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Botox is an anti-wrinkle injection that is popular with women of all ages, but thousands have left a clinic only to find out they have been “botched”. Express.co.uk spoke to Amish Patel, award-winning aesthetics practitioner and skincare expert at Intrigue Cosmetic Clinic, about the rise of botched Botox and fillers due to the cost of living crisis, and the red flags people should look out for before having any injections.
Botched Botox and fillers are “more common than most people realise” and there any many signs that indicate you have been botched.
Amish explained: “Alongside asymmetry, prolonged tenderness, swelling, infection, unnatural results, and tissue damage, the list for ‘what can go wrong’ is somewhat exhaustive and may not always be evident to the general public, but it can have a pronounced effect on the individual.”
Uneven Botox isn’t always “classified as botched,” Amish said. “With Botox, for example, it could be that one side of a patient’s face takes to the medication better than the other. Nothing that cannot be resolved with a review at two weeks.
“However, overdosing or poor placement of Botox resulting in a droop that is not desired could be classed as a botched result.
“Even to the best of injectors, complications can happen. This is natural. But the frequency of occurrences and their management is what separates practitioners.”
Price is a big indicator as to whether or not the injections administered are going to be of a high standard. The expert said: “1ml of filler ranges from £250-£500 depending on location and the area being treated, and Botox from £150 for one treatment area. I would question anything below that price bracket from a safety and expertise level as something somewhere is being cut at the possible risk of the client.”
Other red flags to look out for before having Botox or fillers are: “A lack of hygienic clinical and professional premises to undertake treatments.
“Mobile or practitioners who set up in a beauty room at the end of their garden might seem convenient but if there is a medical emergency, such as an adverse reaction, do they have immediate access to the drugs necessary to manage the issue? Fortunately, an experienced practitioner is trained to know how to act in such an instance and administer medicines, but the same can not be said of all aesthetic practitioners.
“Few people know that anyone can set themselves up as an aesthetics practitioner, order filler online and start injecting your face tomorrow.
“Browsing social media is not always the best way to choose your practitioner. We have had cases of client images being stolen and passed off as their own work, so be careful when choosing.
“I would also be very wary of any practitioner that offers ‘Botox parties’ – the idea that alcohol, a party atmosphere in someone’s home is the perfect setting for injecting someone’s face with a toxin is beyond me given the risk of infection and lack of immediate aftercare to ensure the product settles and stays in the areas injected,” he added.
“If you are not invited for a consultation in the first instance, walk away,” Amish remarked. “All our clients can go away and think about the proposed treatment, and there is never any pressure. Don’t go ahead if you feel apprehensive or something doesn’t feel right.”
If you have experienced botched Botox or fillers, Amish said “Botox cannot be reversed” and it is “a matter of time and encouraging the individual to over animate their faces with exercises which may help with the process”.
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“Botched fillers, in most cases, can be dealt with successfully. However, this only relates to bona fide hyaluronic acid fillers rather than those with silicone and other semi-permanent fillers. Time is also of the essence, and recognising the complication as soon as possible,” he added.
There is a high search for whether Botox can be massaged away and Amish said it “cannot be massaged away”.
“It just needs time to resolve. The filler can sometimes be massaged away, for example, if there is a small lump. Every complication or unsatisfactory result is unique in its own right and should be treated accordingly.”
Before deciding to have Botox or filler, there are several things to consider and Amish shared his top tips to avoid having botched aesthetics work: “Choose a practitioner with verified reviews and one registered with an organisation such as ‘Save Face’.
“Our reputation is everything, so we take our time to determine what the client wants and whether this is achievable.
“I will only ever take on a client if I feel what they desire will enhance their face, and very often, we can work to improve one area by working on another area. For example, cheek fillers can often improve nose-to-mouth lines, so be wary of a practitioner who tries to sell you the whole package when a staggered approach to your face could be more cost-effective and sensible for the client.
“I always advise that you want to look fresh and ‘good’ for your age rather than trying to rewind the clock too far back. Too much filler can disfigure and actually make you look older than you are! The key is to go for subtle tweaks so that it’s not the work other people notice but that you look refreshed and well.
“Ask to see examples of their work at your consultation, and don’t be afraid to travel; the right aesthetics practitioner might not necessarily be the nearest, but as you are wearing your face every day, would it hurt to travel a little further for the right outcome? I have clients that travel from all over the UK, even Scotland because they would rather travel the distance for quality aesthetic work.
“Don’t be taken by package offers. Everyone is unique and individual in their appearance and outcome goals. Therefore, going for a package may not be appropriate.”
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