Surgeons have reported an increasing number of UK women are suffering disfigurement as a result of botched cosmetic filler injections.
Cosmetic filler are a popular go-to for plumping up skin, filling in wrinkles and crow’s feet, and creating fuller cheeks and lips. However, research carried out for the
Daily Mail has found that more than two thirds of British plastic surgeons have been consulted by patients whose injections have gone wrong.
This indicates a dramatic rise as three years ago just one quarter of surgeons polled by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons had seen such cases.
In the UK, fillers are unregulated and can be administered by anyone who has completed a half-day course. Doctors fear this lack of regulation means that more complications are bound to emerge.
The most serious complication of this procedure is where permanent fillers are at risk of rupturing in the body and then requiring corrective surgery. Half of the doctors interviewed said they had seen patients whom which this had occurred.
Other side effects range from infections, swelling and bruising, to inflammation of the deeper skin tissue causing lumps and permanent scarring.
UK experts are now calling for more rigorous training for practitioners and a crackdown on irresponsible advertising.
"The popularity of fillers has gone through the roof. If it goes wrong, you can get atrociously bad reactions. The site can become infected, or it can affect the deeper tissue,” says James Frame, a consultant and professor of aesthetic plastic surgery at Anglia Ruskin University.
"There was one case where it eroded a woman's upper lip."
While no reports have come out in Australia just yet, most dermal fillers are Schedule 4 medications that require prescription by a registered medical practitioner – meaning they are more regulated in Australia than in the UK.
People need to be aware that like any medical procedures, filler injections have risks and side effects, so it’s important to do your research and consult medical experts before you undergo any cosmetic procedures.
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