0:00:02 > 0:00:04I'm Jessica-Jane Clement and when I'm not working as a model
0:00:04 > 0:00:08or trying to protect you from being scammed on The Real Hustle,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11you'll find me at the beauticians, trying out new treatments.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13But I've learned from my own experience
0:00:13 > 0:00:15it can be like the Wild West out there.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20In most parts of the country, you, me, or anyone can open up a salon.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22You don't need qualifications to practise
0:00:22 > 0:00:24and, I can tell you from experience,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26there's some shocking work out there.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29A few years ago, I had some lip fillers and ended up with
0:00:29 > 0:00:33two small hard lumps right in the middle of my lips. Attractive.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Each week, we're going to be investigating various beauty
0:00:36 > 0:00:40disaster stories and trying to discover what went wrong.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Tonight...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44the online beauty kits that turn nasty.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Blood everywhere. I thought, "God, it's like a slaughterhouse!"
0:00:47 > 0:00:49I was thinking that
0:00:49 > 0:00:52he was going to lose his lips.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55And I go undercover in a tattoo parlour
0:00:55 > 0:00:57and expose outrageous claims.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15For 30-year-old Lancashire lad Richard Marr, looks are everything.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21If I didn't look after myself, I'd hate to think what I'd look like.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I'd hate to be pale and hairy. I've always got my finger on the pulse of fashion.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Oh, he's dead vain.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And he's been like that from a child.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33He'd only wear what he picked. He's just like a chicken walking round.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Richard's life is a social whirl and he spends a small fortune
0:01:37 > 0:01:39keeping up appearances.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44The first thing I got done was a tattoo when I was 13.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Bleached my teeth, had my nipple pierced.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Constantly on the sun-bed. I started getting my eyebrows threaded.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Botox, which cost £200.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56With a big birthday on the horizon,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Richard felt the need to go even further.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I'm definitely not looking forward to my 30th and turning middle-aged,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05so I'm going to get some plump lips to go with it.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09I had it in my head I'd look amazing for my 30th birthday.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13But his pursuit of the perfect pout ended in disaster.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21I just googled DIY lip plumping at home
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and the first one that came up was this company.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It was £100 for the stuff I chose.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28I borrowed my mum's credit card to buy it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Shockingly, £100 was all it took for an amateur like Richard
0:02:31 > 0:02:34to get his hands on injectable fillers.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38I just thought, "I can't wait to show my lips off at work."
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I even had the back-up story of boasting I'd done it myself.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44A few days later, his plumping kit arrived,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47in it, a pack of three unmarked syringes,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50a tube of cream and some printed instructions.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52He set to work.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54I got the kit and I looked and thought,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57"Well, there's the syringes and the cream that numbs your lips."
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I undid the cap, smeared it over my face.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Squeezed my lips together, like that, and just went straight in.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06With the first bit of filler injected, Richard felt like a pro.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09And then I thought, "Well, I've got a little bit in."
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And then I went right across the top and a bit in the bottom.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Although he'd never done this before,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18he injected filler into his top lip 12 times.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20By this point, there was blood dripping everywhere.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I thought, "God, it's like a slaughterhouse!"
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I didn't know he'd gone upstairs to do it,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and when he came down, I couldn't believe it.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32He had holes in his lips, all along the top, dripping with blood.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Despite the agony, as he went to bed,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Richard hoped his new lips would be an overnight success.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44I woke up in the morning and looked in the mirror.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Oh, my God! What have I done?
0:03:49 > 0:03:51I thought, "Oh, my God, they'll kill me.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54What can I do?" I thought, I'd better get my mum up.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57It was horrifying, really.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01He was in such a foul mood because it hurt so much.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03In panic, Richard called his GP.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07The doctor couldn't understand me, so my mum had to speak to him.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10He said just to see if it went down, but if there was
0:04:10 > 0:04:12any sign of infection, to go straight to A&E.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15But Richard's lips ballooned.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17They got bigger
0:04:17 > 0:04:18and bigger
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and bigger.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21It was the Sunday morning
0:04:21 > 0:04:23when I woke up and they were massive.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26They had taken over my face.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29I knew they were infected then.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34They were just dripping yellow gunge all the time.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39I took him to hospital and they couldn't believe what he'd done.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42At A&E, Richard received some shocking news.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The doctor said the only thing they could do was give me
0:04:45 > 0:04:49some really strong antibiotics, but if my body kept reacting to it,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53they were going to have to cut my lips open and take everything out.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55I think I was just in shock.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I remember coming home and crying to my mum.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I was really scared, thinking in the back of my mind,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04"He's going to lose his lips."
