DON’T POUT ABOUT IT
Lip fillers could make women could go blind, suffer a stroke and be permanently disfigured, experts warn
Dr Esho said young people were being influenced by social media in what he called 'Snapchat dysmorphia'
A DOCTOR has warned about the deadly side-effects associated with unregulated lip fillers - which can cause blindness or a stroke.
Leading cosmetic doctor Tijion Esho, founder of the Esho Clinic, said people can cause "catastrophic" damage to themselves by jumping on the filler bandwagon.
He said: "From hematomas to infections, abscess and tissue necrosis (where blood vessels become blocked with filler leading the tissue in that area to die), there are so many consequences to consider.
"People can go blind and suffer a stroke.
"There's a risk of infection, abscesses can form and tissue necrosis is also a risk. People can be permanently disfigured.
"My fear is that something really bad will happen before people take note, which is why I'll always be fighting for legislation."
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Dr Esho, the resident doctor on E4's Body Fixers, warned young people were being influenced by social media, and called the worrying rise 'Snapchat dysmorphia'.
He said "vulnerable" people are being swayed by the plump pout of celebs, and are trying to copy them without properly researching the risks.
Dr Esho, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "We are already seeing an increase in vulnerability of the new generation with the phenomenon I described as 'Snapchat Dysmorphia'.
"It's a term I coined after having many patients bring several pictures of celebrities as a reference point with the Kardashian's being the most common.
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"More commonly now patients present photos of themselves that have been altered with filters to even make them look like the Kardashian's or better versions of themselves.
"I believe that this is also behind the rise in women (and men) seeking out and risking treatment by unregulated individuals."
But he warned that as the industry was so new, it wasn't properly regulated, leading to unqualified people injecting fillers.
Dr Esho continued: "Dermal fillers in this country aren't seen as a medical device which is crazy.
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"It means that people can get hold of them without much difficulty but the harm they can do is catastrophic."
It means untrained therapists or beauticians who are administering fillers can continue doing so, even if they make mistakes, as there is no regulatory body.
Dr Esho said: "Clients need to be in the hands of a medical professional that can prescribe and act independently.
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"As medics, we're accountable - if I do something wrong the patient can contact the GMC (General Medical Council) and I could lose my license, but as a non-medic, there's no governing body or trading standards."
And with no age limits in place either, he said young people were especially at risk.
He added: "Many take an ethical age limit of 18 but for many the face is still developing at this stage up until the age of 21.
"After that age, the decision comes down to the consultation and the practitioner.
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"The focus needs to be about being responsible and safe."
Dr Esho, otherwise known as 'Dr lip popper', has had to fix countless cases of botched lip fillers, and shares videos of the consequences of bad injectables as a deterrent to others.
And he's also set up the Esho Initiative, where he treats patients who need corrective surgery free of charge, ranging from acid attack victims to facial reconstruction.
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This woman whose lips swelled to twice the size is now lobbying Theresa May for tighter controls on fillers.
And a new 'yo yo' trend has emerged where women take out their filler only to re-inject it.
Meanwhile this mum says she was left looking like 'The Elephant Man' after her fillers went wrong.