0:00:05 > 0:00:08I had a boob job nearly two years ago.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09I'd always wanted bigger boobs,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12never needed bigger boobs cos I had a good set of boobs,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15but, yeah, I just thought,
0:00:15 > 0:00:16"I'll go and buy a pair of tits."
0:00:17 > 0:00:20But they're not fake-fake boobs like I wanted -
0:00:20 > 0:00:22they wobble, they bounce,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24I still need to wear a bra every day,
0:00:24 > 0:00:29I have to flick them sometimes to get my nipple out. Yeah.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31So, I know I've got a cracking cleavage, don't get me wrong,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34but sometimes I just think, "What a waste of four grand."
0:00:35 > 0:00:39I mean, if money was no object, would I have more stuff done?
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Well, I'm not going to lie, I can't stand my feet.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47I don't know if anyone can fix these trotters, though, so, yeah,...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Maybe the odd bit of fat from here and there.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54No, I'm quite happy the way I am.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But one thing I am actually considering is having lip filler.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Loads of my friends have had it done, it's like the in thing now.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03They only last a couple of months,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06but I just think, you know, if you mess them up,
0:01:06 > 0:01:07that's your face.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12I'm Hayley Pearce.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17You know, the tea lady from BBC Three's The Call Centre.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I'm a fairly typical twenty-something from the Valleys
0:01:20 > 0:01:22just trying to get by and make sense of it all.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35MUSIC: Millionaire by Cash Cash and Digital Farm Animals feat. Nelly
0:01:42 > 0:01:43# I feel like a millionaire
0:01:43 > 0:01:45# I feel like a millionaire... #
0:01:45 > 0:01:48We're all in search of the perfect body,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and for most of us that means keeping fit,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54going to the gym as often as possible.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58But that takes time and effort.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59# ..whenever I hear that sound
0:01:59 > 0:02:02# She smell like money when she walk by
0:02:02 > 0:02:03# All heat, no smoke but she on fire... #
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Cosmetic surgery is the shortcut to perfection.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09In the last two years alone,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11more than 100,000 of us have had a nip and tuck.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15I'm 26 and half of all people my age
0:02:15 > 0:02:18are now considering going under the knife.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26But is getting the perfect body a guaranteed route to happiness?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Before I make my decision,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32I want to find out a bit more about it.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I'm starting in Swansea,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39taking a look at one of the fastest-growing of all procedures -
0:02:39 > 0:02:41lip and face fillers.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Cupcakes, girls?
0:02:48 > 0:02:52I've been invited to a ladies night at my local hair salon,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55where bubbly and botox are both on the menu.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Fillers and Botox are relatively cheap and easy.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Costing on average 200 quid a shot,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07cosmetic procedures are no longer just for the rich and famous.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11How does it feel?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Weird.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17For hair salon owner Vicky, trying out the latest cosmetic trends
0:03:17 > 0:03:19is one of the perks of her job,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and tonight it's a forehead full of botox.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- How are you feeling after yours? - Oh, I feel good.- Yeah?
0:03:28 > 0:03:32I'm glad I've done it. It was a little bit painful, but it's good.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- I think you should. - Well, no, my lips.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36It's my lips that I want, and obviously I'm torn,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39but when see Jess and Louise's I want them done so bad.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- I do. I really do when I look at yours.- I love mine.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- They look fabulous.- Best thing I ever did.- Best thing.- Yeah.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- Really?- Yeah.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49I've spent about £1,000 on my lips.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52It's just normal now. It's like natural.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53- Especially in Swansea, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55We've all got to have it done now.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58We've got things like social media, Instagram,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01like, I stalk girls more than I stalk the guys.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02I know, and me, I stalk girls.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04We tend to look at other girls and say,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06"Oh, my gosh, she looks really good."
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So, by looking at other girls, I think that's why we do it.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Yeah, we go, "We like her bum..." - Yeah.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- ..or "we like her boobs, we like her lips, her hair."- Yeah, yeah.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17"I want them!" And now everything is accessible,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20as you said, it's more affordable, so we can go out and do it.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21- Yeah.- Definitely.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23I find that we're getting younger
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- and younger people coming in for botox.- I know!
