Woman forced to hide at home after lip filler fail left her with 'baboon's bum' pout

A woman who claims her lip filler treatment left her with a pout resembling a "baboon's bum" is urging people to do their research before going ahead with cosmetic procedures.

Olivia McCann, 21, said that during a dissolving treatment, her lips were massaged so hard they "looked like they were about to pop."

At the time, the beautician undergoing the work reportedly assured Olivia that there was nothing to worry about and that the swelling was normal.

But upon leaving she was so embarrassed by how they looked that she hid at home for four days and refused to answer video calls from her boyfriend in fear that he wouldn't "fancy her again".

Olivia, who works as a flight attendant had the treatment just before the coronavirus lockdown was put in place, being forced to take two days off of work because of how bad the swelling was.

But this isn't the first painful experience that Olivia has had.

Over the last two years she has had a number of procedures at different salons that have left her with swelling, lumpiness and uneven distribution of filler.

Now, Olivia from Chorley, Lancashire, is sharing her story in the hopes to encourage people to do their research before risking it all.

She said: "The woman massaged my lips so hard after putting the dissolver in that they went white, they looked like they were about to pop.

"My lips were triple the size they should be. When I went into the reception to pay the people sitting there waiting to get their lips done were probably looking at me and thinking 'oh my god'.

"I was embarrassed driving home and I had to put my sunglasses on, my lips looked like a baboon's bum. I didn't feel like I could go out looking like that so I just stayed at home, it was awful.

"I didn't even want my boyfriend Harry to see me, he was FaceTimeing me and I was declining him. I thought 'if you see me like this you'll never fancy me again'.

"I rang my friend and she was in tears laughing saying 'I can't believe you look like that'."

Olivia first starting experimenting with lip filler in April 2018, when she paid £230 for 1ml spread across her top and bottom lips.

She loved the results when she first had them done, so decided to pay £150 for a 0.5ml top-up six months later - but that's when things started to go wrong.

Olivia started noticing pea-sized lumps in her lips that didn't budge no matter how much she massaged them.

As a gesture of goodwill her beautician offered to dissolve the product for free.

But instead of fully dissolving her lips like what was suggested, Olivia claims the beautician injected the lumps themselves.

Olivia explained: "I'd asked for my top lip to be a bit fuller but instead of trying to create a cupid's bow shape she just sort of jabbed it straight in all over the place.

"The pea-sized bumps came up a few days later. My lips were a lumpy mess, they didn't look right at all.

"I cried when I looked at myself in pictures as I thought my lips looked silly, they looked like they'd been stung by a bee."

She added: "I'm a girl getting lip fillers to try to look nice and then it went the opposite way, no amount of massaging would shift the lumps.

"Two weeks later I went back but instead of dissolving the full lip she just stuck the dissolver into the lumps, then told me to massage them when I got home.

"She tried to blame it on me and said they were lumpy because I hadn't massaged them, which I had.

"People think lip fillers are painful, but if you've had them dissolved it's a whole different pain.

"I'm good with pain but when I got them dissolved my eyes were streaming, I think it's the worst thing I've ever felt."

In 2019 Olivia underwent another lip fill treatment which was successful.

So she decided to try filler elsewhere, but was told she would need to have residual product dissolved first.

It was during this procedure that her lips were injected with dissolver and vigorously massaged - a combination that Olivia claims caused her lips to rapidly balloon.

Olivia said: "When I went to them [the salon] they said they couldn't use [it] on my lips and give me what I wanted unless I had my lips dissolved.

"She put the dissolver in and she massaged my lips so hard - it was the worst out of all dissolvings I've had pain-wise.

"They went so massive I couldn't do anything for days and when they did go down they were really lumpy and uneven - a proper mess.

"I emailed work a picture and they agreed I couldn't go in looking like that."

Now that her lips are lump-free and filler-free, Olivia is going ahead with the procedure again - despite the previous lip filler fails.

She has chosen to go to a salon which regularly posts examples of their work, has good reviews from their customers and where the work is carried out by medically-trained beauticians.

Olivia said: "Even though I've had all the bad experiences, I still feel more confident in myself having them done.

"Recently I find myself over-drawing my lips, I don't feel as comfortable with my lips [now] because I'm used to them when they're a bit plumped up.

"After what I've been through I wouldn't trust my face with anyone apart from someone who's medically trained and who's been doing it a long time.

"My advice is to make sure you go to someone who's going to take the time out of the appointment to sit you down and talk to you about what you're getting done.

"They should have good work they can show you and people who you can speak to who have had a good experience.

"Make sure it's a reputable price, there are all these places advertising on social media where they aren't medical nurses and offering to do treatments at silly prices, it's scary."