Sofia Lips, a Manchester influencer once known for having Britain's 'biggest lips', has self-injected lip filler at home after being refused by several clinics. She ignored warnings from medical professionals about serious complications.
Ignoring professional advice
Sofia had dissolved her lip filler for the first time in ten years to embrace a natural look but has since changed her mind. She said: “I wanted the ultimate fake look again.” She approached several salons, but they refused to treat her because her lips were already 'too stretched and more filler would be dangerous.'
“I took their words with a pinch of salt – and decided to do it myself,” she said.
Self-administered procedure
Sofia paid £500 for a six-week online course covering Botox and filler injections for lips, cheeks, and chin. She then bought 20 1ml syringes of filler online for £488 from a Korean-based retailer.
She said: “I used all of them at once. I’m so happy with the outcome that I think I’m ready to start doing this on other people.” Despite struggling to drink and eat initially, she added: “I think I’ve done a better job than the supposed professionals.”
Health risks and wider trend
NHS England guidance warns that complications from dermal fillers can be serious, including infection, nerve damage, and blindness, and advises people to avoid practitioners who've only completed a short training course.
Sofia is not the first to self-inject recently. So-called 'looksmaxxers' have emerged online, with some using unknown substances like silicone ordered online. Doctors globally report adverse effects, with one calling the cases “disturbing”.
Sofia, who previously nearly died from botched plastic surgery, remains undeterred. She said: “I literally nearly died as it got so bad. There was green gunk all over my bandages from where I was leaking.” She aims to be “the ultimate fake bimbo doll” and says she won't stop until she's perfect.