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- I was shocked with the young girls walking in tonight.- Mad, isn't it?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Like, years ago it used to be, like, over 30s,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34now it seems like, you know, it's just the young girls having it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35- Yeah.- So, it's good.- Yeah.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38We're trying to prevent the ageing now,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- instead of trying to fix it. - I know, I know.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- We'll be forever young. - Forever young, I like it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- I like it, forever young. - That's what we want.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46- That's the goal. - THEY LAUGH
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Definitely. We ain't growing old, are we?- No. I'm not.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51THEY LAUGH
0:04:53 > 0:04:55MUSIC: Forever Young by Jay Z feat. Mr Hudson
0:04:55 > 0:04:57# Forever young
0:04:57 > 0:05:00# I want to be forever young
0:05:02 > 0:05:05# Do you really want to live forever?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08# Forever and ever... #
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Last night's party has really got me thinking
0:05:10 > 0:05:13about what I'd look like with fuller lips.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15So I've downloaded this app
0:05:15 > 0:05:17that allows you to play around and change your features
0:05:17 > 0:05:20to see what you're going to look like after cosmetic surgery,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22so I'm going to have a look to see what I look like with the lips.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25# So we live a life like a video
0:05:25 > 0:05:26# Where the sun is always out
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- # And you never get old... # - Oh!
0:05:28 > 0:05:31My face just looks completely different now.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Oh, my God, what have I done to myself?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35SHE LAUGHS
0:05:39 > 0:05:40That's terrible.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43It's just mad to think that having one procedure
0:05:43 > 0:05:45can change your whole image.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Anyone with insecurities playing around on this app,
0:05:49 > 0:05:50you know, it's addictive.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I wonder what I'd look like now with a stronger jawline.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00'Playing around with your face on an app is one thing,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04'but I'm about to meet someone who does it in real life.'
0:06:04 > 0:06:10# G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, yeah... #
0:06:10 > 0:06:1325-year-old Jordan James Parke first dabbled
0:06:13 > 0:06:17with cosmetic procedures when he was just 17
0:06:17 > 0:06:20in a bid to look more like his idol, Kim Kardashian.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Since then, he's made a career out of it,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and he's now got 80,000 followers on Instagram.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Not bad, eh?
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- Hello!- Hello, look who's arrived.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Nice to see you. Are you OK? Mwah! - Come on in.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Look at those lips! Oh, my God. HE LAUGHS
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Key to his unique look is his trademark pout.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49But his obsession with fillers nearly cost him his sight.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53OK, so I can tell you've had your lips done,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55what else have you had done, then?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57So, altogether I've had two nose jobs,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I had a chin implant, I've had neck liposuction,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I've had cheek filler, chin filler, jaw line filler,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05I've had nasal fold filler,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07a full face of Botox.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10I have microdermabrasion, chemical peels...
0:07:10 > 0:07:15But I'm having my nose done again in ten days, so... Why?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Just, I want it a bit more like Kim's,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19so I'm just going to have it a bit more pinched in,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21a bit more chiselled. I just want it smaller.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- I just want a little cute button nose.- You have.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Oh, no, it's still big. I hate it.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29'As well as surgery,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32'make-up artist Jordan uses contouring
0:07:32 > 0:07:34'to help achieve his Kim K look.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'He's offered to work his magic on me,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39'giving me a full Kardashian makeover.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:43So, Jordan, obviously you're taking my face off me now,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45and I'm insecure, everyone's insecure,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48like, are you an insecure person or...?
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Why did you start it all?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The thing is, people always think that I'm going to be insecure,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55but I'm actually not.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Like, I'm so confident, like, I'm not insecure whatsoever.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Yeah?- I love myself, I'm very happy with me.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04So, if you're happy with yourself, then, like, why don't you stop?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- Why do you keep having more work done?- I just love it.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08I just love when you get something done,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11the feeling you get, you just get such a good feeling.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12I just love it.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15So, how much have you actually spent, if you don't mind me asking?
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Cos obviously, cosmetic surgery and procedures ain't cheap, you know.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Oh, my God, I've probably spent about...
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- £130,000. - SHE GASPS
0:08:24 > 0:08:25That's a house!
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- Well, it is in Wales, anyway. - I know, but...
0:08:27 > 0:08:28HE LAUGHS
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I know, but what would you rather -
0:08:30 > 0:08:31walk around looking like shit,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35or walk around looking good with flawless skin?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39'But perfection doesn't just do damage to our wallets
0:08:39 > 0:08:41'as Jordan found out.'
