I was left looking like a monster after having chin filler – when I complained to the clinic they told me to reduce the swelling with a vibrator
A woman has said she was left looking like a ‘monster’ after undergoing a routine chin filler procedure that caused a blood vessel blockage.
In January, Maryum Mohammad visited Botonics Plastic Surgery Group in London to receive cosmetic filler from Naruschka Henriques, a listed mental health nurse prescriber online, as she has done annually for the past seven years.
Like many Britons, Maryum sought the cosmetic procedure to enhance her features, specifically, to make her chin appear plumper and fuller, according to ITV News.
However, her appointment did not go as usual. She told the outlet, ‘What started feeling wrong was when every time she did sort of go in with the needle, the product wouldn’t come out, and she would say ‘oh, it’s not coming out, it’s getting stuck’.
‘Then the final time she went in [with the needle] and squeezed, I instantly went numb. And I said, ‘Oh, I’ve gone numb. Is it working?’ and she said, ‘Yeah, it’s working’.’
Shortly after the appointment, Maryum suffered painful swelling on her chin. She went to the practitioner again after two days, who injected for a second time to dissolve the filler.
Maryum’s chin developed dark patches days after the second appointment. She was allegedly told by her practitioner to drink a turmeric latte, massage the area with an electric toothbrush and sex toy, or take Viagra to reduce the pain.
Since then, a private doctor has diagnosed Maryum with a blocked blood vessel. She believes the filler was injected into her blood vessel, which blocked the skin’s blood supply and caused it to die.
Maryum Mohammad (pictured) said a routine chin filler appointment in London left her looking like a ‘monster’
Maryum told ITV News of messages she claimed to receive from Henriques about various alternative remedies, such as drinking a turmeric latte, which ITV News has seen.
‘I felt like I was being experimented on by Google searches…I was getting more and more scared,’ Maryum said.
A spokesperson for Botonics told MailOnline: ‘We regret that, on this occasion, our patient experienced a very uncommon side effect from an otherwise routine filler injection.
‘Having thoroughly reviewed her treatment, we strongly deny any allegations of wrongdoing or inadequate care. We started treating the issue with the protocol recommended by the manufacturer of the filler as soon as the problem was identified and it’s unfortunate that this course was interrupted by the patient before it could be completed.
‘This treatment has since been thoroughly reviewed by three independent medical specialists and we maintain that it was the most appropriate approach in the circumstances.
‘It would be inappropriate for us to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.’
Maryum, who had visited the clinic for the past seven years, said she felt like she was being experimented on
The aesthetician allegedly told Maryum to drink a turmeric latte or to rub the damaged area with an electric toothbrush to help ease the discomfort (pictured: A recreation of the supposed messages by ITV News)
Maryum decided she required medical care and visited a private doctor, Dr Sach Mohan of Revere Clinics.
Dr Mohan diagnosed Maryum with a vascular occlusion, a blockage in the blood vessels, which is a rare but serious side effect of getting filler, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Maryum was informed that it could take a year for her skin to heal fully and that she would have permanent scarring.
ITV News presented Maryum’s case to Manchester-based Dr Rosh Ravindran, a GP who has since transitioned into aesthetics, who is campaigning for tighter regulations on who can do cosmetic fillers.
In the UK, medical qualifications are not required to carry out cosmetic procedures.
Dr Rosh claimed the severity of Maryum’s case was preventable. He said, ‘This escalation could have been averted with quicker treatment and standardised care. This is why I’m campaigning because this was avoidable.’
‘The first thing I think we should be doing is mirroring what we have in the NHS, which is just doctors at the top level overseeing procedures.
‘So, whenever you go into hospital, whenever you go into a GP practice, it doesn’t matter who you see, you’ve still got a main doctor over you.
Manchester-based Dr Rosh Ravindran (pictured), a GP who has since transitioned into aesthetics, is campaigning for tighter regulations in the industry
He continued, ‘This isn’t about lining pockets; this isn’t about keeping all the patients to myself or to doctors… We have to create a structure that is safe, we have to create an industry that promotes patients’ safety ahead of a quick buck.’
However, ITV News found Dr Rosh’s thoughts to be controversial among non-medics in the industry.
Kayleigh Hartling, who runs her own aesthetics business in Lincolnshire and does not have medical experience, said she has spent £30,000 on receiving adequate training.
‘It shouldn’t be a battle about are medics better than a beauty therapist, are beauty therapists better than medics, it should be safe practice versus bad practice, which is why education, continued education, proper education is so important for this industry,’ she told the outlet.
