COWBOY cosmetics

The government has set out plans to curb the rise in unlicensed beauty ‘tweakments’

Once reserved for the rich and famous, facial fillers have found their way into high-street beauty salons. With celeb influencers and social media filters contributing to a surge in demand for non-surgical procedures, more British women than ever are opting for cosmetic treatments such as antiwrinkle injections and dermal fillers.

According to Save Face (saveface.co.uk) – a national register of accredited practitioners – 59% of people surveyed in a poll said they felt that having non-surgical procedures like lip fillers was comparable to getting their hair or nails done.

But high-street fillers come with greater risks than a dodgy haircut, as there is currently no legal requirement for practitioners in the UK to be a medical professional, or to hold official certification.

From swelling, lumps and scarring, to necrosis – where skin tissue dies – and even blindness, there are a number of serious complications that can arise from poorly-administered fillers.

MPS are pushing back against potential rogue practitioners by calling for dermal fillers to require a prescription, and altered images posted by social influencers to carry a disclaimer. We speak to one woman who is backing the campaign.