0:08:41 > 0:08:44So, I used to have, like, huge lips before.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46- Yeah, I thought you did.- Yeah.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48They went really wrong.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Like, they went so bad they were leaking.
0:08:50 > 0:08:51- Leaking?- Yeah.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55So, it all started, like, I had a spot at the side of my lip
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and I was literally just like, "What is that?"
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And I literally popped it and filler squirted onto the mirror.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- SHE GASPS Ugh!- I know.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04And I actually went to LA and saw some doctors and they were like,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06"Jordan, you need to stop with the lip filler,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09"cos you might lose your lips, you might lose your sight,"
0:09:09 > 0:09:10- but there's that many... - Your sight?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Yeah, there's that many things in your lips and things
0:09:13 > 0:09:15that are connected to the rest of your face
0:09:15 > 0:09:16that you don't even realise.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18'Although very rare,
0:09:18 > 0:09:23'extreme overuse of lip filler can block blood vessels in the face
0:09:23 > 0:09:25'leading to permanent blindness.'
0:09:27 > 0:09:29'But thankfully Jordan took the doctors' advice
0:09:29 > 0:09:32'and has now toned down his trout pout.'
0:09:33 > 0:09:36You know what? Your lips would be amazing just with a tiny bit of filler.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- Just a bit.- Oh, I don't know now.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I don't want them to leak like yours. HE LAUGHS
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Oh, my God, look at your teeth, they're stunning.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- Oh, thanks.- Look how white they are.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- I know. They're not real. - Veneers, is it?
0:09:48 > 0:09:51SHE GASPS AND HE LAUGHS Oh, my God!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- They're clip-ons!- What?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Oh, my God! HE LAUGHS
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- What have you done?- They're like clip-on teeth.- Oh, my God.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00What?! Oh, my God! What?
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Ah! What are you doing? HE LAUGHS
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Come on, let's get a selfie so you can see it
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and see what you think.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- Oh, my God, I love it. - Do you love it?
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- You'll have to come down every week now.- I love Wales, I will.- Yeah?
0:10:13 > 0:10:17# Cos your lips are moving Baby, don't you know I'm done. #
0:10:17 > 0:10:19# Oh-oh
0:10:19 > 0:10:21# Don't you know, don't you know
0:10:21 > 0:10:23# Oh-oh
0:10:23 > 0:10:25# Beautiful, don't you know
0:10:25 > 0:10:29# Beautiful people... #
0:10:41 > 0:10:45While more and more of us are having lip fillers and botox,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48we're signing up for more invasive cosmetic procedures, too.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Topping the surgical wish list is breast augmentation -
0:10:53 > 0:10:56the good old-fashioned boob job.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Around 10,000 women in the UK had the procedure last year.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I've been given a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes
0:11:10 > 0:11:12at Cardiff's Spire Hospital
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and see it from the surgeon's point of view.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18So, I'm just about to go into theatre now
0:11:18 > 0:11:20to watch a boob operation.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Obviously I'm really nervous and excited at the same time.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24It's not every day you get to see this.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I've had it done myself, so it's really interesting for me
0:11:27 > 0:11:31because, you know, I'm going to be watching from the other side how it's done.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Unbelievably, cosmetic surgery is an unregulated industry.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Many cosmetic doctors operate without proper qualifications and experience.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48But no such worries here.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Leading plastic surgeon Dean Boyce has carried out
0:11:51 > 0:11:53over 1,000 of these ops.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57So today's patient is in very good hands.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02WHISPERS: I can't believe that was me one time.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09'Dean starts by marking up the incision points on the patient.'
0:12:14 > 0:12:17'Then cuts an opening in the breast crease.'
0:12:24 > 0:12:26QUIETLY: Oh!
0:12:26 > 0:12:28WHISPERS: I've had that done!
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Oh, my God, that's the implant.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's bigger than what I had.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46'There are two main types of implant,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49'silicone gel or saline,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51'and today Dean's using silicone.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:57'With such a small incision,
0:12:57 > 0:13:02'the implant has to be slowly inserted bit by bit.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:06It's really physical.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18They look really...
0:13:18 > 0:13:20They look really nice and hard
0:13:20 > 0:13:21and mine are soft now.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27'Once the implants are in,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30'the incision is closed and Dean's careful stitching means
0:13:30 > 0:13:32'they'll be hardly any scarring left behind.'
