Booted fillers left Hull woman ‘looking like a gargoyle’

A former tattooist who left a woman “looking like a gargoyle” after giving her facial fillers is posing as a doctor at her aesthetics clinic, a BBC investigation has revealed. but was presenting It comes as a leading practitioner warns of further “death and disorder” as plans to regulate the industry continue to be delayed.

Andrea covers her face when she leaves the house, because she is worried that people will laugh at her two years after the cosmetic procedure.

“I see a gargoyle… something horrible, disgusting,” she tells the BBC.

“I live a nightmare every single day.”

The 60-year-old initially visited the Reshape You Cosmetics clinic in Hull in December 2021 for breast fillers.

She says she did “all the right things” to check the clinic’s reputation and was further reassured by reading its website. “Won Best Aesthetic Clinic in Yorkshire at the England Business Awards 2022”.

He was seen by Sean Scott at the clinic. Posts on the social media pages for Reshape U and Faces by Sean referred to him as Dr. Sean Scott, clinical director at the time. Videos posted by the same accounts in January and April 2023 show a plaque on the clinic door that reads Dr. Sean Scott, Ph.D., Clinical Director.

However, the BBC has discovered that Mr Scott is not medically trained. He said he “reluctantly and regretfully” bought an honorary doctorate in online business consultancy and displayed the certificate at his clinic.

He says he did not present himself as a medical doctor and claims he informed clients who asked that he was not medically qualified. He says he stopped using the fake title in 2024 on the advice of Hull City Council (HCC), after the authority told him it was “misleading”.

Andrea claims Mr Scott put her on antibiotics after her first breast filler procedure in December 2021. When she returned the following month for a second breast filler procedure, he gave her antibiotics again, she says.

“I trusted everything he told me… because he knew what he was about – he was a doctor,” Andrea admitted.

Only healthcare professionals with prescribing privileges can prescribe antibiotics and Botox.

Mr Scott has told the BBC that he did not prescribe antibiotics or Botox and instead used “a registered prescriber with an authorized pharmacy” to obtain the drug online.

Two months after getting breast fillers, Andrea says Mr. Scott encouraged her to get facial fillers.

Dermal fillers are injections of hyaluronic acid, used to fill wrinkles and add volume to tissue.

Andrea claims that Mr Scott told her that he thought her cheeks were “uneven” and that he could help “harmonize” her face.

Andrea had fillers in her cheeks, chin and jaw, but she says her face began to swell and dark marks appeared. From there, she says, what was supposed to be a “simple procedure” turned into a catalog of broken treatments.

Andrea claims Mr Scott told her the swelling was caused by an insect bite and says he was encouraged to seek further treatment.

Mr Scott vehemently denied the allegations, adding: “Not once have we administered any treatment while the client was showing signs of swelling, bruising or any other side effect.”

He said Andrea’s only complaint initially was that she was “not quite happy” with the treatment and that was why she had “so many” follow-up appointments.

Mr Scott also claimed that Andrea had visited another clinic during that period for treatment, which had damaged her skin, and that his clinic had treated the damage. Andrea says she only had dermal fillers at one other place in the three years before meeting Mr Scott, which she was happy with.

Mr. Scott was a tattooist for 33 years before opening Reshape U in 2019. He also runs an esthetics training business, Yorkshire Esthetics Training Academy.

Over the course of 10 months, Andrea had more than 30 appointments with Mr. Scott, including fillers, Botox and threads. Mr Scott said he only carried out procedures on some of these appointments.

Andrea sold jewelery and borrowed money to pay for treatment, raising thousands of pounds, but says the reaction worsened.

In October 2022, she says she went to the hospital, barely able to keep her eyes open. In letters from plastic surgeons seen by the BBC, Andrea was told her reaction was caused by a cosmetic procedure.

A cosmetologist who has since examined Andrea said her scars were likely caused by an infection, which can occur from cosmetic procedures but is rare in a clean environment with good technique. It happens.

The BBC is aware of at least three other complaints made about Mr Scott and the use of fake qualifications.

Two of these were created for the registered practitioner service Save Face.

Director Ashton Collins said people who reported Mr Scott’s “bad practice” had singled him out because they were under the impression he was a doctor.

HCC health and safety officers visited Mr Scott’s premises in 2024 after concerns were raised about his credentials.

The council said it found a number of issues that needed improvement but no formal action was taken because the business was receptive to its requests.

Mr Scott told the BBC the clinic had since taken advice and “completely reviewed all our procedures”.

He added: “Although we have made mistakes in the beginning, we have always given 100% of our potential to our clients. We have learned valuable lessons and have already grown with ongoing training and development.”

Warnings about the beauty industry have been made for years.

In 2013, a review of the regulation of cosmetics concluded that dermal fillers were “a crisis waiting to happen.” Because anyone can be a practitioner, “without the need for knowledge, training or previous experience”.

In 2022, the Health and Care Act gave the government powers to introduce licensing for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. It is yet to be implemented.

First death from a cosmetic procedure Recorded in the UK in 2024.

Dr Paul Charlson, an esthetician in East Yorkshire and a member of the Joint Council for Cosmetics Practitioners (JCCP), warns that unless the government follows through on the legislation he helped create, There will be “more deaths and more deterioration.” Collaborate with others across the industry.

“If the government says ‘we want it in six months’, it can be done,” he said.

The JCCP said it had dealt with an “explosion in complaints” from local councils about poor practice in the sector. In 2023, it was aware of complaints from two local authorities, while by the end of 2024 the number was 65.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care did not comment on Dr Charlson’s criticisms, but said it was “unacceptable” that people’s lives were being put at risk by “inadequately trained operators in the cosmetic sector”, and that it was “urgent”. is exploring options for further regulation.”

He urged anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to find a reputable, insured and qualified practitioner.

Andrea says she has been scarred mentally and physically, regularly suffering from pain in her face and says she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I would never do it again and I would never advise anyone to do it,” she says.

Share your experience getting fillers with reporter Carolyn Bilton. caroline.bilton@bbc.co.uk. If you are happy to contact Caroline or the team please leave a contact number.