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Lip fillers are best off in the hands of trained professionals,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11they charge £250 plus for luscious lips
0:05:11 > 0:05:13plumped up with hyaluronic acid,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16that can last for anything between four and nine months.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18But the internet is like the Wild West.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Fillers bought online may be a cheaper option,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25but DIY plumping could leave you with a trout pout.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Now, from one needle nightmare to another.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I'm a massive fan of tattoos and with one in five of us
0:05:32 > 0:05:35now having a splash of body art, I'm certainly not alone.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Fellow tat lover Yorkshire lass Zoe May is a mum of two.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44I love this one. It's my favourite one.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47She might like classical music,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51but her taste in tats is far more adventurous.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54This one, I had done after I'd had my second daughter.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Altogether, I think I've got about 15 tattoos.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I get them because I like them. I think they look great.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03That was tattoo number 14.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And her fascination with tats runs in the family.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09That's my butter-flower.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Her mum, 64-year-old Denise, has seven and counting.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18That's the first one, on my arm, and then I have both my feet tattooed.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24But seven months ago, the family love affair with tats came to an end
0:06:24 > 0:06:26when Zoe went to a city centre parlour
0:06:26 > 0:06:28in search of a pretty butterfly.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I had only intended to enquire about it and they said,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37"We can do it now, if you want."
0:06:37 > 0:06:40It was £20 to have it done, which I didn't think was too bad.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43But once in the chair, Zoe began to regret her snap decision.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47The girl that did the tattoo seemed a bit nervous.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49She kept going over the same bits again.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I questioned how long she'd been doing it for
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and she claimed she'd been tattooing for a few years.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It hurt when it was being done.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I did start to think, "I wish she wasn't doing it."
0:06:59 > 0:07:02After an hour, the butterfly was fully formed.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Then they just gave me a piece of paper with after-care instructions
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and I said to myself, "I'll take really good of it and hopefully,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11"it will be all right once it's healed."
0:07:14 > 0:07:17But one week later and Zoe's butterfly was not sitting pretty.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21The scabbing was really heavy, it was really thick, it looked awful,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24it had started cracking in the middle and it was weeping and bleeding.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I saw Zoe nearly every day
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and she kept showing me it,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32how bad it was healing and how nasty it was going, so I said,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35"Perhaps you should have a word with the doctor."
0:07:36 > 0:07:40But it was when the scabs peeled away, Zoe got the full picture.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I've been left with a raised, lumpy scar, so I'm a bit gutted.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46And angry.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48It's disgraceful.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52It's disgraceful that she's put her trust in somebody
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and they've ended up scarring her to such an extent.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58It's terrible!
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Tattoos have never been so popular.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Today's are done with an electric needle,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07injecting coloured particles made from minerals, metals
0:08:07 > 0:08:12or plastics into the skin at a rate of up to 3,000 times a minute.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15But in an industry where you don't need qualifications to set up shop,
0:08:15 > 0:08:16be on your guard.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22I'm in Hull to find out more about Zoe's bad tat.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Zoe isn't the only girl in town who likes a tattoo, I love them,
0:08:26 > 0:08:27so I really feel sorry for her
0:08:27 > 0:08:30because the thought of a tattoo going wrong on me
0:08:30 > 0:08:32is one of my absolute worst nightmares.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37- Hello!- Hiya!- Zoe?- Yes.- I'm Jess. Nice to meet you.- Come in.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- Now, we're going to be talking tattoos, aren't we?- We are.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43So, I should really show you some of mine.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47- I've got my rose. You've got a rose on your arm as well.- I have.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- What else? - I've got that one.- Oh, that's lovely!
0:08:49 > 0:08:51It's my children.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- I've got a swallow.- That's so cute.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Now I've seen the best, it's time to see the worst.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Let me have a good old look at it then.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03- That is really scarred, isn't it? - Yeah.- What do you think went wrong?
0:09:03 > 0:09:04She had a tremble.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08She would draw a bit and then put the gun down and wipe it.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Pick it up, carry on, put it back down again and wipe it.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12I've never known that before.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16I don't know about with yours, but they keep a firm hold of everything.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- She's gone a lot deeper than she should have.- Then what happened?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22The scabs started forming, they were thick,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25as if you'd cut yourself quite badly.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I went to the doctor and she said, "You need some antibiotics."