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'It's taken just an hour-and-a-half
0:13:38 > 0:13:42'for the patient to go from approximately an A-cup to a D-cup.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45'90 minutes that could change a life.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Well, that was absolutely amazing.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51That hour-and-a-half flew by there.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55He's clearly a very skilful surgeon,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57but it's not just the surgeon doing the work,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59all the nurses, they're all putting that care
0:13:59 > 0:14:01into that patient on the bed.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And I tell you one thing now,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07she's going to be happy with her new breasts when she wakes up.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19The transformation I saw today was incredible,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and the operation has got me thinking about my own breasts
0:14:22 > 0:14:26and how the end result wasn't quite what I'd hope for.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30I just think, like, you know, unless you really, really want them,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32then have a think about it
0:14:32 > 0:14:34because with me I've wasted four grand
0:14:34 > 0:14:37that could have gone towards a house.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Don't get me wrong, I have my days when I love them,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and then I have my days when I hate them.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Did it give me extra happiness?
0:14:44 > 0:14:46No, it didn't give me happiness.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50I'm glad I've got a better pair than I had,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52but I had nothing wrong with my old ones.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08For some of us, the cost of cosmetic procedures in the UK
0:15:08 > 0:15:10puts it well out of reach.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15So more and more of us are opting to fly abroad
0:15:15 > 0:15:17in search of cut-price surgery.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22Trouble is, it can sometimes go horribly wrong.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25- Hi, girls.- Hi!
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- You must be Charlotte.- Yes.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- And who's this?- Chantelle. - Hi, Chantelle.- Hi.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- Cup of tea?- Oh, yes, please.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Cafe owner Charlotte Hayward found that out the hard way
0:15:36 > 0:15:40when she travelled to Thailand for a tummy tuck.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I believe you've got some horror stories to tell me, Charlotte.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44I have. Have your cuppa.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47We'll sit down and I'll tell you all about it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Oh, God, I don't think I want to hear this.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59We went to Bangkok. We went to a hospital, it was gleaming,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02really, really nice, me and my husband and my young daughter.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Everything looked perfect, so we paid the money,
0:16:06 > 0:16:07put the deposit down.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Three days later, I arrived at the hospital
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and they had a bus waiting for me.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16They put me in the bus, told me that the surgeon couldn't do it
0:16:16 > 0:16:19in that hospital, but we would go to another hospital,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23drove four hours into Bangkok City,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and we were just basically put into a backstreet shop.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30It wasn't anything like the first hospital I'd seen before.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32It was just, like, in a back alley.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Curtains, a few beds put up.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38But I paid the money and I was there,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and I just thought, "Right, just go for it."
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- Worst mistake.- God, it sounds like something out of a horror movie.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46It gets ten times worse.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52They put a needle in the top of my spine
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and I was in and out of consciousness.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Then I sort of came around on the operating bed
0:16:59 > 0:17:01and I was thinking, "Oh, right, OK,"
0:17:01 > 0:17:04then I realised that they were actually operating on me
0:17:04 > 0:17:06- whilst I was awake.- Oh, my God.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09So I was shouting, saying, "I'm awake, I'm awake!"
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Obviously, crying, getting upset.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15They ended up tying my hands down to the bed,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17because I kept trying to get up
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and they put a cone, almost like a dog cone,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24around my head and just carried on with the operation.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28I could see my stomach was put by the side of my head
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and the tattoo - that's the only reason I knew,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I had a tattoo on my stomach and as I looked,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I could see the tattoo that was on my stomach
0:17:37 > 0:17:39was now by the side of my head.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Did you think you were going to die on the operating table?- Yeah.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45The most scary thing I've ever been through in my entire life.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I genuinely thought I was going to die.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52A tummy tuck is one of the most complicated and extensive
0:17:52 > 0:17:54cosmetic procedures available,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58which usually requires at least one overnight stay in hospital.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59But not for Charlotte.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03So what was the aftercare like, then? Was there any?
