Botox and lip fillers: Nearly 2,000 online searches for botched cosmetic procedures per month in Burnley

The town makes an average of 1,760 online searches each month, according to stats from Justmylook.

“Botox gone wrong” is the most common complaint, with 400 a month.

Responding to the figures, a Clitheroe medic claims many practitioners with “dubious ethics” exploit young people who do not require cosmetic work by injecting their faces with “cheap” derma fillers. The treatment fills lines and wrinkles and adds volume to areas like the lips or cheeks.

Dr Grant McKeating, medical director of RejuvaMed Skin Clinic, said: “That is very high for one small area. It’s surprising, but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. It highlights how big the problem is. It’s the same old story: it just rolls on.”

And it is only increasing, he adds, with more people seeking out non-surgical treatments every year.

The doctor, who usually only injects older clients, said: “People are pushed [into it] by social media. Many young people inspired by Love Island have their faces filled when they don’t need it.

“Many highly qualified doctors and nurses with poor ethics also treat people who don’t need it but want to keep up with their Love Island idols.

“That’s dubious ethics. Those people are being taken advantage of, in my view.”

Most botched treatments - some resulting in blindness, scarring, and infections - are carried out by non-medics. Anyone can legally inject another person with fillers in the UK, some being “black market” substances.

“The problem could be that the treatment has not worked very well, but what some people see as a minor issue can affect someone’s self-confidence. It might not be permanent and might not have disfigured them, but it’s still a problem and a hazard.”

Hot on the heels of online Botox complaints in Burnley are 210 lip filler searches, followed by lip blush (160), undereye filler (140), and cheek filler (130).

“Many people are happy paying low prices for who knows what - for poor quality fillers.

“But the practitioner often has no real training for dealing with complications."

Dr McKeating advises anyone unhappy with their treatment to “go back to the practitioner who treated you and complain.”

But be warned that you “may be ignored or blocked on social media."

“[Non-medics] may have no idea what to do if it is more serious. They may tell clients to go to A&E or see their GP. They tend not to take responsibility for botched treatments and fob them off.

“Practitioners like myself are not particularly happy to take on the problems caused by others. They’re often not easy to solve and you might be dragged into a problem that’s not yours. [But] some doctors specialise in dealing with problems from other clinics.”

What is the Government doing to protect people from botched procedures?

The Government announced plans in February last year to introduce licensing for non-surgical cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers.It follows the ban on both under-18s being injected and advertising cosmetic procedures to them on all forms of media.Earlier this year, the Government rejected a call by MPs to speed up the move and make dermal fillers prescription-only substances.

See https://www.justmylook.com/blog/2023/03/beauty-treatments-that-go-wrong/ for more information about botched procedures.