A GRAN was left looking like she had "worms" in her cheeks after she claims her thread lift went wrong - and she flew to Turkey for a £4.5k facelift to fix it.
Natalie Bryant, 53, decided to try face threading - a cosmetic procedure that uses thread to sculpt the face - after she felt her Botox treatment wasn't lasting.
She found a clinic on Instagram and made some enquires before going ahead with the £900 treatment in August 2023.
But the grandmother-of-two started to notice the thread had migrated and after the swelling didn't go down she consulted the aesthetician.
She was initially reassured it was part of the healing process and shown a face massage to help and then offered radio frequency facials to help break the threads down.
Natalie noticed the threads had moved in her cheeks and was "distraught" and was told by a doctor she'd need surgery to get them removed.
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Due to the £15k cost in the UK, Natalie chose to fly to Izmir, Turkey, for a facelift - researching heavily before she went.
Now £4.5k later she feels happy with her results and says she can finally leave the house again.
Natalie, an operations manager at a homeless charity, from Croydon, south London, said: "Mentally it really impacted me.
"I couldn't face people.
"I didn't go to my son's 30th birthday party.
"I kept pulling my hair over my face.
"My face was literally disfigured.
"I want more done to stop these beauticians."
Natalie found the clinic on Instagram and said the aesthetician did an incision on her cheekbones to insert a thread into her face.
She said: "It was painful."
She claims she was told it would take a week to settle down.
Natalie said: "I felt migration on both sides of my face but I thought it's just got to settle down.
"As time went on I was really bruised."
Natalie booked back in for Botox as a model with the same aesthetician so decided to speak to her about it then.
She said: "She reassured me.
"She said 'don't worry, it will go down'."
'I felt like I was having a stroke'
Natalie said the aesthetician carried out a massage procedure which she claimed would help break down the threads and she was told to do it every day.
She said: "I started to do this massage she'd told me to do and I had this extreme pain.
"I felt like I was having a stroke. It was all through my face and continually tingly.
"The threads had moved. I was distraught."
Natalie sent the aesthetician pictures and was told to stop the massages and she was told radio frequency facials would be arranged for her.
She went to two of the four facials arranged for her before deciding it wasn't helping.
She said: "When I came out it looked worse.
"I ended up going for the second one and again it looked worse."
Natalie wanted to get the threads out but says the aesthetician didn't want to resort to surgical options but did advice her to see her GP and to keep the area cool and avoid touching it.
She said: "I reached back out to my Botox doctor and they were advising the threads need to come out.
"I was in despair."
Natalie was quoted £15k to get a facelift privately in the UK to remove the threads - which she says she couldn't afford.
She was so desperate she decided to look abroad for a cheaper alternative - doing in depth research to find a trusted doctor.
She said: "I was so scared knowing I'm going abroad to get something else done.
"I was petrified.
"I had no choice.
"I couldn't leave the house. I was so depressed."
Natalie flew to Turkey for a holiday and tacked on her facelift in Izmir at the end of her trip in October 2023.
She said: "It was the best thing ever.
"My face wasn't left looking like it had worms in it.
"By the time all the bruising had gone down I looked better.
"I felt I could go out again."
Dangers of face thread lifts
While a thread lift is a less invasive alternative to getting a facelift, it has risks.
Following the procedure, you’ll likely experience some side effects, such as:
- bruising
- swelling
- bleeding
- pain or discomfort
- difficulty opening your jaw or mouth
- sensitivity to sunlight.
These side effects are usually short-lived and not a cause for concern. Mild bruising and swelling may last 1 to 2 weeks, as the skin heals.
Potential complications of a thread lift procedure include:
- dimpling where the surgeon pulled the threads through
- allergic reactions, especially to the threading material
- blood pooling behind the threaded area
- migration of the threads, causing the skin to appear lumpy
- more intense, persisting pain due to the thread placement
- infection at the incision site
People more than 50 years old may have a higher risk of dimpling and infection, though anyone can experience these following a thread lift, warned Healthline.
Now Natalie wants to raise awareness to stop people going to beauty clinics and wants stricter regulation for the industry.
She said: "I would never recommend for anyone to have facial threads.
"Go to a doctor - not these beauty clinics."
The clinic disputes the claims
The clinic disputes the claims and say Natalie did not appear to be in any pain at her Botox appointment and was advised to lightly massage the area to loosen the thread.
They said: "It’s important to highlight that Natalie at both appointments had signed and agreed to the legally binding consent form before her treatments started.
"This form outlined the potential risks of the treatment, the expected 12-week settling period for the threads, and the aftercare instructions that she was required to follow. She was fully informed and consented to these terms.
"Despite this, Natalie did not adhere to the aftercare instructions I provided."
They say Natalie massaged her face too aggressively which caused the continued issues.
They added: "In addition to neglecting my aftercare guidance she did not continue the massages I booked and paid for to rectify what she had done to her face.
"Natalie disclosed that she was consulting with her previous practitioner rather than following the advice I provided.
"She would inform me that she had acted on his instructions rather than mine, even though she came to me for her treatment and trusted me initially.
"I made every effort to stay in contact with her daily, yet she continued to disregard my professional advice.
"As the situation progressed, Natalie began reporting worsening issues with her face.
"However, I observed that this was primarily self-inflicted due to her constant touching and rubbing of the area, which caused unnecessary irritation and swelling.
"I repeatedly advised her to seek medical attention because she was not following my instructions and was causing herself harm.
"Eventually, Natalie consulted her GP, who confirmed there was no immediate medical danger and referred her to a facial specialist for removal, if necessary, for cosmetic reasons.
"I made every effort to ensure she felt supported and well-informed throughout her treatment process.
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"In fact, I went above and beyond to ensure her aftercare was taken care of.
"Despite this, it is clear that Natalie has acted in a way that attempts to intentionally ruin my business, rather than follow the professional advice and guidance I provided."