping injection, she was assured that the extra swelling after the injection would go down in a few days, but three months later her lips were still swollen.
Her lips were so swollen that she could not even close her mouth properly.
Harriet, 22, from the UK, was told by doctors that she now needed three different procedures to restore her lips, costing more than £700 in total.
"My lips were so bad that I couldn't even close my mouth because I had two hard lumps on my lips," she says.
Harriet, who works as a customer services call handler, had never had cosmetic surgery before having lip fillers in December.
The Role of Instagram and TikTok Influencers
After seeing influencers promoting jowl fillers, anti-wrinkle injections, and lip fillers on Instagram and TikTok, Harriet decided to make her lips attractive and attractive in the hopes that The feeling of inferiority they have about their lips will go away.
"With the quality and scale of our generation on social media these days, I thought I'd like to do it too," she says.
"There's been a lot of pressure and a lot of talk about it, it seems to be the normal thing to do."
But Harriet now realizes that the industry is a minefield' (i.e. dangerous) and that the images shared on social media 'don't always show you the truth.'
The consequences can be dire. You don't always get the desired result. When I smile, I still feel as insecure as I did before.'
'The problem is more serious than serious'
The initial treatment cost £165 but so far Harriet has paid Dr Saba Raja, who runs her own aesthetic clinic in Norwich, more than £700 to correct her lips.
Dr. Raja is having to undergo several treatments to heal Harriet's lips. "Every month I answer questions from young girls who have gone to Attai for under-eye fillers or lip augmentation treatments and are now experiencing complications," she says.
Dr. Raja describes the industry as the 'wild west', with people injecting patients 'sitting in their cars' and 'in the kitchen'.
He said, 'Anti-wrinkle injections can be obtained only on a doctor's prescription, but anyone can buy an injector. Dermal fillers (for lips and face) can be purchased from a website or elsewhere by anyone who has taken a one-day course.
"Many non-medical practitioners are buying cheap fillers online, they have no idea where it comes from or what the quality is," she says. We need really strict regulations and training standards.
An annual survey by the British College of Aesthetic Medicine found that 82 percent of its 400 members had treated people who had complications from another non-practitioner in the past year. The survey found that about 2,000 cases, or 59 percent of such cases, were due to beautification.
'Risk of permanent blindness'
Dermal fillers caused the most complications. In 2021, one in five cases of fillers underwent a complication. "This confirms just how dangerous dermal fillers can be in the wrong hands," the report added.
Dr. Tamara Griffiths of the British Association of Dermatologists believes the biggest problem is dermal fillers as 'anyone can inject them' and they are 'higher risk' than other cosmetic procedures.
He said that permanent blindness is one of its possible risks. Although this rarely happens. But there is an example of this in Britain.
It also causes blockage of blood vessels.
He added that dermatologists have long been concerned about this "highly unregulated and potentially very dangerous sector".
"There's a group of people who are on Instagram one day, injecting, and disappear the next, making false claims about their abilities."
Research before undergoing surgery or fillers
She adds that those who want to undergo non-surgical cosmetic surgery or such procedures should do their own research and go to a registered company or someone who is reputable and belongs to a professional body.
Earlier this year, the government rejected a call by MPs to create a compulsory licensing scheme to regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.
The Department of Health and Social Care says it is still working on a scheme that would make it an offense to carry out certain non-surgical procedures without a license. A spokesperson said: 'Anyone considering non-surgical cosmetic surgery or a cosmetic procedure should think about the potential impact on both their physical and mental health and if they decide to go ahead with it. When deciding, take the time to find a reputable, insured, and qualified practitioner.'
The scheme will come too late for Harriet but after three procedures she is finally happy with her lips and is trying to regain her confidence.
She hopes her experience will make other women aware and take precautions.
"If you're going to get lip fillers or anything, do your research first and don't just go by the pictures on social media, because there's no truth to those pictures."