A WOMAN was rushed to hospital with ‘throbbing’ pain after a ‘routine’ lip filler procedure cut off blood supply to her lips.
Nutritionist Barbara Martiniano, 27, suffered a terrifying allergic reaction and was left fearing her lips would turn black and ‘die’.
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She went to a dentist in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba State, Brazil, for what she thought was a routine cosmetic procedure.
But she was left in agony with massively swollen lips and warned that the apparently botched op had cut off the blood supply to her mouth meaning, the flesh could turn black and die.
Barbara eventually ended up in hospital having emergency treatment for a terrifying allergic reaction that was starting to choke her.
She said she decided to go for lip fillers after seeing so many social media influencers talking about it.
She told local media: “I didn’t think it was something that could cause any problems.
“I imagined that I would be treated by a professional, as the clinic I went to is situated in a popular shopping centre and part of a national franchise.”
Lip filler can be done by trained dentists and aesthetic body practitioners, using synthetic hyaluronic acid to give the lips a fuller look.
Barbara explained: “I researched what type of hyaluronic acid they were using. I determined that it was of high quality so I went there the same day.
“Around 24 hours later, I started to feel pain and my lips were throbbing.
“For three days, the pain intensified, but I thought it would go away. The dentist who performed the application said that the area could be a little sore.
“However, I couldn’t endure it without taking medication. I’ve never taken so many painkillers in my life.”
Barbara said she became increasingly worried when her mother-in-law underwent the same procedure at a dermatologist with none of the side effects.
She said: “At the clinic, they told me that the person who had performed the procedure was off that day.
“Therefore, I was seen by another dental surgeon who was extremely snobbish.
“He didn’t even touch my mouth but just looked and said, ‘Everything is fine with you. There is no problem. You can go away because your mouth is normal.'”
Barbara, whose food tips have garnered her 24,000 social media followers, added: “Even though I felt a lot of pain and saw that it was getting worse every day,
“I believed that everything would be fine. All I wanted was to have a pretty mouth.
“But during the night, the pain and peeling increased.
“That’s when I got in touch with a friend who is a dentist and works with facial harmonisation.
“She said it was not normal and did a blood flow test, finding that she was not getting any results.”
Barbara was urged by her to go back to the clinic over fears that she could be hours away from suffering necrosis, where lack of blood flow causes human tissue to die.
What are the risks of lip fillers?
The risks of dermal fillers depend on whether the procedure was done correctly and the type of filler used.
The NHS recommends you speak to your practitioner about the risks beforehand.
Serious problems are rare but can include:
- Infection
- A lumpy appearance under the skin, which might need to be treated with surgery or medicine
- The filler moving away from the intended treatment area, which may need to be removed using surgery
- Scarring
- Blocked blood vessels in the face, which can cause tissue death and permanent blindness
After returning to the clinic, the dentist who had injected the filler injected an enzyme which was supposed to dissolve the hyaluronic acid.
Barbara said: “After applying the enzyme and removing the hyaluronic acid, they sent me home.
“It was only when I was in the car that I received a message from the clinic advising me to take an anti-allergy medication but they didn’t even tell me the dosage.
“But it was too late as I was already having an allergic reaction.”
Barbara went straight to a hospital’s emergency unit.
She said: “They injected corticosteroids and other medications into my vein. I cried a lot, I felt a blockage in my throat and a lot of pain in my neck.
“I spent New Year and Christmas with my mouth peeling, withered and hideous.
“I thought it wouldn’t go back to normal. I don’t know if it’s 100 per cent back to what it was before.”
Barbara claimed clinic bosses only got in touch after a video in which she exposed her bloated lips had gone viral.
She said: “They promised to compensate for the costs but I told them, ‘For me, that is nothing compared to everything I’ve experienced. I almost died.'”
Now Barbara says she is considering suing the clinic.
But she says she was shocked at how some social media trolls mocked and abused her over her ordeal.
Some, though, supported her.
User ‘Angela Ramos’ expressed her relief saying: “God had mercy on you. I’m shocked by what happened to you.”
And ‘Fabiojuliomed’ added: “It makes a difference who is carrying out such treatments.”
‘Danubia Geize Barcel’ commented: “Firstly, they should have performed a local massage and carried out an allergy test. Lip jobs must be done with great care and knowledge.”
Then ‘Francorrea93’ said: “I don’t have the courage to do such a procedure. I’m scared to death.”
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