Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance injected into lips to make them look plumper and fuller. But if the person holding the needle isn’t a trained clinician, you could end up scarred for life.
Over the past couple of years, doctors and campaigners have reported an increase in ‘bogus’ nurses and amateur beauticians performing unsafe treatments from their kitchen or lounge. As a result, they say more patients are suffering from parts of their lips becoming lumpy or disproportionate in size, infections, ulceration or necrosis (when the lip tissue dies and goes black).
Anyone can buy hyaluronic acid gel and inject it into someone’s lips. This is because there are no laws in the UK that regulate people who carry out non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as lip fillers. The Professional Standards Authority runs a Government-backed programme called Accredited Registers which lists professionals you can trust to treat you safely. Search for Practitioners >
8 ways to be sure you’re in safe hands: