Woman who had lip filler dissolved warning about allergic reaction
Her lips aren’t sealed.
A UK mom of two claims she tried to get 1 milliliter of lip filler dissolved — only to have an allergic reaction that made her face balloon.
Courtney Taaffe, 27, from Cambridgeshire, said a properly executed allergy patch test could have prevented the episode.
Taaffe, who goes by Courtney Bell on TikTok, paid the ordeal some lip service last week with a video post that has drawn over 300,000 views.
She explained that the practitioner who administered the procedure, whose name she did not share, gave her a patch test only 2 minutes before dissolving her filler. She said her test “immediately” turned red, but the woman went ahead with the procedure anyway.
Patch tests typically take 48 hours to diagnose an allergy, per the Mayo Clinic. Hyaluronidase is the enzyme usually used to dissolve lip filler, though it’s not apparent if that’s what was used in this particular case.
The Post reached out to Taaffe for comment.
In her video, Taaffe showed an image of herself before her appointment and photos of her swollen lips at various times after the procedure.
She said her kisser was so bloated before bed that she felt like it was “going to pop,” and she “couldn’t speak.”
When she awoke the next morning, her face was inflamed, red, and sore, which left her feeling worried.
She said her face and tongue continued to swell, so she decided to go to the hospital.
“The doctor gave me some tablets to take and also noticed the patch test on my arm,” she said.
The doctor reportedly told her the red patch indicated an allergic reaction, and the procedure shouldn’t have been done.
Luckily, her face shrunk after she took antihistamine tablets.
In a follow-up video with over 430,000 views, Taaffe shared a text exchange with the practitioner.
“Good morning I know this seems extremely swollen it is but I promise it’s normal they will go down by tomorrow morning how do they feel are they very painful lovely?Xxx,” read the response to a photo of Taaffe’s swelling.
Taaffe asked if she should go to a hospital, to which the woman replied: “Are you in a lot of pain? … I really think this is just swelling lovely but let me know if your in lots of pain? It will do down promise xx.”
Taaffe posted another TikTok follow-up showing herself asking the practitioner if a patch test is meant to be done 48 hours before a procedure.
“Patch test is done just before unfortunately there is such a thing as a delayed reaction it will resolve its self it just needs longer,” read the response.
Taaffe then clapped back by saying a doctor told her patch tests should be done 24 to 48 hours beforehand.
Then she asked for the practitioner’s insurance information.
“The doctor is wrong that isn’t true,” said the woman before refusing to give her insurance because, “I’ve not done anything wrong unfortunately your body has reacted please don’t contact me anymore.”
Taaffe replied: “Excuse me? I am entitled to make a claim have you seen what you’ve done to my face!”
The woman told her: “You can’t make a claim because YOU had a reaction.”
“Isn’t that up to your insurance policy to decide? I had a reaction to the [patch] test, so procedure shouldn’t have happened. That’s what I am making a claim about,” Taaffe said.
Commenters on Taaffe’s posts expressed their support and shared horror stories of their own.
“My practitioner didn’t dissolve my lips as my patch test showed allergic reaction, yours should of done the same! Hope you’re ok now lovely x,” wrote one.
“Omg Courtney!!!!! I’m never getting mine dissolved I’m scared hahahahah,” exclaimed another.
“This also happened to me but I went into an anaphylactic shock straight away … my air ways closed and doctors told me I was lucky to be here,” offered a third.
This isn’t the first time a lip filler-related treatment appears to have gone wrong.
In June, a woman said she was offered free lip filler that ended up making her face double in size.
In May, a woman said a lip filler procedure left her unable to close her mouth months later.
And last year, a woman admitted her lip filler addiction made her lips explode.
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