Should you get Botox and dermal fillers at Superdrug? We put the controversial treatment to the test — with surprising results

SUPERDRUG has announced it will be adding a new string to its toiletries bow – offering Botox and dermal fillers in store for its customers.

But the move has divided opinion, with some worrying it trivialises the procedure, despite Superdrug insisting only qualified nurses will deliver the treatment.

So would you pop in to get a smooth face along with your shop? Lynsey Hope, 37, was one of the first to try out the treatment.

I HAVE two children, the eldest of whom has just turned four, and I guess four years of early mornings has taken a toll.

But as most clinics charge £200 to £300, cosmetic surgery was out of my reach. Until now.
Superdrug has just launched more affordable treatments at its flagship central London store. If successful, the idea will be rolled out across the UK.

A single treatment for crow’s feet or the forehead starts at £99.

Boots trialled a similar service back in 2002, but took a financial hit and withdrew it.

Ashton Collins, of Save Face, a Government-backed register of accredited practitioners, is worried about the price promotion.

She says: “It creates a perception of that being a good price. People may then go to someone else charging that who isn’t safe. It also adds to the trivialisation of Botox or fillers.

People watch Love Island and start having it done as an extension of their beauty regime.

“People need to remember there are serious medical risks.” So is it safe to walk into Superdrug and have a treatment like on your lunch break?

The store is only offering it to over-25s. You have to book and can only arrive at your appointment after a telephone consultation with a nurse. I take a deep breath and book. I’m nervous but excited.

Tim Goodacre, of the Royal College of Surgeons, and David Ward, president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, have written to Superdrug with concerns that these treatments could become “impulse buys” among shoppers.

But I have to go through a phone conversation with a nurse first, who explains the difference between Botox and fillers. She asks a little about my medical history and tells me the cost. It’s £99 for crow’s feet and another £99 if I want the wrinkly furrowed brow between my eyebrows sorted, too.

Within 48 hours, I’m in Superdrug at The Strand. My “aesthetic nurse prescriber” leads me into the treatment room for a 45-minute consultation. She goes through my medical history and asks what I want to achieve.

Superdrug says all its nurses are highly trained. I see her certificates and am happy.
I’m warned about the side-effects, which can include headaches and dizziness, and I’m told swelling and bruising after is normal.

Droopy eyelids are also common in the first two weeks. I’m offered a two-week cooling off period so if I’m not sure, I can go away and think it over and return in 14 days if I’m still keen. She rubs an aesthetic cream into my crow’s feet and in between my eyebrows to numb the area ready for the needles — five in between the brows and three by each eye.

I lie down on the bed. The needles didn’t feel painful at all and it was over in less than half an hour.

Botox takes two weeks to have an effect. After, my skin looks a little red and I have a bruise on the forehead.

You can’t wear make-up for 12 hours post-treatment and you are advised against exercise for 24.

My nurse briefs me on what to do if I have concerns. It has all seemed very easy. It’s probably three days after the treatment when I start to notice a change. The creases are beginning to vanish, and even when I try quite hard to frown, the line has almost gone.

After a week, I notice the crow’s feet are gone. The only drawback is the lines and bags under my eyes seem to stand out more — so I can see how having treatments like this could become addictive.

I’m happy with the results and I can’t get over how easy it was.

No wonder Botox is such a hit with the rich and famous — though I’m still not sure how many celebs you will see in Superdrug.