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MEET THE TEENS WHO BOTOX
MORE than 11,000 teenagers in the US had Botox last year, according to the American Society Of Plastic Surgeons - and youngsters here are following suit.
Most responsible practitioners will not treat under-18s but kids instead go to Botox parties or buy it abroad, risking facial paralysis if injected incorrectly.
Here two teenage girls and their mums talk about undergoing Botox
HANNAH BURGE had her first Botox at just 15 while on holiday in Spain - with her mum's CONSENT.
Hannah, now 16 and studying for her GCSEs, has since had two more rounds of Botox - ADMINISTERED by mum Sarah.
Hannah says: "I wanted to have Botox for two reasons - it prevents wrinkles and everyone at my school was talking about having 'B'.
"It's a really exciting thing to do, and having B will keep me looking young for years."
"I had a couple of lines on my forehead and around my mouth, which I was unhappy about.
"Some of my friends told me that the earlier you start to have B, the fewer wrinkles you'll have as an adult.
"I'm sure I am the youngest teen in the UK to have Botox, as most girls I hear about are 16 when they have it done, and I was 15.
"Appearance is important to me and I don't want to look haggard and ugly by the time I'm 25.
"Last year, I went online and visited teen websites. Loads of young girls on forums were saying they had used Botox and it made them less worried about their looks.
"I also wanted to be beautiful like my mum and I was concerned about some wrinkles developing." Mum Sarah, 49, has herself spent more than £500,000 on plastic surgery and became known as the UK's Human Barbie.
Amazingly, she happily supports her daughter's decision to have Botox at such a young age.
Sarah, a single mum of three from Cambridge, says: "I was thrilled Hannah was open and honest with me about having Botox. I'd much rather know about it than have her do it behind my back.
"I talked her through the procedure and feel I did the responsible thing."
Hannah had her first dose of Botox - about half the amount most adults have - in Marbella, Spain, while on a break there with her mum.
She recalls: "It did hurt a little but I could immediately notice the difference when I looked in the mirror. I felt so much more confident."
Since returning from the holiday nine months ago, Hannah has twice been administered Botox by her mum, who is trained as an aesthetic practitioner.
Sarah says: "I get my Botox and fillers direct from the manufacturer in the UK, since I am a qualified practitioner. I use exactly the same Botox on Hannah as I use on myself and I feel I am an expert in this field.
"I'm fully trained so would rather inject Hannah than let someone else do it. That way I know she is getting a safe amount, by someone who knows what they are doing. I know some parents will be horrified but this is my way of protecting my daughter from back-street rip-off merchants.
"Also, considering I have had so much surgery, I'd be a hypocrite to tell my daughter she couldn't have Botox.
"My opinion is that parents should be much more involved in their children's lives from an early age and I know that Hannah doesn't mind me knowing about her love of B."
Hannah adds: "It's cool I have such a great relationship with my mum and she's an expert in cosmetic procedures.
"I want to look after my appearance and I don't think I'm too young to start having small doses of Botox.
"I'm planning lip-fillers next, which my mum will do for me.
"I feel my upper lip is a little too small and I would like a bigger pout.
"I've met plenty of girls my age who are having these procedures behind their parents' backs, which I think is pretty dangerous.
"Teen Toxing is just part of life these days, which is why I share it with my mum.
"With her help, I won't get that frozen-face look when I'm older and will never have a line or wrinkle on my face."
The clinic in Marbella refused to comment on an individual client, saying only that teenage clients always need parental consent.
I lied about my age to get jabs at pal's party
SCHOOLGIRL Christie Urch, 16, had her first treatment at a friend's house during a Botox and champagne party.
While the older girls sipped champers, Christie drank orange juice and waited for her Botox injections.
Christie, from Chippenham, Wiltshire, says: "There's huge pressure to fit in and look good at my age.
"Girls my age and younger are in internet chatrooms talking about how great 'Teen Toxing' is.
"And I'd heard a few mates had bought kits online.