0:09:28 > 0:09:31You don't want something like this on you, especially on your hand.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34That's it, it's not in a place I can cover it up.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Zoe wants to show me a reassuring sign
0:09:36 > 0:09:40that attracted her to the tattoo studio in the first place.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44This tattoo salon is claimed to be registered with
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the Healthcare Commission. That's a big claim.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50These are the two main windows you see from the outside where
0:09:50 > 0:09:53they have logos of the guilds they say they're members of.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It takes up quite a lot of the shop window, doesn't it?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It's quite prominently displayed. That to me indicates
0:09:58 > 0:10:01some sort of official governing body or whatever,
0:10:01 > 0:10:06are monitoring them to make sure that everything's as it should be.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08I want to have a look at this salon
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and find out what could have gone wrong.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13I think we should find out if there's anything that can be done
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- to help you with your tattoo. - That would be great.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Gobsmackingly, Richard Marr was able to buy
0:10:22 > 0:10:24injectable fillers over the internet.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27He was left with a bigger pout than he bargained for
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and now he's worried he's been left with permanent damage.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33When I do smile, there's a little lump just in the middle here.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I've arranged for him to come to London
0:10:39 > 0:10:43to meet a leading practitioner in botox and dermal fillers.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Dr Raina's going to cast her professional eye on Richard's lips.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Tell me, what brings you here today?
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Basically, I bought some stuff off the internet to plump my lips up
0:10:52 > 0:10:53and I did it myself.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55You did your lips yourself?
0:10:55 > 0:10:57I did my lips myself, yes,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and they became really badly infected and blew right up.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04This is the kit that came online and, erm...
0:11:04 > 0:11:06That's basically it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08How did you know how to inject yourself?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Because I attended a training course
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and until I got confident in injecting other people,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15it took me a fair while.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16I didn't know what I was doing.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18How many times did you inject your lips?
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Across the top, it must have been about 12 times.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- 12 stabs of the needle? - Basically, like that.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25I've got some pictures here.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27These were, like, days after.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30There's quite, some really bad ones.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- Oh, no, Richard, you didn't do that to yourself!- I did!
0:11:33 > 0:11:34It's crazy, isn't it?
0:11:34 > 0:11:39I can't believe somebody sold you this product. They're the people I'm angry at, not you!
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Yeah, and I can't believe how easy it was to buy it!- Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45They didn't ask you anything, what you were going to do with it?
0:11:45 > 0:11:46No, nothing at all.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51- I'd be worried if a patient walked in with these lips three days later. - Yeah.- Very worried.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Dr Raina wants to get to the crux of the problem
0:11:53 > 0:11:57and needs to know more about the pack of filler Richard received.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It was three syringes and I used one syringe.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04That's like, that's basically just the instructions I got with it.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08It's saying it's HA, which is hyaluronic acid, which is fine,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12but every hyaluronic acid I have seen thus far is transparent.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16This looks like toothpaste. We don't really know what this is.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19This sounds worrying.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23If it isn't lip filler, what has Richard injected into his lips?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26For a lip, this is a huge needle.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Raina, why would they have put such a huge needle on a product
0:12:29 > 0:12:31that was designed for your lips?
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Is that something they've done wrong?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The only time I've used a big needle for fillers
0:12:36 > 0:12:38is if I'm going to be injecting
0:12:38 > 0:12:41the really thick filler into the cheeks...
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and I want to inject deeply and on to the bone.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's very thick product.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50This is what proper lip filler looks like.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- Oh, wow!- Oh!
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- To my knowledge, it's to be colourless.- Right.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00If our expert doesn't recognise the product, what hope did Richard have?
0:13:00 > 0:13:02We really need to know if this mystery filler
0:13:02 > 0:13:05has left any lasting damage.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I'm just going to have a feel.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Oh, so far I can't feel anything.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15That's good.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20There is a little lump, that will probably go away with time.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22- I think you've been SO lucky. - Very lucky.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24You've had a bit of a result then, haven't you?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I've had an extremely lucky get away from this, haven't I?
