Plastic surgeon’s consulting room sales pitch culminates in ‘horrifying’ result

Posted: 26/08/2016

A young woman has reportedly been left ‘unable to leave the house’ after botched plastic surgery caused her lips to bruise and swell. Rachel Redpath hoped to boost her confidence with lip fillers from a clinic in Glasgow but experienced what has been described as a horrifying result. Her lips appear to have ballooned far beyond the plump look she was hoping for, understandably leading to significant distress.

Miss Redpath has since posted a message on Facebook warning others about her experience at the clinic and alongside her emotional post she has shared photos of her swollen lips. She explained: “The thing I want to make sure of is that other girls don’t have the experience I had. Most people go there to boost their confidence but it’s not nice at all. I’ve always been self-conscious of my face. I saw pictures on the (clinic’s) Facebook page and it looked good so I thought I would like it.”

Miss Redpath booked her appointment through Facebook and turned up at 2pm on the day of the procedure. She says that despite telling the doctor she wanted just 0.5ml of fillers for a natural look, the plastic surgeon did everything he could to convince her to have 1ml instead. He insisted she would look ‘more beautiful with even fuller lips’. She has described her consultation as being almost like a sales pitch.

Alison Johnson, senior associate in the cosmetic surgery team at Penningtons Manches LLP, comments: “There has long been an issue with lack of regulation in the cosmetic/plastic surgery industry. Doctors who carry out cosmetic procedures must advertise and market their services responsibly, give patients time to change their mind and prioritise patient safety, as set out in new guidance from the General Medical Council. The guidance has been produced following a review of the cosmetic industry in England. It came into force in June 2016 and covers both surgical and non-surgical procedures. We very much hope that it will serve to improve patient safety and care, meaning that experiences such as the one Miss Redpath describes become a thing of the past in all parts of the UK. There should certainly be no place for any form of ‘coercion’ in the industry.”

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