"I really wanted some because I had a line on my forehead and a wrinkle on the top of my lip.
"So when I heard about a friend who is 18 having a Botox party, I invited myself along."
Without her mother's knowledge, Christie took £100 from her savings account and went to the party.
Shots She says: "I told the clinician I was 18 and that I wanted to do some modelling. She made me sign a waiver then put three shots of Botox into my forehead and three around my lips.
"They felt just like pinpricks and afterwards I could see my lines had totally disappeared.
"I felt confident enough to wear my fringe up for the first time in months."
A week after the procedure, Christie told her mum.
Anne, 55, says: "I was stunned and had no idea girls her age were so worried about their looks.
"But I have to accept what she has done and I was pleased she told me.
"It's difficult to monitor what your teen daughter is doing all the time.
"She doesn't need Botox but she and her pals are convinced they do so I have to make sure she is doing it safely."
The clinician who performed Christie's Botox says she never comments on individual cases but that all clients sign waivers.
The dangers of DIY Botox - Exclusive
The number of people wanting cosmetic procedures is rocketing and some are even injecting themselves with cut-price drugs bought online. But they could end up paying dearly..
Don’t try this at home. Buying black market Botox online and injecting yourself could seriously harm your looks or endanger your life.
And yet those in search of cut-price, wrinkle-smoothing shots are turning to the internet for cheap DIY filler kits – often with devastating results.
Paralysis, lop-sided lips, droopy eyelids, blistered and infected facial sores and even admission to intensive care are some of things that can happen after using dodgy jabs.
Doctors fear it is only a matter of time before someone pays for budget Botox with their life.
Dr Aamer Khan, of
“The first thing to say about Botulinum-A Toxin (Botox) is that it is the most toxic substance known to mankind,” says Dr Khan. “One teaspoon could kill 90 billion people. It could wipe out the world’s population, which is why it was considered a biological weapon.
“Botox has become part of our culture because it’s used cosmetically, but it’s used in tiny, strictly-measured doses and is stringently tested. Using it without anatomical knowledge, without knowing the exact quality of the product, could be fatal.”
In the
Online pharmacy ads do their best to lure customers, with slogans such as “Wrinkles? No! Savings? Yes!”.
They give false assurances that injecting yourself is easy as well as economical. Don’t know where to stick the syringe? A facial map and online video will point out where to position your needle. Can’t afford the £200-a-shot clinic prices? Buy a kit online for five times cheaper at £350 for 10 DIY jabs.
But what the sites don’t state is that many users go on to spend fortunes with qualified surgeons to correct their botched efforts.
Dr Khan has treated an increasing number of patients who ruined their looks and risked their health by dabbling in illegal treatments.
“One woman who injected Botox she’d bought online was left with droopy upper eyelids for about three months.
“Another girl bought some permanent filler and injected her own lips. They were very lumpy, as this is a treatment that has to be done with skill and an artistic eye. We have managed to even them up, but as the filler she used was permanent she will need to have them topped up regularly.
“And another patient bought a can of liquid nitrogen and injected it under the very delicate eye area in an attempt to remove dark patches. But that made the problem significantly worse and will probably leave her with long-term problems.”
Liquid nitrogen is usually used by doctors to burn off warts, or used on melanomas. The patient is embarrassed and still receives corrective treatment, two years later.”
Clinics are seeing people desperate for professional help to erase their own mistakes. Doctors often don’t know what substances they are battling to remove. And measuring out the wrong dosage could be fatal.
Fazel Fatah, consultant plastic surgeon and president elect of British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), says: “Buying Botox from a website is extremely dangerous as you’ve no idea of its original source or quality. Crucially, you do not know the accuracy of the measurement – essential when using a toxin as powerful as Botox. A large dose into the bloodstream can stop breathing.”
That’s exactly what happened in 2004, when Bach McComb, a doctor who had been struck off the medical register, injected botulinum toxin into himself, his then-girlfriend, Alma Hall, and married couple Bonnie and Eric Kaplan. All four suffered breathing difficulties, paralysis and were close to death.