0:18:03 > 0:18:04It was non-existent.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Straight after my operation, they put me on a bus,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11three-and-a-half-hours' journey back to the hotel.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13It was a major operation
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and they just literally threw me out of the door
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- and just left me to get on with it. - Oh, my God.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Unsurprisingly, with no aftercare,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Charlotte's wound got infected.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Instead of flying home, she checked herself into a private hospital.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Doctors there discovered
0:18:31 > 0:18:34that she'd not even been given a surgical drain,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37increasing her risk of blood clots.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Had she boarded the plane back to Wales,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42it could have been fatal.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Charlotte faced a further three-week stay in Thailand
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and a hefty medical bill.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52The infection left behind some heavy scarring,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55most of which she's managed to cover with a tattoo.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00If I could go back three years ago,
0:19:00 > 0:19:05and tell myself not to do it, 100%, it's not worth it,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09your life being put at risk just for the way you look, vanity,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11it's just 100% not worth it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Shockingly, Charlotte's story is not an isolated case.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Nearly one in ten of us who've had cosmetic surgery abroad
0:19:24 > 0:19:27need help from the NHS when we come home.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35# Hot lips
0:19:35 > 0:19:36# Hot lips
0:19:36 > 0:19:38# Hot lips. #
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Sometimes the risks come not from how far we travel,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52but how far we'll go in pursuit of the body beautiful.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Former glamour model and TV personality Alicia Douvall
0:19:58 > 0:20:02has been dubbed Britain's most nipped and tucked woman.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07First going under the knife at 17,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Alicia made headlines with her extreme addiction to surgery.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15She's had a staggering 350 procedures
0:20:15 > 0:20:18at a cost of a whopping £1.5 million.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22- So 350 procedures.- Mm-hm.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Was there ever a point in that time where you just stopped
0:20:25 > 0:20:28and looked in the mirror and thought, "OK, I'm happy now"?
0:20:28 > 0:20:30At the time, at the height of my addiction,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- I was having procedures every week. - Every week?
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I was waking up on the hospital bed and planning the next one.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40I was never happy with the results, never.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43You know, I kept finding surgeons that would do it.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I kept going until I found the surgeon that said yes.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48There's a lot of unscrupulous surgeons out there
0:20:48 > 0:20:52that will take your money and give you what you want.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55So who did you want to look like? Was there anyone in the public eye?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Yeah, I went into a surgeon's with a Barbie doll.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- My thing was I wanted to look like Barbie.- Right.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03You had the blonde hair...?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I have long, blonde hair, and I have my ribs shaped,
0:21:06 > 0:21:07I have my waist like Barbie.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- You had your ribs shaped?- Yep. I wanted to be like a Barbie doll.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13She had a very, very small waist.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16So what was the most extreme procedure you've ever had?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20I had over 1,000cc implants, so I had, like, a G-cup.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- I had my toes shortened, so... - You had your toes shortened?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- Yeah.- What do you mean?
0:21:27 > 0:21:30So I went and had the bones shaved,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34so cut and then shortened.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So I could have perfect feet, so I could wear sandals.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I mean, I had to be on crutches for six weeks.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44For me, the most extreme was having loads of implants put in my face,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47which destroyed my looks.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Did you care what people thought of you?
0:21:49 > 0:21:53When I lost sight of trying to look like Barbie
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and then I became quite extreme,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00I did care when people would look around at me
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and, you know, kind of look at me as a freak show,
0:22:03 > 0:22:04but I was addicted.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06So what did your friends and family think, then?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Did they not try and stop you?
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Yeah, they did, but they knew after a while they couldn't bring it up,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17cos I would literally disconnect from people and not talk to them
0:22:17 > 0:22:20if they confronted me with my addiction.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22So if you could turn back time,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24would you have not had anything done?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Oh, my gosh, I'd have loved to never have had surgery.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- Not even boobs, nothing? - Nothing. I'd love to...
0:22:30 > 0:22:34I'd love to have been like, "This is me, proud of me,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37"and I make the most of Mother Nature and what she gave me."
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Thankfully, Alicia's now recovered from her extreme addiction
0:22:44 > 0:22:47after being diagnosed and treated for a condition
0:22:47 > 0:22:51called body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD for short.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Sufferers can become obsessed with a flaw in their appearance
0:22:56 > 0:22:59that's either really minor or totally imagined.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I've come to meet Dr Rob Willson,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09a psychotherapist and chair of the BDD Foundation, to find out more.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14So, how severe does it get?
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Body dysmorphic disorder can be extremely severe.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19It's probably got about the highest rate of suicide
0:23:19 > 0:23:22of any psychiatric disorder,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and there are a lot of people that are very disabled,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28very housebound, and typically people spend, say,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32most of their working day, certainly five, eight hours a day,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35worrying, researching cosmetic procedures.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37It can be pretty much like a full-time job
0:23:37 > 0:23:39and drives a great deal of distress.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42So do you find that many sufferers feel
0:23:42 > 0:23:44that cosmetic surgery is the answer?
