A MOTHER feared she had contracted HIV when giant boils, oozing pus and blood, appeared on her face after receiving £60 anti-wrinkle injections.
Kat Ramsey has been getting ‘confidence boosting’ jabs for the past four years to make her look younger and alleviate tension headaches.
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But about a week after her home check-up in March, the 41-year-old said she was unable to get out of bed and called 111, who suspected she had contracted sepsis.
Large boils broke out around Kat’s eyes, forehead and frown lines the next day, which she claims were “the exact places” where the £60 anti-wrinkle injections were administered.
Kat admits that four marble-sized boils on her face diminished her confidence so much that she refused to leave the house, fearing people would stare at her.
After a four-week course of antibiotics and a consultation with a dermatologist, Kat said she was told they were the result of “cross-contamination.”
Terrified, Kat urgently booked an HIV test which came back negative, but a stubborn boil still remains and she fears the scars on the others will never go away.
The mother of two, who says she has never had any problems with vaccines before, makes a point of encouraging people to thoroughly research their doctors before getting under the needle.
‘Getting bigger’
Kat, from Margate, Kent, said: “A week or so after the injections I became very ill.
“I couldn’t walk or get out of bed so I contacted 111 and got antibiotics that day.
“The day after large boils appeared on my face, they thought it might be sepsis.
“They were getting bigger and bigger, to the point where I couldn’t leave the house. People kept looking at me on the street and in stores, so I didn’t want to go out.
“I noticed that the boils were in exactly the same place where I received the injections.”
Kat suspected that the beautician had used a dirty needle to administer the injections.
“I didn’t even see her open a new needle, so it could have been used.
“I went for an HIV test as a precaution, but luckily it was negative because at one point I was scared that it could be that.”
The mother finally got answers to her alarming skin reaction after visiting a dermatologist.
“I went to a dermatologist and they said it was a case of cross-contamination and that she had put needles used for different people in the same bottle.”
‘Marked for life’
Although most of Kat’s boils were gone, one of them remained on her face for months after treatment, leaving the mother fearful that she would be left with permanent scars.
“I still have a boil that hasn’t burst yet. I’m still walking around with bandages on my face three months later.
“I will probably never be able to get injections in those places again because of the scar tissue.
“This will scar me for life.”
Devastated Kat says she trusted the doctor because a friend recommended it, but now he’s encouraging beauty lovers to do their own research before booking facial appointments.
Dangers of anti-wrinkle injections
ANTI-WRINKLE INJECTIONS are sometimes called Botox.
There is no difference between the two, Botox is simply a brand name for a type of anti-wrinkle injection.
If done by a properly qualified doctor, the risks of getting Botox and other anti-wrinkle injections are small.
But you may experience side effects after treatment, such as:
- Headache and flu-like symptoms in the first 24 hours
- Bruising, swelling and redness where the needles penetrated the skin
- A frozen appearance – you may not be able to move the muscles in your face if too much botulinum toxin is injected
- Temporary weakness and sagging of the face – for example, your eyelids or eyebrows may droop if botulinum toxin moves into these areas
Very rarely, serious problems such as blurred or double vision may occur if the area around the eyes is treated, or breathing difficulties if the neck area is injected.
The NHS emphasizes that you should have any injections – Botox or otherwise – carried out by a qualified and experienced medical professional.
They should be registered to show that they meet established standards in training, skills and insurance.
Avoid professionals who have no training or who have only completed a brief training course.
When meeting the professional, ask about:
- Your training, qualifications and experience
- The name of the product, if it is licensed, and how and where it is made
- Any risks or possible side effects
- What will happen if things go wrong
- What insurance coverage do they have
Source: SNS
Kat said: “I’ve been getting anti-wrinkle injections for about four years and I’ve never had any problems, I’ve always had success.
“They’ve helped with my tension headaches and smoothed out my wrinkles and fine lines, so it’s part vanity and part health benefits. They gave me more confidence.
“I’m lucky it wasn’t worse, but it really knocked my confidence. People were looking at me because I had four huge boils on my face.
“I would tell other people to research the professional and check out the product because people are saving money.
“I will definitely only go to the doctor, dentist or nurse from now on because once you go through that you just don’t know what’s in the products and it’s very unregulated.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
