Girl, 17, reveals she was left looking ‘like a pufferfish’ after illegally being given lip fillers by a beautician with ‘bad reviews’ (who was the only person willing to do it!)

• Teenager claims fillers gave her burst a blood vessel in her lips, causing swelling 
• Her lips got even bigger leaving her unable to close her mouth or drink properly

A teenager was left looking like a ‘pufferfish’ with ‘wonky’ lips after getting lip filler underage from a beautician she found on Facebook. 

Evie-Grace Keeler’s injections burst a blood vessel in her lips, causing them to swell and turn purple for a fortnight.

The 17-year-old, from near Middlesbrough, admitted that the beautician had ‘lots of bad reviews’, but still went ahead with the £65 procedure because no-one else was willing to ‘do them while she was underaged’.

Miss Keeler says her lips became swollen almost instantly afterwards and they kept growing in size for another two days.

Evie-Grace Keeler, 17, from Liverton Mines in Middlesbrough , pictured before getting fillers, found a beautician on Facebook who would do her fillers, she claims the beautician knew she was underaged

It left the health and social care student ’embarrassed’ to leave home, and drinking through a straw because she couldn’t close her mouth properly. 

Miss Keeler, who turns 18 in February and says she’d seen the same beautician once before, claims she was left looking like she had ‘been punched in a fight’.

She said it took a fortnight for the bruising to go down and said, six months on, her lips are still uneven and she has to use lipstick to cover up the botched job.

‘[When I first saw them] they were just massive and swollen,’ said Miss Keeler. ‘They bruised instantly and were quite painful.  

‘I was really scared. I thought I was going to have to go to A&E. She told me she had burst a blood vessel in my lips.

Ms Keeler was left with swollen lips and purple blotches after getting lip filler for the second time. The swelling lasted for two weeks and left her unable to close her mouth properly

‘When I got home, I looked at my lips and they were bright purple. They just kept growing for about two days and then stayed this size for two weeks before they eventually began to go down.

‘I couldn’t close my mouth properly and I had to drink through a straw at the side of my mouth.’

She added: ‘I avoided going out as much as possible as I was quite embarrassed. I did worry I may be stuck with these for life.

‘My lips looked like I had just had a fight and I had been punched in the mouth. They were so bruised and purple.

‘My friends couldn’t believe how big they were. They said I looked like a pufferfish.

‘I couldn’t close my mouth properly and I had to drink through a straw at the side of my mouth.’

The beautician had facetimed her when she got home from the appointment and told her to take antihistamines to reduce the swelling but this didn’t help

She claims the beautician knew she was underaged and paid the ‘offer price’ of £65 for the treatment in May this year — almost a quarter of the usual price. 

Face and lip fillers, or dermal fillers, are injections of collagen or hyaluronic acid to areas such as the lips and cheeks to add volume or reduce wrinkles.

Effects of the procedure last for up to 18 months.

Under the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to be injected with fillers for cosmetic purposes, or for someone to make plans or book an appointment to do so, regardless of parental permission. Anyone caught breaking the law can be given an unlimited fine.

In rare cases, dermal filler can enter blood vessels in the face which connect to the retinal artery, which supplies blood to the retina at the back of the eye. This can lead to permanent blindness.

Tissue death can also occur if filler is accidentally injected into a blood vessel, which can cut of blood supply and causes the tissue to die and eventually fall away.

Ms Keeler said it took a fortnight for the bruising to go down and said six months on, her lips are still uneven and she had to use lipstick to cover up the botched job

Miss Keeler said: ‘The first time I had them done, I had 1.1ml and then the second time it was the same. The first time I had no bruising or anything like this.

‘I had read lots of bad reviews about her online but because I was underaged, she was the only person I could find to do my lips for me, so I just went back again.

‘The appointment was just at her house and she was aware she was doing underaged practises. She knew I was 17.’

Miss Keeler claims the woman who injected her lips told her she was fully qualified after completing a one-day course.

She said the beautician had facetimed her when she got home from the appointment and told her to take antihistamines to reduce the swelling but this didn’t help.

Ms Keeler’s mum, Lisa Keeler (pictured right), warned her not to get the treatment and has warned other parents to not let their children get this done

The teenager has not made a formal complaint to the woman or police, but since suffering her nasty reaction says she will never get lip fillers done again.

She now is warning others about the dangers of getting underaged lip jobs and is telling people to check the qualifications of the person thoroughly before getting any injections done.

Miss Keeler said: ‘I am not going to get them done again after this. This has scared me.

‘I would tell people to wait until they are 18 to get their lips done and look into who they are getting their lips done by and their qualifications.’

Miss Keeler’s mother, Lisa, said she did not approve of her going ahead with the treatment. 

She said: ‘She still has a bump on her bottom lip from where they were done even though they have dissolved a lot since then.

‘I would say to parents to not let their children get this done as it could affect them for the rest of their life.’

To avoid getting filler my someone unqualifies the NHS advises people to check the person doing the dermal fillers in on a register to show they meet a standard of training, skill and insurance.

It adds to avoid those who have only completed a short course and to book a consultation before getting the fillers.  

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BE WARY OF WHEN GETTING LIP FILLERS? 

Lip fillers are usually made of hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance found in the skin and other bodily tissues. 

Hyaluronic acid injections are generally safe but can cause redness, swelling, bruising, itching and tenderness at and around the site of the injection.

Side effects may affect people differently and should be discussed with a specialist before the injections are done.

If someone gets cold sores it can trigger an outbreak, and the injections may not be suitable for people who are at risk of keloid scarring – when scars become large and grow out of control.

Lip fillers can get infected when: 

1. Unregulated cheap products are used which cause a reaction with the tissue leading to a secondary infection

2. When treatment occurs in unsanitary conditions like the back of a gym or a patients sofa.

3. When there’s poor aftercare for example use of make up immediately after treatment.

4. Syringes are shared. This is poor practice but common in areas where people want to minimise cost by sharing syringes between patient. 

How to get safe lip fillers:

1. As per NHS England advice ensure your practitioner is a registered medical professional.

2. Ensure treatment is within a clean clinical environment such as a clinic.

3. Check you practitioner had the appropriate insurance and is experienced at the procedure and treating complications.

4. Always ensure you have a follow up appointment available to you as part of your treatment.

5. Adhere to aftercare and ensure you have emergency contacts for your practitioner.  

Sources: Save Face and NHS 

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