0:23:44 > 0:23:48A lot of people with BDD do think that cosmetic procedures
0:23:48 > 0:23:51or dermatological procedures are going to be the answer,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54cos the hope is that the flaw in their appearance
0:23:54 > 0:23:57that they're preoccupied with, that that can be removed.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Unfortunately, we know from the research
0:24:00 > 0:24:02that that virtually never works
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and that, even if the flaw is removed,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07the BDD just refocuses and zeroes into another area
0:24:07 > 0:24:10of their appearance which is in some way flawed or not quite right.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25So, for some of us,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28no amount of cosmetic surgery will ever bring happiness.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34But, for others, their physical quirks aren't just all in the mind,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and a simple procedure can have a very real impact.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42So today is the day, Sue. How are you feeling?
0:24:42 > 0:24:47- Nervous? Excited? - I'm excited and nervous.- Yeah?
0:24:47 > 0:24:51I've been waiting for this day all my life, since I was 12 years old,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and I can't believe I'm actually going to do
0:24:54 > 0:24:56what I should have done years ago.
0:24:57 > 0:25:0152-year-old Sue Owens was born with an unusually thin upper lip.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04With a family party looming,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08she's finally now plucked up the courage to do something about it.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11So how have your lips affected you, then?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14It makes me feel anxious, because I think,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16especially with the world nowadays,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20everyone perceives a beautiful person to have lips,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23a top lip, if you like, which I haven't got.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Literally, on my 21st birthday,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I don't think there's one person that didn't buy me any present
0:25:28 > 0:25:29that didn't say "Froggy"
0:25:29 > 0:25:32or have some kind of frog associated with it,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35cos that was my nickname, Froggy, cos my lips go like that.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It was quite cruel, really, but I've laughed it off.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42- But deep down, was it affecting you? - Deep down, yes, it has affected me.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44I've even not gone out on nights out, cos I've not felt confident.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I've got ready to go out and I've actually not gone,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51and I just can't wait to see if it will be what I'm looking for,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54the answer that I'm looking for to get the confidence back.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Sue's booked an appointment at her local salon in Sketty
0:26:01 > 0:26:04to have lip fillers with nurse Steph Williams.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08It's a good opportunity for me to see the procedure first-hand.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13So, Sue, I'm just going to start now, OK? We're just going to have...
0:26:13 > 0:26:15You might feel a sharp little scratch.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19I feel quite sick.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Sorry, Sue.- No problem. - I'm not even scared of needles,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25but that's going through me watching it go in your lip.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27It reminds me of when I'm in the dentist.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I actually feel quite shaky watching it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Oh, is that blood?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It's a tiny little bit, a pinprick of blood.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37So, Sue, if you'd like to just sit up for me,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40so I can have a little look.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42SHE IMITATES DRUMROLL
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Sorry!
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Let me see.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Awww!
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Don't cry!
0:26:59 > 0:27:00God!
0:27:02 > 0:27:03Do you like them?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Yeah, I've got lips!
0:27:09 > 0:27:11They look great.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- You're glowing, you look so happy.- It's nice.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Wow!
0:27:16 > 0:27:19# Would you let me
0:27:19 > 0:27:22# See beneath your beautiful
0:27:22 > 0:27:25# Would you let me
0:27:25 > 0:27:28# See beneath your perfect
0:27:28 > 0:27:31# Take it off, now, girl, take it off, now, girl
0:27:31 > 0:27:33# I want to see inside
0:27:33 > 0:27:37# Would you let me
0:27:37 > 0:27:39# See beneath your beautiful
0:27:39 > 0:27:41# Tonight... #
0:27:52 > 0:27:55We all just want to look our best,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and whether it's done out of vanity,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59to feed an addiction,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01or just to boost our self-confidence,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05cosmetic procedures can change us inside and out,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08for better or for worse.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But, for me, having my boobs done,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12they didn't make me a happier person,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14and I don't think if I had my lips done
0:28:14 > 0:28:16that would make me a happier person as well.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I'll never say never, I won't, you know,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and with the Swansea lot, we're all like dominos,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23we all copy each other,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25but for now, I've found this awesome lip gloss
0:28:25 > 0:28:27that plumps my lips right up.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Pain-free.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36No bleeding.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37No needles.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40For now, I'll stick to my plump-it-up lip gloss.