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- I think you have. - Could have gone so wrong.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32But this has now totally put you off?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Yeah, I'm absolutely gobsmacked. - You promise?- Yeah.- Good.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37If you ever want to have your lips done,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- please go to a professional and have it done.- I will.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42- Thank you very much. - Thank you so much.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I'm more convinced now than ever that suppliers should not be able
0:13:46 > 0:13:49to sell injectable fillers to amateurs like Richard.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I'm constantly surprised that...
0:13:51 > 0:13:56people are actually getting these things on the internet really easily
0:13:56 > 0:14:01and have no concept beforehand about how easily things can go wrong.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Yorkshire lass Zoe May
0:14:08 > 0:14:11believes her spur-of-the-moment visit to a tattoo parlour
0:14:11 > 0:14:13has left her with a long-lasting scar.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15To find out her long-term prognosis
0:14:15 > 0:14:18I'm sending her to London's Royal Free Hospital
0:14:18 > 0:14:21to see a leading laser-removal specialist.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26If they can't do anything with it, I'll be absolutely gutted because I don't really want that there.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28What happened?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31It got really infected, I've been left with a big scar now.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Apparently, because of that, I can't do anything with it.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Tell me exactly what happened afterwards.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It started to scab up really heavily.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43It was splitting in the middle and it was weeping and bleeding.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Like I say, it was warm to the touch,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48so I went to see my GP who gave me antibiotics for it.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53You can see the scarring follows very much the design of the tattoo, doesn't it?
0:14:53 > 0:14:57So, it sort of suggests that it's the needling that's the cause, I think.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It looks to me as if the scarring's been settling over the years,
0:15:00 > 0:15:01that fair?
0:15:01 > 0:15:05- They usually do.- Yeah, it's not quite as bad as it was.- OK.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07In an ideal world, what would you like to happen?
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I'd like to get rid of it altogether, to be quite honest.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Now, you know, it's been nine months nearly.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17- Surgical options, you can cut the scar out and re-stitch it.- Right.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19That will leave you with a surgical scar,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23but your body will heal the scar the best,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25more than I can, or anyone else can.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32So, the scar might be there for some time, but what about the butterfly?
0:15:32 > 0:15:36We can certainly fade a lot of the tattoo with laser treatment.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39If you have a treatment, say, every six to eight weeks,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and that interval is to allow the tattoo to fade a little bit,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and then you have another go...
0:15:45 > 0:15:47and you keep repeating the treatment
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- until you've got it as far as you can.- Right.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Erm, so that'll be at least a year, quite possibly two.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Well, I've had it for this long,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I think I can wait a little bit longer then! Thank you.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02There is no quick fix for Zoe, so I'm determined to find out more
0:16:02 > 0:16:05about the tattoo parlour she thinks is to blame.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13Now, Zoe was reassured because there was a big Healthcare Commission's logo in the shop window,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15but I've done a little bit of digging
0:16:15 > 0:16:18and I've found out that in the past they were registered,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20but it was because they had a laser system.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But it's very unclear on the website
0:16:23 > 0:16:27that the registration solely relates to its lasers
0:16:27 > 0:16:30because it actually has nothing to do with the tattooing.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35But it turns out they shouldn't actually be using this logo at all.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40The Healthcare Commission actually wound up in March 2009.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It was replaced by a body called the Care Quality Commission.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49They stopped requiring registrations for lasers in September 2010.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54So, there's absolutely no valid reason to have this logo on here
0:16:54 > 0:16:57or in the shop window because it's completely out of date.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00So, I'm back in Hull to find out if the tattoo parlour
0:17:00 > 0:17:03have simply forgotten to take the signs down,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06or are using them to reassure customers.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09And to get an answer I'm going undercover.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I'm about to go into the tattoo studio,
0:17:11 > 0:17:12I'll to act like a tattoo virgin.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15A little bit nervous, don't really know what I want,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17and ask for some reassurance.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21'As well as my cover story, I'm wearing a hidden camera.'
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- Got your camera on? - Yep.- I've got mine on.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25'And I've got a fake boyfriend too.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28'I'll ask the manager why I should pick this tattoo studio
0:17:28 > 0:17:31'over all the other ones and see if he brings up
0:17:31 > 0:17:35'the Healthcare Commission registration as a reason why.'
0:17:35 > 0:17:39There's the tattoo parlour and I can see the logo.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45So, we're going in and I want to talk to the manager.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52My dad, bless him, I love him to bits,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55he's not worried about me getting a tattoo,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- he's worried about the actual tattoo shop that I come in to.- Right.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And he's just, "What if it's this, what if it's that."
