Last week millions of British viewers tuned into to watch another episode of popular Soap Emmerdale, however what they didn’t expect was a story line which was quite unlike any which had been previously aired before.
Bernice Blackstock, a long running character of the soap, fell into a coma after suffering an allergic reaction to Botox injections, the episode followed the shock storyline which culminated in Bernice being rushed into A&E, where a doctor explained to Kerry and Liam’s daughter that Bernice had suffered an allergic reaction to Botox injections,
Fans on social media welcomed the story line with one viewer stating on Twitter: “Love that #Emmerdale is hitting the nail on the head with these topics recently!
Soap carachter Kerry later admitted to her dad that Bernice had purchased “rip off filler” online and “wanted” her to perform the procedure. Spoilt teen Leanna showed remorse for encouraging Bernice to get the cosmetic procedure.
The Safety in Beauty Campaign welcome the story line as ‘perfect timing’ as the raging debate of unregulated dermal cosmetic fillers, and cowboy cosmetic injectors continues to dominate the aesthetic industry, fuelling the medical community with concern and outrage.
Mr Faz Zavahir, Founding Director of MATA Aesthetic Training Academy currently collaborating on a joint campaign with Safety in Beauty named #InjectAbility says “As this storyline shows, it is crucial to carefully choose your practitioner when it comes to Botox or Dermal Filler treatments, as in the wrong hands it can result in dangerous complications. My advice for people seeking out aesthetic treatments would be to: First of all,
- Ask who will be doing your treatment.
- Check your practitioners qualifications and experience in this field- are they highly trained or have they simply done a one day course?
- Try to see some before and after photos of their work if possible and do an online search of any reviews on Google or Trustpilot.
- Any doctor, nurse, dentist or other recognised health care professional carrying out these treatments will be registered with a body, for example GMC for doctors or NMC for nurses, so do check online to ensure they are a registered professional.
- It is also wise to check which products are being used and research the brand names so that you can be sure it is not a cheap product bought online.
The storyline also highlights the pressures of looking younger, in a culture filled with social media pressure.