Northern Ireland woman issues warning over buying DIY botox kits online

A woman has told UTV how she thought she was going to die after using DIY botox fillers at home.

She has spoken out anonymously to raise awareness and highlight the dangers.

Experts claim there has been a huge rise in people buying the illegal kits online.

The woman said: “It was a cheaper option...I didn't really have the money to get it done so I bought it online thinking I could do it myself."

The kit arrived at her home within 24 hours.

She injected the filler into her face, a move which could have changed her life forever. 

She told UTV: “The next day my face started to swell up so badly...my face was down to one side and my eyes were completely closed... I was really scared I thought I was going to die."

The woman reached out to Tanya Khan, a medical practitioner for help who knows only too well of the complications that can occur when people use these products.

More people than ever are looking to improve their appearance, but there are fresh calls for increased regulation of the industry.

Shockingly, anyone under the age of 18 in Northern Ireland can get any non-surgical treatments like lip fillers and botox.

Tanya Khan is campaigning for change, as a qualified theatre nurse with over 13 years of experience she has been working in the field of aesthetics for over a decade.

She is pushing for the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act to be extended to Northern Ireland after it came into force in England last year making it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be given cosmetic fillers or Botox.

Northern Ireland's Department of Health said it has no plans to legislate and that has been met with criticism.

Save Face, a regulatory body that is also national register of Accredited practitioners says it's deeply frustrating that the rest of the UK won't implement the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers Children Act.

Save Face Director, Ashton Collins said: "We are so frustrated that the rest of the UK won't implement the legislation because it is something that is really is at crisis point with young people and body image especially with things like social media."

A staggering £3.6 billion is spent each year in the UK on non-surgical treatments.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned against anyone who wants to buy botox or filler online as a cheaper alternative.

In a statement it said: "There is no guarantee that kits purchased online contain the licensed product and therefore they may fail to meet the standards of quality and safety.

'Selling or supplying Botox without a prescription is a criminal offence' and said they 'take all reports of illegally trading websites seriously to remove the sites wherever possible.'

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