Hang Mioku’s Story
At the age of 28, Hang Mioku, a model, moved from South Korea to Japan and visited a cosmetic surgeon. Over the years, she underwent injections of fillers to keep the signs of aging away. Her obsession with looking young concerned her facial plastic surgeons, and they refused to give her more injections
Ms. Mioku took matters into her own hands and purchased silicone through the black market and injected that into her face and neck. When the silicone ran out, she turned to cooking oil. Soon, her face was bloated and inflamed. More than a dozen corrective procedures were needed to remove just over half a pound of oil and silicone from her face and neck.
Risks You Face When You Use DIY Fillers
There are numerous other stories of unfortunate cases of injectable dermal filler misuse. In 2011, a British woman purchased dermal fillers online from a site based in the United States, according to a Channel 5 news story. Not only was the woman able to purchase fillers without having any training as an aesthetician, but the site also offered free video training and free samples.
While the U.S. dermal fillers store claims it sells to industry professionals, the checkout process never asks for credentials and doesn’t require a business name. The site also doesn’t ask for a valid prescription. That makes it easy for anyone to buy the products.
When the woman injected herself with the dermal fillers, she ended up in a medical clinic with bruising and swelling. The managing director of the clinic also found a blood clot near the woman’s eye that required surgical attention.
When injected by an expert, dermal fillers are safe. However, if you are not highly trained, you run the risk of blocking blood vessels or facing an allergic reaction. While the British woman’s eyesight was spared, another person in the United States wasn’t so lucky. A lab tested the fillers a news reporter purchased from the company. One of the samples was only 0.05 percent lidocaine instead of the advertised 2.0 percent.
Doing your own injections puts you at risk of blindness and other serious health issues. If the lidocaine isn’t present, it’s also going to be very painful. DIY fillers are simply not safe.
Learn more about dermal fillers at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The informative section covers the average cost, how the fillers work, and what to expect during your appointment.
Dr. Jessica Kulak of The Naderi Center specializes in treating unwanted signs of aging and has extensive experience in injectable treatments. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kulak, call the Virginia cosmetic surgeon at (703) 481-0002 or in Maryland at (301) 222-2020.
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