0:18:01 > 0:18:03What can I say to him to put him at ease?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05So that, cos I'm going to have my...
0:18:06 > 0:18:10'Bingo and it's about to get worse.'
0:18:48 > 0:18:52He was telling me about the Healthcare Commission registration,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54he even used it as a selling point.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Zoe thought that that logo was making her safer.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01And, according to Zoe, that was wasn't the case.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I definitely want to get the tattoo parlour's side of the story.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09They'll be hearing from me and I'll do everything I can to get that logo down.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18For now, I'm back on lippy Richard's case.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21When I took him to see a specialist, she set alarm bells ringing.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25She wasn't convinced that the product Richard got was lip filler.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28So I've been doing some digging.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30I've gone on to this website Richard used,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and this is definitely what Richard ordered.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38It's called HA Confort and it's used for lip correction and enhancement.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39So, being a bit confused,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43I've placed the exact same order as Richard did
0:19:43 > 0:19:44and this is what I received.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49As you can see it's a syringe with a clear liquid,
0:19:49 > 0:19:50with quite a small needle.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52This is what Richard got.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54It's white, looks a bit like toothpaste
0:19:54 > 0:19:58and the needle is so much longer and so much thicker.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01So, Richard was sent the wrong product,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04but because he's not a pro he didn't spot the mix up.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05Now, to be fair,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07it does say here that this product should
0:20:07 > 0:20:09only be used by professionals.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12'But there was nothing on the site stopping a regular punter
0:20:12 > 0:20:14'like Richard from buying the product.'
0:20:14 > 0:20:17So, what I want to do now is contact the supplier
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and see what they have to say about the mix up
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and why they're happy to just sell it to members of the public.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24While I wait for the reply,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29I'm going to make sure Richard never turns to DIY fillers again.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33I've enlisted the help of make-up maestro, Kevin Fortune.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Kevin looks after the luscious lips of the like of Heidi Klum
0:20:37 > 0:20:42and Alexa Chung, and he's got a few tricks up his sleeve for Richard.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45He wants to get Richard to focus on his natural features
0:20:45 > 0:20:49and show him a painless way of making his lips look fuller.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53My mouth's quite small and on pictures, I look really weird to myself.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55One of the things that we used to do on film,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58is where you're growing your moustache here,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01you can cut around it and I want to show you that,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03give the illusion of a thicker lip.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09This is a free, cheap and easy solution.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13What I'm trying to do here, is just to expose the Cupid's bow.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Oh yes, it does make a difference.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20The next trick that I want to show you is a lip pencil.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22The best thing to do is to do dots.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25This will give a softer edge.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Definitely, they look more meaty, definitely.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Finally Richard, lip plumps and lip stimulators.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Let's put this on and see if your lip
0:21:39 > 0:21:42starts to plump and swell before our very eyes.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Plumpers use ingredients like menthol
0:21:44 > 0:21:47to temporarily irritate the lips and make them swell.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I like that, they look really pinky, brilliant, yes.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54You realise now that you don't need a needle to get that pout.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I don't need the drastic changes.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00This whole experience has taught me that I'm very lucky
0:22:00 > 0:22:03to have got away with what happened to me in the first place
0:22:03 > 0:22:08and not to concentrate on everything I think is wrong with my features.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Back to Zoe.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20She believes she was left badly scarred
0:22:20 > 0:22:23by a visit to a tattoo studio and she's not alone.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28But in an industry where there's no recognised standards, how do you know you're in safe hands?
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Wouldn't it be easier and safer if there was a simple qualification
0:22:32 > 0:22:35that proved that your tattooist was trained?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37I think it's time for change.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40I've pulled together the great and the good of the tattoo world
0:22:40 > 0:22:42to try and convince them.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44They've a lot to say on the matter.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Overwhelmingly, the industry rejects training course.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Who's going to teach tattooing?
0:22:49 > 0:22:52They'll be tattooists, or so-called tattooists, that can't tattoo.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54To get the ball rolling, I'm showing this lot
0:22:54 > 0:22:58photos of bad tats and I'm starting with Zoe's.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04In my opinion, this is a very, very, poorly executed tattoo.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08The skin has been overworked which has caused scarring.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10If my daughter came home with that on,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I would go and pay a visit to the tattoo studio.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17If I saw that, I'd be like, "I hope YOU like it."