The substance McComb used was a cheap Botox imitation bought online which was for use in lab rats, not for humans. It was 2,850 times the lethal dose. Miraculously, all four survived. Although that took place in
Doctors at Transform cosmetic surgery clinics across the
“More and more patients are injecting themselves with Botox after buying it over the internet and I can’t stress enough how dangerous this trend is,” says Gwen Davies, Transform’s group non-surgical manager. “One of the worst cases I’ve seen was a lady in her fifties who’d injected herself with black market Botox, suffered facial paralysis.
“Another lady in her thirties ended up with a droopy eyelid and lop-sided face.
“My colleagues have come across patients who have had difficulty talking, eating and drinking after injecting Botox incorrectly into the upper lip.
“People who self-inject need to know that the effects of botched Botox can take two months to lessen.”
Not even plastic surgeon Alex Karidis, of London’s Hospital of St John and Elizabeth, would inject himself. “I’ve treated around 7,000 people with Botox over 13 years but I still couldn’t inject myself,” he says. “Everyone’s face and muscle anatomy is different – you can’t just connect the dots as it would suggest in online facial maps.
“People turn to online drugs to save money. But is it worth it? Botox has to be topped up. So even if you are fortunate to be unscathed the first time, what about the second, the third?
“Remember – no reputable companies would be selling it online. So is it really worth it?”
IT’S GOING TO TAKE A YEAR FOR THE LUMPS TO GO AWAY
Alex Jenkins, 42, is a paramedic who is trained to use needles every working day. But her attempt to inject wrinkle-smoothing drugs she bought online four months ago led to a beauty disaster – and near blindness.
Alex, from California, says: “When I saw the drugs advertised online, and saw the video of where to inject them, I thought, ‘how hard can it be?’.
“Having the injections done at a clinic would have cost £600, but who can afford that? Spending £200 and doing the job myself seemed a better idea. Until I did it. “I injected under my eye area and in the lines between my nose and mouth. But, just a few hours later, I had a heartstopping moment when I looked in the mirror.
“I had a huge pustule on my cheek that was getting bigger by the hour. I had massaged the product in after injecting it but didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to do that as the drugs arrived with no instructions.
“In a panic, I phoned all the doctors I could but because I’d used a product which isn’t available commercially, they didn’t know what they were dealing with.
Doctors said: ‘Oh my God!’ as soon as they saw me.
“There was no quick fix, so I had to wear big glasses and a scarf for weeks because I was so embarrassed to tell people what I’d done – fibbing that I was allergic to a face cream didn’t wash.
“It’s going to take at least a year for the lumps and discolouration in my face to go down. But that’s not the worst thing. My doctor said if I’d injected just a millimetre deeper around my eye I could have paralysed my eye ball. That is a terrifying thought.
“I hope people learn from my mistakes. Buying cheap cosmetic drugs online is dangerous.
“It’s not worth it, so please don’t do it.”
Can your smile be too white?
Most bleaching treatments are safe and effective, but overdoing it can cause long-term damage to your teeth.
Teeth whitening has become a national obsession. Celebrities are known for their megawatt smiles, and some are so blinding that you can’t help but wonder if perhaps they’ve gone too far. But it’s not just the rich and famous who are seeking out whiter teeth. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, teeth whitening is the most requested cosmetic service. And do-it-yourself whitening is even more popular. Americans are buying more than $1.4 billion worth of over-the-counter bleaching products per year.
Here is how you can get a brighter smile—and what can happen to those whitening addicts who bleach too much.
What the dentist can do
For the best and longest-lasting results—with the least risk of damaging your teeth—you should visit your dentist for a professional-strength whitening treatment. Most commonly, the treatment will involve the application of a potent hydrogen-peroxide formula (in concentrations ranging from 25 to 35 percent) to the teeth, plus a protective waxy substance to cover the sensitive surrounding gums. Then an ultraviolet light is shined onto the teeth for about 45 minutes.
“The peroxide gel contains particles called photoinitiators, and when the light hits teeth, those particles get excited and accelerate the whitening,” explains Dr. Jennifer Jablow, a cosmetic dentist in New York City and developer of the at-home IntelliWhite whitening system. Expect to pay upward of $300 for the treatment.
Your dentist can also make custom-fitted molds of your mouth to create at-home bleaching trays. You fill them with a bleaching solution and would need to wear them every night for one to two weeks to see significant improvements in tooth color. It will cost you at least $200 to get the trays, but once you’ve made the initial investment you can have them for years and can whiten your teeth for just the cost of the bleaching gel (about $30 per tube). The downside is that you have to wear them for several nights to see results, and you may experience some gum irritation. “They are designed to hold the whitening agent directly against the teeth, but even with custom-made trays, gel can leak out onto the surrounding gums and cause irritation,” warns Dr. Jeff Golub-Evans, past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
At-home options
Dentists agree that whitening strips that are applied directly to the teeth are an inexpensive and worthwhile option for brightening teeth yourself. “A pre-measured dose of peroxide is adhered to the gauze strip so it cannot migrate elsewhere and cause discomfort,” Golub-Evans says. “They’re safe, effective and affordable.” But since the concentration of peroxide is so much lower than what’s used in the dentist’s office (about 6 percent as opposed to up to 35 percent), don’t expect miraculous whitening results.
Before you go out and purchase one-size-fits-all trays sold in drugstores or on television infomercials, know that dentists are almost unanimously against their use. “They are awful,” Jablow says. “Because they aren’t custom-made, they fit poorly, and that means the peroxide gel can easily come in direct contact with gum tissue.”
For upkeep of your newly white smile, dentists recommend switching to a whitening toothpaste. While it won’t magically whiten stained teeth, it will help scrub away daily discoloration before it has a chance to settle in and cause more stubborn stains.
Help for aching teeth
One of the biggest problems that comes with whitening is sensitivity of the teeth. But a little planning can help mitigate the symptoms. Golub-Evans suggests prepping before a whitening treatment by switching to a desensitizing toothpaste (such as Sensodyne) and using a fluoride rinse after brushing. Taking ibuprofen before whitening can also help reduce the pain of sensitive teeth.
Too much of a good thing?
Those who can’t stop bleaching may eventually end up dealing with some long-term damage to their tooth enamel that, in extreme cases, may be irreversible. “Moderation is key when it comes to teeth whitening,” Jablow says. She recommends limiting your dentist-office treatments to once a year, and using at-home products no more than a few days every few months. “Using a whitening product every day can cause teeth to become brittle, dehydrated and more vulnerable to staining because the pores in the teeth are opened up and teeth don’t get a chance to restore their mineral balance,” Jablow says. If you start to notice a bluish, translucent hue to your teeth, you may be overdoing it.
As for teeth getting too white, experts claim that’s really a nonissue because teeth have a natural threshold of how white they can get. “It’s a self-limiting process,” Golub-Evans says. “You cannot whiten teeth any lighter than nature ordained them to be.”
Getting the look: managing the risks of cosmetic surgery
At the start to the New Year, many head down to the gym with the good intentions of getting their bodies back into shape. But increasingly people are also turning to cosmetic surgery to get the look they want.
From Harley Street professionals to high street beauticians, there are a range of procedures to smooth away wrinkles, remove unsightly hairs, or make us less rotund. But like all medical procedures, these come with risks.
Looking up
The cosmetic surgery industry has grown considerably in recent years, as more and more of us want to change the way we look. And for thousands of people in the United Kingdom, 2010 will bring a slimmer tummy, a new nose, or a more curvaceous figure.
According to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) there were over 34,000 cosmetic surgical procedures in 2008, more than triple the number in 2003.
Women are far more likely than men to opt for cosmetic surgery - 90% of all cosmetic surgery is carried out on women - but procedures such as “tummy tucks” and eyebrow lifts are all proving increasingly popular with men.
According to Robert Wendin, head of the European Healthcare practice for broker Marsh in London, the cosmetic healthcare sector is increasingly diverse - with a range of procedures available from professional surgeons to high street beauticians.
Surgery - such as breast enhancements and tummy tucks - is regulated, although cowboy operators do exist, said Wendin. Laser treatments, and in particular injectables, are however causing more concern because they are unregulated and can be carried out by anyone, he explained.
And it is the popularity of these unregulated procedures that has grown the most in recent years, according to Nigel Mercer, BAAPS president-elect and consultant plastic surgeon.
More oversight needed
BAAPS would like to see a dedicated regulator put in place for cosmetic procedures, and would like to see a requirement for cosmetic products like dermal fillers to obtain Food and Drug Administration-like approval, said Mercer.
There is a lack of regulation across the sector, and some procedures that are available from beauticians-including increasingly popular laser treatments and facial fillers (injections or creams which can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lines)-are completely unregulated he explained.
High street practitioners are unlikely to carry malpractice insurance, leaving consumers potentially uncompensated when things go wrong, he added.
In December, The Telegraph newspaper reported a tightening of cosmetic surgery rules in Italy, including a ban for girls under 18 from having breast enhancement or other plastic surgery.
However, anyone over the age of 16 can walk into a private clinic in the United Kingdom and request cosmetic surgery, as long as they are deemed competent, said Claire Petts, Associate Director at law firm Barlow Lyde & Gilbert. But a ban on cosmetic surgery for the under-18s in Britain is unlikely because of Human Rights legislation, she said.
Raising standards
Insurers can also help raise standards by insisting on accreditation to bodies like IHAS and BAAP, and by offering risk management, training and advice, said Wendin.
The cosmetic surgery sector has been working to remove bad practices, and the Independent Healthcare Advisory Services (IHAS) has been proactively promoting standards, particularly in the field of injectables, he said.
Insurance also has an important role in consumer protection, said Wendin. For example medical malpractice insurance can compensate patients when things go wrong.
Some surgeons will be better than others, but the sector’s poor reputation in the media is probably not deserved, Petts said. Alongside other surgeons, cosmetic surgeons in the private sector must be registered and are regulated by the General Medical Council, and most carry appropriate liability insurance, she added.
Managing expectations
The recent growth in aesthetic procedures requires careful underwriting, said Alex Wakeley underwriter and director with Marketform, a leading Lloyd’s medical malpractice insurer. Some people undergoing cosmetic surgery are going to be hard to please as they have unrealistic expectations, he said.
“Most claims today are about failed expectations,” said Wakely. “When it comes to ‘looks’ individuals often have higher expectations than are justified concerning the outcomes of a treatment.”
Insurers need to be aware of, and underwrite for, adverse outcomes of what at face value may be regarded as routine treatments. For example, in 2007 one of the largest reported compensation awards for routine liposuction of £300,000 was paid as a result of a serious blood infection, he said.
Insurers must build up and maintain detailed specialist knowledge, preferably in-house, of such adverse outcomes and causations in order to underwrite effectively and profitably, Wakeley said.
New range of beauty products
Cosmetic surgery is not risk free, and educating the profession, potential patients and the wider public of this fact is paramount, said Nigel Mercer, BAAPS President and consultant plastic surgeon.
Concerned over the relatively high cost of liability insurance, BAAPS has been working with insurers to provide policies that better reflect a practitioner’s claims record and risk profile, Mercer said. BAAPS is soon to offer its members a new medical malpractice policy backed by insurer WR Berkley, he added.
BAAPS also advised in the development of an innovative product launched by Lloyd’s insurer Marketform last year. Beautysure, which covers seven of the most popular cosmetic operations, including breast augmentation, liposuction and tummy tucks, can be purchased by surgeons to cover against possible medical complications.
