WHEN mum Julia Lanni paid £120 for non-surgical fat dissolving injections on her stomach, she hoped it would be an affordable and non-invasive way to improve her confidence.
Instead, the 59-year-old was left in absolute agony and required emergency surgery after developing an abscess the size of a fist on her tummy.
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Julia paid £120 for the 16 Aqualyx injections across her belly at a salon, and just a week later, she was taken to A&E.
She has been left permanently scarred and £2,500 out of pocket.
When the mum-of-one awoke after the surgery, she was horrified to be confronted by a large, weeping hole in her belly, 7cm deep and 10cm across.
Julia, who lives in Hertfordshire, says: “This treatment was certainly life-changing, but not in the way I wanted.
“My confidence is even lower than it was before. My weight was the same after the treatment and I’ve been left with a scar.
“The whole experience has been extremely distressing.
“The abscess was huge. I said to the surgeon ‘it feels like a baked potato’, and he said ‘it’s worse, it’s like a small cabbage’.
“I could accept a reaction that needed a course of antibiotics, but an abscess that size and emergency surgery is not okay.
“All the medical staff I saw said they’d never seen anything like this.”
The makers of Aqualyx say they are “truly sorry” to hear of Julia’s experience but stress the product “must be administered exclusively by trained, qualified healthcare professionals in appropriate clinical environments”.
‘I wasn’t concerned’
Julia decided to undergo the treatment in a bid to improve her confidence having gained 3st 7lb after her son was born in 2000 and going through menopause in 2018.
She’d tried every diet to lose weight, including Weight Watchers, Slimming World and Atkins.
However, taking steroids for a health condition known as congenital adreno hyperplasia – which affects the adrenal glands – made it impossible to shed the pounds.
Eventually she discovered weight-loss jab, Aqualyx, online in July 2023, and booked in at a local salon.
She says: “The salon appeared clean so I wasn’t concerned. It had 5-star reviews and ten-out-of-ten on Trustpilot.”
Websites market Aqualyx as a ‘non-surgical alternative to liposuction’ and say it absorbs the fat, which patients then pass out through the kidneys.
Reports say infection or abscesses are “rare” – but there is a risk at the injection site – something Julia says she wasn’t really aware of.
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‘Unbearable pain’
That August the practitioner injected 16 measures of the substance in to Julia’s tummy.
Almost immediately after, however, Julia started to experience extreme pain on her stomach.
She used wet paper towels to try to combat the heat and pain, but says she had been told to wait three to four days before seeking medical assistance if she had an adverse reaction.
Within three days, however, she was in agony, and knew she needed medical help.
She says: “After a week it was so painful nobody could touch it and I could hardly move – it was unbearable.”
Rushed to A&E
She went to her GP on August 29, where she was given antibiotics and told to go to A&E.
A friend drove her to Lister Hospital, in Stevenage, that night, where she was rushed into emergency surgery.
Julia was in forced to take five weeks off work so had to use £2,500 savings to get by.
She also had to attend her GP surgery to have the wound packed and dressed adding: “It was so painful when they touched it – like hundreds of bee stings.”
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Severe consequences
Now, Julia has been left with a 4cm scar and left out of pocket financially, but even worse, her self-confidence is in tatters.
She is speaking out about her experience to warn others of the risks.
She says she’s been left unable to pursue compensation because she signed a consent form which listed an abscess as a possible side effect of the treatment, and the salon she used has since closed.
She said: “I researched the treatment online for over a month and didn’t see abscess listed as a side effect. I think the form I signed was much too general.
“The practitioner said the worst that could happen was that the treatment wouldn’t work. I took her word for that.
“We checked and there were no contra-indications of having the treatment with my steroid medication.
“I’d advise people to be aware that this treatment can have severe consequences – think very carefully before having it, and only go to an aesthetician that has been recommended by someone you know.
“Don’t wait the recommended time before seeking medical assistance, and if possible, start taking antibiotics before the treatment.”
Official comment from the makers of Aqualyx
We are truly sorry to hear of the experience described. While we cannot speak to the specific circumstances of this case, we would like to make it unequivocally clear that Aqualyx Cosmetic is a product that must be administered exclusively by trained, qualified healthcare professionals in appropriate clinical environments.
Aqualyx Cosmetic has a well-established safety record, supported by numerous scientific publications, including a European multicenter study. When used correctly by medical professionals, complications are rare.
Unfortunately, the UK is one of the few countries where aesthetic procedures can be performed by non-medical personnel. This creates a significant risk for patients, particularly when treatments are offered in salons or other non-clinical settings.
As a manufacturer, Marllor strictly enforces a policy of supplying its products only to licensed medical professionals. We strongly urge patients to do thorough research and ensure they are treated by medically qualified practitioners, in safe, clinical environments, to minimise risk and ensure proper care before, during, and after treatment.
Patient safety is, and always has been, our highest priority.
Know the risks
Kasim Usmani, a qualified NHS GP who trains healthcare professionals in safe, aesthetic practice, said: “Fat dissolving injections, as with all medical treatment, carries risk.
“It is important to go to a medically qualified professional who understands the anatomy of the area being injected, as well as the correct depth of product placement and amount of product used.
“Unfortunately, many fat dissolving injections are bought online and have questionable ingredients which can lead to complications such as abscesses, tissue necrosis and damage.
“These complications are also present with approved, safer products such as Aqualyx but is greatly reduced when done in a controlled, medical environment by a qualified medical professional.”
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips – which can be adopted slowly – include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that’s high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
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