0:23:19 > 0:23:21And Zoe's not the only victim of a bad tattoo.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This is what they asked for.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Outrageous.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31At the moment, the only checks done on tattoo parlours
0:23:31 > 0:23:33are by the Environmental Health Officers,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37so I want to know what it takes to get a licence from them.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41The sort of things we're looking for is to see whether the premises
0:23:41 > 0:23:44are safe, clean and in good repair, the overalls worn and clean.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Are there washing facilities that are for sole use, not shared.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Containers that hold the dyes, they've got to be disposed of.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53They're the basic things to be looked at.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55There's nothing in that checklist that says
0:23:55 > 0:23:59you look at the individual artist and check their work?
0:23:59 > 0:24:03There's a gap, yes, and whether the quality of the art is good or not
0:24:03 > 0:24:04isn't an issue for us.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06We want to make sure that infection is controlled.
0:24:06 > 0:24:11Hairdressers, beauticians, they have qualifications
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and they handle nail files and scissors.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Tattooists don't have any qualifications.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21What do you think about having a Government-approved qualification?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23There are courses offered everywhere.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Tattoo schools, tattoo academies, this and that.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29Some are one-day courses, £1,000 and you get a diploma.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33The pieces of paper they're giving, these diplomas are worth nothing.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35The qualification wouldn't be judging
0:24:35 > 0:24:39the quality of their artistry or their technical ability.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42It wouldn't be possible to do that.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44That's what this qualification would be.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47We're not talking about a tattoo training day in a college
0:24:47 > 0:24:50with a teacher at the front with a tattoo machine,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52people sitting down with their plastic skin tattooing.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55You can't teach people to tattoo like that.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's not something you can learn in a short period of time.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01The industry rejects training courses,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03but supports apprenticeships.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06The traditional way with an apprentice, you start at the bottom.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10You clean the toilets, the sinks, the equipment and you build up.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13To me, that is better than any qualification you'll get.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16There's nothing to say you've got it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19They can say, "I did a two-year apprenticeship,"
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and it's like, how do we know that you're lying?
0:25:22 > 0:25:27What about if this qualification was they serve an apprenticeship,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32they then go and be tested to see whether that person is competent?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It'd be a lot of work to work out how that could be done
0:25:35 > 0:25:38but it should be possible.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40An industry-approved system of apprenticeship
0:25:40 > 0:25:42would be a really good idea.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46I think we've got a bit of a breakthrough there.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49They've all agreed on a Government-approved qualification
0:25:49 > 0:25:52as long as it's tied in with an apprenticeship, which is great.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56They've certainly got a loud voice, so let's hope they use it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Well, it's a result.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02And Zoe May has made a decision too.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05They can't be allowed to get away with that
0:26:05 > 0:26:07because there's the risk that other people
0:26:07 > 0:26:09are going to go and suffer the same thing.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11I've been to see a solicitor
0:26:11 > 0:26:14and I am in the process of taking legal action against them.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18So Zoe's tattoo is now evidence,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22so it means she won't be starting her laser removal for some time yet.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24And we've been in touch with the tattoo parlour
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and they told us they're denying Zoe's allegations
0:26:27 > 0:26:31and can't comment on her case while legal proceedings are on-going.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33I still want to know
0:26:33 > 0:26:36what they've done about those Healthcare Commission logos.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Have those out-of-date signs finally been taken down?
0:26:42 > 0:26:46So, amazing news, I've just gone in to check out the tattoo studio
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and sure enough, since our investigation began,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52those misleading signs have been taken down.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And I also heard back from the supplier
0:26:55 > 0:26:58of the lip filler that Richard bought over the internet.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02They say they strive to fulfil all orders with utmost accuracy.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04They also said they clearly advise,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07both online and in their literature, that dermal filler products
0:27:07 > 0:27:11should only be used by licensed skin care professionals.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15They say they were unaware that Richard planned to self-administer the product
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and are deeply concerned he didn't report the adverse reaction.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19And we've had a result.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22They say they'll implement new, stringent licensure
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and professional documentation requirements.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27He was just sanding it down so far.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I said to him, "OW!" because it hurt.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34The smell was like a rotten old piece of meat.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Look how that's shaving through the skin.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41They used this thing that looked like a hot plate in a restaurant.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Oh my God! I didn't think they were going to be this bad.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk