A Cardiff woman who suffered a potentially life-threatening infection after facial filler injections has been left with permanent scarring following emergency surgery. A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault in connection with reports of unsafe cosmetic procedures in Newport.
Helena Collard, 59, arranged the treatment after finding a practitioner on Facebook. She had lost weight and said she wanted to improve her appearance after feeling “old and wrinkly”.
Having never undergone cosmetic treatment before, Mrs Collard booked an appointment for the following day at the practitioner’s house. She said there was no paperwork when she arrived and that she received no aftercare advice.
Several days later, her face began to swell. The pain became so severe that she struggled to eat and drink before being taken to A&E, where doctors diagnosed facial cellulitis and a potentially life-threatening infection.
By then, it was too late for the filler to be dissolved. Surgeons instead had to cut into every area where it had been injected because of the infection, leaving Mrs Collard with permanent scars.
Speaking to ITV’s This Morning, she said: “There was no paperwork, but I’d never had this done, so I didn’t realise there are consultations that need to be in place. I do feel silly; at my age I should know better.”
She added: “I remember saying to my daughter people go out after filler – how the hell can I go out? I couldn’t even leave the house. The pain, the swelling got worse, I was struggling to eat and drink.”
Describing the emergency operation, Mrs Collard said: “So rather than dissolving it […] they cut every area that was injected because it was full of infection.”
Gwent Police said reports of unsafe cosmetic procedures carried out in Newport were received on Thursday, October 28, and that inquiries were continuing. The force said a 45-year-old man from Newport had been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault and released on police bail.
Skin health specialist Dr Amiee Vyas warned that cosmetic procedures involving injections should be treated as medical treatments rather than beauty services.
“While these treatments do enhance beauty, they are not beauty treatments, they are medical treatments, these are needles going in. You need to have an understanding of anatomy, and of cleanliness,” she said.
The case comes after MPs warned that women were being harmed by risky procedures including lip fillers and Brazilian butt lifts, amid concerns that regulation had failed to keep pace with the growth of high-street cosmetic treatments.
A report by the Commons Science and Technology Committee said people undergoing cosmetic procedures had reported chemical burns, scarring and infections. It also heard that high-risk treatments involving large volumes of dermal filler were being carried out by people without proper training.
The committee said such procedures should immediately be restricted to appropriately qualified medical professionals, describing the current regulation of cosmetic procedures and hair and beauty products as a “mess”.