Cosmetic surgery: a perfect storm
Clinical Risk Publishes Special Edition on Cosmetic Surgery with Articles by Top Names
London – 16 November – Prestigious journal from the Royal Society of Medicine ‘Clinical Risk’ today publishes a special edition entirely dedicated to the current and most relevant issues in cosmetic surgery today. With articles written by some of the top names in the industry including aesthetic plastic surgeons and spokespeople for the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) Nigel Mercer, Chris Khoo and Rajiv Grover, as well as psychologist Eileen Bradbury and former President of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) Foad Nahai, the issues raised offer clarification and could raise fresh alarm about this dangerously under-regulated market, its overwhelming media hype and unique brand of professional greed in a theme best defined by BAAPS President Nigel Mercer as ‘a perfect storm’.
The articles, which despite appearing in a medical journal are written in layman terms, cover a wide variety of themes ranging from the current regulatory framework in the UK and the US (comparing it with France, where aesthetic plastic surgery cannot be advertised or promoted to the public), a 14-year analysis of lawsuits pertaining to cosmetic surgery cases, the risks to surgeons’ reputations through media exposure and recommendations for minimizing risks for patient and practitioner alike.
According to Nigel Mercer, consultant plastic surgeon and President of the BAAPS (www.baaps.org.uk);
“We have reached a stage where public expectation, driven by media hype and, dare one say, professional greed, has brought us to a ‘perfect storm’ in the cosmetic surgical market. It is against this backdrop that these articles should be read.”
According to Dr Harvey Markovitch, Editor of ‘Clinical Risk’ (http://cr.rsmjournals.com/);
“Patient safety is this journal’s main aim and there can be no area of medicine where patients in the UK are more in need of protection. We need tight control of advertising of cosmetic surgery – including internet advertising. We need proper regulation of the industry and we need both surgeons and GPs to manage patient expectation.”
Highlights:
Clinical Risk in Aesthetic Surgery, by Nigel Mercer: This article discusses the role of the media and calls for tighter regulations in the UK, comparing with the Food and Drug Administration’s role in the US. Key quotes:
-
If we have to sell anything, we should sell our advice, not procedures. If we cannot self-regulate, then, like the financial institutions, regulation will eventually be imposed.
- Perhaps, like tobacco, there should be a Europe-wide ban on advertising all cosmetic ‘surgical’ procedures, including on search engines.
- All cosmetic treatments are medical interventions, and every medical intervention has a complication and failure rate. Consequently, there are no ‘consumers’ or ‘clients’ but only ‘patients’
France Sets Standards for Practice of Aesthetic Surgery, by French consultant plastic surgeon Alain Fogli, reveals strictly defined guidelines for cosmetic surgery in France which include, for example:
- Surgical procedures can only be undertaken by surgeons who are registered specialists and deemed competent. Possession of a general medical degree, and the fact that the practitioner is ‘experienced’ are not sufficient qualifications
- All forms and methods of publicity and advertising, direct or indirect, in whatever form, including the Internet, are forbidden.
Minimizing Risk in Aesthetic Surgery, by Foad Nahai, President of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS) and former President of ASAPS – this article reveals an innovative approach to minimizing risk in each facet of ‘the safety diamond’: patient, facility, procedure and surgeon. Additional points he makes:
- Regulations governing the training of all cosmetic surgeons are sorely needed. Governments are reluctant to become involved, as they see this issue as a ‘turf battle’ between various physician groups and not a public safety or patient safety issue. However, there is no question that this is a patient safety issue of paramount importance and I take our governments to task for not addressing it.
- Since by law any physician is allowed to practise cosmetic surgery, attempts by individual physicians or plastic surgery organizations to restrict those who are not qualified is viewed as a restraint of trade.
