Woman’s lip filler complications came with brutal cost at work

A Ballarat woman whose face blew up after having a dodgy lip procedure claims the horror ordeal cost her way more than she bargained for.

A woman has spoken out after having lip fillers at her local beauty clinic that she claims left her with an “extremely painful” and “swelled-up” pout.

Mikayla Stutchbery said she often uses Botox and fillers and has never had any issues with a serious complication until she visited a clinic in her home state of Victoria.

“You see horror stories on TV but (assume) that would never happen to you, until it actually does,” Ms Stutchbery told A Current Affair on Tuesday night.

And according to a top surgeon who also spoke to the program, the procedure could have had devastating consequence that at its worst could have left her blind.

“It was extremely painful,” Ms Stutchbery said, adding that her lips felt strange following the service.

RELATED: Woman unrecognisable after undergoing 15 lip filler procedures

RELATED: Cosmetic physician reveals the age to start Botox

A visit to a cosmetic clinic left Mikayla Stutchbery with a serious complication. Picture: Channel 9

“And then there was a part where I got blisters and they burst, and I started swallowing the filler and passed out.”

The disability worker claimed she went back to the clinic to explain what had happened, but staff tried to convince her it was a cold sore.

“She called about 15 different doctors and I was there for an hour and every single one of them said, ‘No, this is not a cold sore because it would have manifested by now’,” Ms Stutchbery said.

“I’ve never had a cold sore in my entire life.”

After visiting her own doctor and being told it was an infection, the 24-year-old returned to the clinic to inform them, however, according to Ms Stutchbery, staff said the infection must have been due to her dog licking her face.

The 24-year-old told A Current Affair the procedure had gone wrong, leaving her with swollen lips and in severe pain. Picture: Channel 9

As a result, she was prescribed antibiotics but encountered another problem when she discovered she was allergic to them.

“So I had to be off work for two weeks, and I lost my job,” Ms Stutchbery said.

Professor Mark Ashton, a former president of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, said that despite her ordeal she had in fact been extremely lucky.

“In my opinion, there is little doubt that this poor girl has had filler injected into the arteries supplying her upper lip. That filler has then gone on to cause tissue death,” he said.

“It could have gone up into her face, up along the side of the nose and into her eye, and she could have been rendered blind instantaneously.”

Armed with this new knowledge, Ms Stutchbery returned to the clinic again, but she claimed staff told her she was being unprofessional. She received a ban notice, saying she was a serious security threat.

The disability worker from Victoria also claims her lips got blisters and burst. Picture: Channel 9

“The biggest mistakes we have seen is poor after care when it comes to cosmetic procedures,” cosmetic doctor Daniel Lanzar told the program.

Dr Lanzar, who was one of the first dermatologists to bring procedures like fillers and injections to Australia in the 1990s — said cosmetic procedures should be carried out in a medical room.

He said he “never envisaged” the proliferation of shopping centre clinics offering services.

Former dean and now fellow of the medical faculty of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery, doctor Joseph Hkeik told news.com.au it is crucial to be treated by a medical practitioner or treated under direct access to a medical practitioner (who is present on site).

Professor Mark Ashton, a former president of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, said she could have been ‘rendered blind instantaneously’.

Currently, doctors do not have to be on site for the procedures — a legal loophole Prof Ashton also wants to see closed.

“Dermal filler injection although trivialized by some injectors still carries high risk if you don’t understand and respect the anatomy of the face,” Dr Hkeik said.

“Risk zone on the face are a limitation to what can be achieved and we need to accept these and not push the boundaries. Also there are safer more advanced techniques that can be utilised to minimise the risks and it take years of practice to master these.”

RELATED: Everything you need to know about ‘liquid nose jobs’

Sydney-based cosmetic physician Phoebe Jones and Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) president Dr Irene Kushelew has previously warned patients of the consequences of going to an untrained physician for cosmetic injections in an interview with news.com.au.

“There is a major misconception in Australia and around the world that Botox and dermal fillers are beauty treatments in the same category as facials,” Dr Kushelew said.

“This has been heightened by the number of practitioners offering these services in casual settings like shopping malls, at the hairdressers and even at informal ‘Botox parties’.

According to Ms Stutchbery, the clinic said the infection was due to her dog licking her face,

“Before receiving any type of cosmetic injectable, you must have a medical consultation with a doctor so they can consider your medical history.”

Dr Jones, a cosmetic practitioner of five years, said Instagram was playing a big role in the soaring popularity of cosmetic surgery — according to the ACCS, roughly $350 million was spent on Botox procedures alone in 2017.

“The positive is that people feel more empowered to better themselves, but there are also those who can be careless, chasing those cheap deals and going to an untrained physician, which is a worry.”

News.com.au has contacted the clinic in question for comment.