A woman has described how she was left fighting for her life after receiving facial filler injections from a practitioner she found on Facebook.
Helena Collard, 59, from Cardiff, decided to improve her appearance after losing weight left her feeling “old and wrinkly”.
She found a practitioner in Newport while browsing Facebook and booked an appointment for the following day to have dermal fillers injected into her face.
Mrs Collard had never undergone cosmetic treatment before and did not recognise several warning signs. There was no paperwork when she arrived, and she was not given any aftercare advice.
Several days after the procedure, which took place at the practitioner’s home, her concerns grew as her face began to swell. She also became unable to eat or drink without experiencing severe pain.
Mrs Collard was taken to A&E, where doctors diagnosed facial cellulitis and a potentially life-threatening infection.
By then, it was too late to dissolve the filler. Doctors had to cut into every area where it had been injected, leaving Mrs Collard with permanent scarring.
The mother is now speaking out in the hope that her experience will make other women think carefully before having facial fillers.
Helena Collard, 59, is pictured with a swollen face after being taken to A&E with a potentially life-threatening infection earlier this year, following dermal filler treatment from a practitioner she found on Facebook
Mrs Collard is pictured in hospital, where she had to undergo emergency surgery to save her life
“There was no paperwork, but I’d never had this done before, so I didn’t realise there were consultations that should have taken place. I do feel silly; at my age I should know better,” she told ITV’s This Morning.
“I remember saying to my daughter that people go out after having filler. How on earth could I go out? I couldn’t even leave the house. The pain and swelling got worse, and I was struggling to eat and drink.
“I ended up needing emergency surgery. Instead of dissolving the filler, they had to cut into every area that had been injected because it was full of infection.”
Gwent Police confirmed that a 45-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault. He has since been released on police bail.
Skin health specialist Dr Amiee Vyas warned about the risks associated with unregulated cosmetic procedures.
“Although these treatments can enhance someone’s appearance, they are not beauty treatments; they are medical procedures involving needles. Practitioners need a proper understanding of anatomy and hygiene,” she said.
The case comes as MPs warned this week that women are being harmed by dangerous cosmetic procedures, including lip fillers and Brazilian butt lifts, which face “less regulation than a ballpoint pen”.
A new report by the Commons Science and Technology Committee said regulation had “failed to keep pace” with the rapid growth of cosmetic treatments offered on the high street.
Women told MPs they had suffered chemical burns, scarring and infections after using cosmetic products or undergoing procedures including Brazilian butt lifts, Botox and lip fillers.
The committee also heard that high-risk treatments such as Liquid BBLs and Liquid Boob Jobs, or LBJs, were being performed by people without suitable training.
These procedures involve injecting large quantities of “dermal filler” beneath the skin. The report said they should be “restricted to appropriately qualified medical professionals immediately”.
The report described the current regulation of cosmetic procedures and hair and beauty products as a “mess”. It said consumers had “no more protection and redress than someone buying a ballpoint pen or a toothbrush”.
MPs also warned that cosmetic products intended for adults are “increasingly being promoted and used by children”, while parents may unknowingly purchase products capable of causing long-term harm.
Children are often exposed to these products on social media and may feel they need to use them because “societal pressure, especially on young girls, to alter their appearance is acute”.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: “We received reports of unsafe cosmetic procedures being carried out in Newport.
“The reports were received on Thursday, October 28 and enquiries are ongoing.
“A 45-year-old man from Newport has been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault.”
Email katherine.lawton@dailymail.co.uk
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