Woman left fighting for her life after 'getting filler injections from practitioner she found on Facebook': Man is arrested

A woman said she was left fighting for her life after getting filler injections from a practitioner she found on Facebook. Helena Collard, 59, from Cardiff, wanted to boost her appearance after weight loss left her feeling 'old and wrinkly'. She scrolled on Facebook and came across a practitioner in Newport, before booking a next-day appointment to have dermal fillers injected into her face. Having never had any cosmetic work done before, Mrs Collard failed to recognise the warning signs, such as there being no paperwork upon her arrival and no aftercare advice. Concerns began to grow a few days after the procedure - which took place at the practitioner's house - when the mother's face began to swell and she could no longer eat or drink without suffering severe pain. Mrs Collard was rushed to A&E, where she was diagnosed with facial cellulitis and a potentially life-threatening infection. Past the point of being able to dissolve the filler from her face, doctors were forced to cut into every part that was injected, leaving her with permanent scarring. The mother wants to share her story in the hopes that other women will think twice before considering facial fillers. Helena Collard, 59, is seen with a swollen face after being rushed to A&E with a potentially life-threatening infection earlier this year, having had dermal fillers from a practitioner she found on Facebook Mrs Collard in hospital, where she was forced to undergo emergency surgery to save her life'There was no paperwork, but I'd never had this done, so I didn't realise there are consultations that need to be in place. I do feel silly; at my age I should know better,' she told ITV's This Morning.'I remember saying to my daughter people go out after filler - how the hell can I go out? I couldn't even leave the house. The pain, the swelling got worse, I was struggling to eat and drink.'I ended up having emergency surgery. So rather than dissolving it [...] they cut every area that was injected because it was full of infection.' Gwent Police confirmed a 45-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault. He has been released on police bail.Skin health specialist Dr Amiee Vyas warned of the dangers of unregulated cosmetic procedures. 'While these treatments do enhance beauty, they are not beauty treatments, they are medical treatments, these are needles going in. You need to have an understanding of anatomy, and of cleanliness,' she said. It came as MPs this week warned women are being harmed by risky cosmetic procedures such as lip fillers and Brazilian butt lifts that face 'less regulation than a ballpoint pen'. A new report from the Commons Science and Technology Committee found that regulation has 'failed to keep pace' with the explosion in high-street cosmetic treatments.Women told MPs they had experienced chemical burns, scarring and infections after using cosmetic products or having procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts (BBL), Botox and lip fillers.The committee heard evidence that high-risk procedures such as Liquid BBLs and Liquid Boob Jobs (LBJs) are being carried out by people without proper training.Such procedures – in which large volumes of 'dermal filler' are injected under the skin – should be 'restricted to appropriately qualified medical professionals immediately', the report adds.Current regulation of cosmetic procedures and hair and beauty products is a 'mess', the report said, adding that consumers have 'no more protection and redress than someone buying a ballpoint pen or a toothbrush'.MPs also warned that cosmetic products designed for adults are 'increasingly being promoted and used by children' as parents unwittingly buy them products that can cause long-term harm.Children often see such products on social media and think they need to use them because 'societal pressure, especially on young girls, to alter their appearance is acute'.A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: 'We received reports of unsafe cosmetic procedures being carried out in Newport.'The reports were received on Thursday, October 28 and enquiries are ongoing.'A 45-year-old man from Newport has been arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault.'Do YOU have a story? Email katherine.lawton@dailymail.co.uk