Improving the Safety of Aesthetic Surgery: Recommendations Following a 14-Year Review of Cases to the Medical Defence Union (1990-2004), by consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS Secretary Rajiv Grover, discusses how aesthetic surgery has historically been a field with a significant rate of litigation. A 14-year audit of claims to the MDU allows a unique insight into the nature of events which lead patients to seek litigation. The article provides recommendations to avoid these situations such as careful pre-operative counselling. keeping thorough documentation and exploring with the patient what degree of correction and scarring is realistic - suggesting the use, for example, of conservative percentages.
Another article in this special one-off issue is ‘Managing Risk to Reputation’ by Magnus Boyd, Partner at Carter-Ruck Solicitors, which deals with how the press can influence the outcome of a professional investigation or the expression of anger from a disgruntled patient.
According to Nigel Mercer;
“Perhaps the single most important factor in reducing clinical risk in cosmetic surgery is the motive for performing any procedure must never be financial gain, so I suggest we get our act together as an industry as we are in grave danger of biting the hand that feeds us.”
Botched boob job hell: From bad... to burst
Botched-up budget boob ops up 30%
By Matthew Acton & Dan Evans, 01/11/2009
BEFORE: How Lisa's bust used to look AFTER: Lisa's impants met in middle
The number of women suffering dodgy boob jobs has gone up by an astonishing 30 per cent in a YEAR, we can reveal.
Health watchdogs are recording three complaints a WEEK about botched operations - the majority from women whose implants have BURST.
Surgeons received 173 complaints last year - up from 135 in 2007, new figures from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency show.
And some of those were from frantic women who needed help after having budget ops abroad. Problems included implants leaking, bursting or hardening - which causes painful swelling.
The shocking pictures above show the disastrous results of mum-of-five Lisa Shaw's £2,500 cut-price foreign op.
Last night devastated Lisa, 35, said: "Bargain- basement surgery cost me my looks. My breasts met in the MIDDLE."
She travelled to a clinic in Tunisia to boost her bust from a 34A to a 34D - saving £1,500 on what the procedure would cost in Britain. But it went wrong and her boobs were left horribly misshapen.
Op hell: Lisa had a £5k reconstruction
Office worker Lisa, from Morecambe, Lancs, had surgery in February to regain her figure after having children. She recalled: "My boobs looked like shrivelled balloons. A cheap deal overseas was too hard to resist.
"I thought I was making a massive saving but I wish I'd waited until the recession was over and saved up for an op here."
She has since paid £5,000 for reconstructive surgery in the UK and is battling for compensation from the foreign clinic - along with single mum Ali Chapman, 42, who suffered a burst boob after two botched ops at the SAME place.
Ali, from Southampton, went from a 38C to a 38DD after going under the knife in March. But her right breast and nipple ended up lower than her left.
She demanded corrective surgery - shelling out £2,800 in total for the two ops. But the second one went wrong too leaving unsightly scars on her nipples.
The stitching on her left breast then burst after the wound got infected and she was rushed to hospital as medics realised she was at risk of developing septicaemia.
Ali said: "I knew something was wrong because my left breast felt really uncomfortable. Then I felt a ping and my boob had exploded.
"I'm facing a long recovery before a surgeon can even contemplate operating on my ruined breasts."
She warned: "My advice is save up and have surgery in the UK. Don't end up like me and Lisa - butchered and broke."
Last night one surgeon, Adrian Richards, said the increase in complaints was partly down to more breast implant surgery being carried out - 30,000 women went under the knife last year.
A spokesman for the clinic in Tunisia said: "If the women wish to return we can see if any mistakes have been made, in which case we will treat them for free."
BOOBS CON GIRL TOLD TO PAY BY SELLING CAR
11th December 2009
By Jerry Lawton
A LAW student who used a false name to get a £3,000 boob job for free was ordered yesterday to sell her car to pay back some of the cash or face jail.
Nina Burmis, 19, conned cosmetic surgeons into boosting her bust to 32CC so she would stand out among her pals at Hull University.
Yesterday Judge Roger Thorn QC ordered her assets to be seized at Hull Crown Court.
He admitted it was “impractical” too.
