A surgeon who offers Botox injections and cosmetic fillers has warned of the dangers of going to a rogue professional in the quest for an 'Instagram face.'
Ryan Taylor, 29, who is a qualified surgeon, specialising in dermatology at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, runs his own clinic - but is calling for better regulation of the beauty industry.
He said: "Most of my clients are in their late 30s-mid 60s and I have turned away some younger people. I am against the glorification of the 'Instagram face.' There is a lot of pressure on young people to create that image. Katie Price, for example, has taken self-improvement to the point of mutilation almost, she looks very unnatural, very fake and there's a real risk of starting this aged 22, because we haven't really seen the long term effect of fillers, but magazines continue to promote this image of someone who's size 8 and with cheekbones above their eyeballs.
"There is an increasing demand and a lot of beauticians are doing it and it is a big trade. Regulation would hurt a lot of the market but the treatment, if done incorrectly, can also hurt a lot of people."
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With no regulation for the application of fillers, Ryan, 29, who lives in Norwich, said it's easy for untrained people to set up. With all invasive procedures, there are risks but greater, he said, if people administering injections aren't medically qualified.
"Fillers are used to increase volume but if you inject a filler into an artery it blocks the artery, if it's injected adjacent to a blood vessel, most are fine but it can mean an area of tissue doesn't get oxygen, you then can get a 5p size which goes white and if it is not remedied in three-four hours, ulcerates and scars. You can remedy it by injecting something which dissolves the filler.
"Botox is more like a toxin which paralyses the muscle and reduces fine lines and wrinkles, but if you put it in the wrong muscle you can get drooping, or if the patient is not given the correct after care advice and moisturises when the Botox is still active, it can get into the wrong muscle and that's when you are in trouble as it can take three-four months to correct."
Ryan, registered with the GMC, General Medical Council and the Royal College of Surgeons, who deals mainly with skin cancer patients in his hospital job, has been running the Norwich Aesthetics Clinic, based at Pampers beauty salon in Norwich's London Street every other Monday for a year and a half and has seen horror stories which need fixing.
"I've seen a few people who've had difficulties. The unregulated injectors don't have access to the correct websites and supplies - I obtain my fillers and Botox from approved pharmacies but they will get it from unreputable sources, so you don't really know what they're injecting into your face. I like that people come to me voluntarily and I apply a subtle enhancement which makes people feel so much better about themselves." He issued this advice:
Ensure you have an initial consultation and understand possible side effects like bruising and bleeding as well as allergic reactions
Ask questions such as what is their emergency procedure if something were to go wrong?
Check their qualifications - ask for their medical registration number and check this on the relevant website
Ask about their training, their professional background, how many procedures have they done, what complications, if any, they've encountered? Ask what insurance they have as an unreputable injector will find it tricky to get proper insurance
Consider the price - if it's too cheap, be wary. Ryan charges £190-£295 for one-three areas of Botox, with fillers ranging from £245 and then £195 for a subsequent injection. Be wary of Botox offered for under £100 or 'introductory filler' deals
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