Aesthetic trends to avoid

1. Aesthetic trends to avoid -such as the Brazilian Butt Lift

   This crazy trend involves vast amounts of dermal filler (or fat) being injected into the buttocks to add volume and definition, without going under the knife. The treatments are advertised on social media as risk free, cheaper alternatives to the surgical counterparts - but this couldn't be further than the truth!

   
   

   A new study has revealed that 99% of medical professional do not perform non-surgical BBL as they deem them too dangerous. Despite this, they are being offered by laypeople, hairdresers and beuticians who have no healthcare experience and are unable to manage potential complications.

   Complications of the BBL include granulomas and lumps as well as infections, disfigurement and scarring. In some cases, stroke can occur! Unlicensed providers may also use non medical grade fillers, as well as operate in unsterile environments which could increase the risk of infections and death.

   
   

   Brazilian butt lifts are a dangerous procedure and should never be marketed as anything otherwise. Sadly there has already been one death in the UK associated with this procedure - 2 non-medic injectors have been arrested following the death of a 33 year old who is believed to have undergoine a non-surgical BBL in the UK

2. Fox-Eye Thread Lift

   Another aesthetic trend to avoid is the Fox-eye thread lift, which was a trend made popuar by celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Kendal Jenner. Threads are a bit like barbed fishwire - it literally hooks into the skin, dragging it backwards. There are several different kinds, which may be used to lift any part of the face, including the forehead, cheeks, jowls, jawline and neck.

   Threads are categorised as 'non-invasive' procedure and are NOT designed to give the same dramatic results that a surgical face lift can.

   
   

   There are a log of problems associated with threads - although they are supposed to be resorbable, scar tissue can encapsulate around the thread meaning that it cannot be resorbed fully. They can also cause disfiguration to the face through ripples and adhesions. Other potential complications include loss of sensation to the treated area, being able to feel the thread, puckering of the skin AND complicating potential future aesthetic treatments.

3. Filler Packages

   There are a lot of practitioners out there offering filler parckages, incentivising people to 'buy more-save more'. And yes, you may save more money, if you actually needed 5ml of filler, but in my opinion, most people do NOT!

   These sorts of deals potentially encourage the consumer to have more treatment than they actually need (or even want) You are more likely to get an overdone 'fake' look with such packages, or experience complications typically associated with large volumes, such as filler migration.

4. Ozempic

   Ozempic is a diabetes medicine use to treat poorly controlled Type II diabetes in adults however, more and more people are turning to it to induce weight loss!

   Althouh a very effective method of losing those unwanted pounts, it does not come without its problems. Unwanted side effects include nausea, diarrhoea, pancreatitis and dramatic facial ageing!

5. Fat dissolving injections

   Ever heard of 'Lemon Bottle'? It looks incredible.... if you can believe the photos.

   Did you know that this product is imported from Korea, and it is NOT licensed for use in the UK? It is 'non-prescription' which means ANYONE can buy it and ANYONE can use it, and it is used almost exclusively by non-medic injectors. Injecting this into muscles and vessels can cause necrosis and life changing injuries!

   According to the packaging, it is 'all natural' but there are no actual doctors endorsing it, and there are no high level studies into its safety or efficacy.

6. Russian Lips

   The internet fuelled trend of 'Russian Lips' is something that highlights the dangers of treating patients with a one-size fits all mentality. The technique involves multiple vertical injections into the lips to create extreme height. The immediate effect is oversized 'Bratz-doll' style lips, with a lot of height concentrated in the middle of the mouth. By injecting the vermillion border in this way, the structural integrity soon fails, with filler migrating over the lips natural border and creating that tell-tale sign of poorly injected filler .... the dreaded duck! In addition, by injecting vertically, the wet-dry border of the lips is more prone to forming visible lumps.

   
   

   To get the volume that is so strinking with Russiand lips, a much thicker filler is typically requried. This will make any lumps and bumps much more obvious and make lip movement harder and less natural.

   It is an incredibly traumatic technique of injecting, as it creates so many injection points which puts you at risk of excessive swelling, bruising and even scar formation, but the most dangerous aspect of this techniques is the high risk of vascular occlusion due to the anatomy of the lip and the angle of the needles.