Botched filler complaints double in one year

Complaints over botched dermal filler treatments have doubled in the last year, according to Save Face, a national register of accredited practitioners that provide non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

Save Face has revealed it received 672 complains about ‘botched’ dermal filler services in 2018, however this figure rose to 1,342 in 2019.

The statistics were revealed in an episode of BBC Inside Out West on BBC One last night and experts from Save Face argued a lack of regulation together with social media advertising is contributing to the rise in procedures going wrong. Ashton Collins, director at Save Face, told the BBC: “Dermal fillers are extremely dangerous and unfortunately there are no laws dictating who can or can’t do them.

“So for instance a lay person on the street could decide today they want to start offering these treatments, they could watch a YouTube video this evening, order some products and set themselves up as a treatment provider.”

Incorrectly administered dermal fillers can result in infection, a lumpy appearance under the skin (which may require surgery), the filler moving away from the intended treatment area (which may need to be removed using surgery), scarring and blocked blood vessels in the face, which can cause tissue death and potentially permanent blindness, according to the NHS.

“We’re concerned by reports that vulnerable people are able to access cosmetic procedures without a thorough assessment of their wellbeing,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told the programme.

“Options are currently being considered to help people make informed decisions, including introducing age restrictions on accessing certain cosmetic treatments and improving safety through better training for practitioners.”

www.saveface.co.uk 

The BBC Inside Out West programme is available on BBC iPlayer here.

Featured image courtesy of Huda Beauty.