Latest news with #KaylieBailey
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Warning over spate of deadly fake Botox injections in UK region - as 36 year-old left fighting for her life
A mother-of-three was left seriously ill in hospital after a receiving a knock-off and illegal ' Botox ' treatment from an aesthetic beautician. Kaylie Bailey, 36, from Peterlee, in County Durham, paid £75 for three 'Botox' injections from Gemma Gray—which was half of what it cost on a previous visit. 'Botox' is the most recognised brand of the substance botulinum toxin which is typically used to paralyse facial muscles with the aim of reducing wrinkles. Within days of receiving the bargain treatment, she suddenly began to struggle to see, reported the BBC. Initially doctors at Sunderland Royal Hospital, diagnosed her with the eye condition ptosis—which is when the upper eyelid droops—and told her to rest before sending her home. According to the Hospital Trust, medics told her it was likely related to the beauty treatment she'd had, and advised to see a GP if her symptoms worsened. But in the subsequent days her condition deteriorated, so she was rushed back to hospital where she was told she had botulism. This is a paralysis-triggering bacterial infection that can cause muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death. The mother is one of now 28 other people diagnosed with toxic poisoning after getting anti-wrinkle injections in North East England, according to the BBC. Due to her serious condition, she spent three days on the Intensive Care Unit and was treated with an anti-toxin. At one point the young mother stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated by medics. 'I remember lying on the bed thinking "I'm dying here, and I don't want to",' she said through tears, while telling her experience to the BBC. This has risen from 14 reports of severe eyelid drooping, double vision, trouble swallowing, slurred speech and lethargy, earlier this month. While still under investigation by the UK Health Security Agency, the reactions are believed to be linked to botulism after aesthetic treatments. In the hospital trust's response to the BBC, they added that botulinum toxicity is an incredibly rare condition 'not seen by the majority of doctors during their careers'. Since being released from hospital Ms Bailey has had to wear an eye patch, which is a constant reminder of the traumatic ordeal. After returning home, she contacted the beautician who administered the 'Botox' Mrs Gray who she said told her it was a 'nationwide problem with the product'. Mrs Gray, formerly known as Gemma Brown, runs her business Belissimo Aesthetics, from her home near Bishop Auckland and at a salon in Blackhall—and advertises it as being 'fully trained and insured'. But it is important to note that this is not linked to any other businesses of the same name. The BBC reported that she administered an illegal type of botulinum toxin, called Toxpia, to a number of patients. This product from South Korea, is not licensed for use in the UK and it is an offence to sell or supply it, according to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. But Mrs Gray told clients it was a 'new type of Botox' and charged between £75 and £1000 for three areas of treatment. It is also understood by the BBC that she sold the Topxia to another aesthetic practitioner who administered it to clients who went on to fall ill. The mother said: 'When I went in (for the anti-wrinkle jab appointment), I felt like she was rushing that much it stung, my eyes were watering that much off it. 'I cannot believe she's even dared to do that to people. She didn't even know what was in it and we're having to live with what she's done to us. I nearly died because of it.' She isn't the only person who had a severe reaction after having a treatment by the beautician. Paula Harrison, 54, also had a reaction after visiting Mrs Gray at a salon in Blackhall, Co Durham in late May, reported the BBC. The 54-year-old had previously been to the beautician for a lip-filler procedure, so went back for what she thought was Botox and under-eye filler. Then after a few days, mother-of-three also became unwell—she told the BBC her throat was closing up and she was unable to eat. So, she went to Sunderland Hospital where she had to stay for four days to receive an anti-toxin treatment. Mrs Gray told Mrs Harrison that it was a 'new treatment on trial' and that she was devastated, the BBC reported. '(Mrs Gray) is playing with people's lives. Luckily, I'm alright, but I could have been dead,' said Mrs Harrison. The BBC reached out to Mrs Gray to provide her with a chance to reply to the allegations, but she declined to comment. However, she has told clients that she is sorry for what happened and described feeling bad that they became ill.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
County Durham women fall ill as fake Botox beautician apologises
An aesthetic beautician left one woman fighting for her life and several others seriously ill in hospital after injecting them with Toxpia, an illegal Botox-type anti-wrinkle treatment. As the BBC names the woman behind the jabs, two of her victims share their stories. The patch over Kaylie Bailey's left eye is a daily reminder of when her beauty treatment nearly killed 36-year-old mum-of-three from Peterlee, County Durham, had paid Gemma Gray £75 for three "Botox" injections, half of what it had cost on a previous visit - the bargain turned out to be too good to be days, Ms Bailey was struggling to at Sunderland Royal Hospital were initially baffled and diagnosed her with ptosis, an eye condition characterised by the drooping of the upper eyelid, and told her to go home to rest. The hospital trust said that when Ms Bailey was discharged she had been advised to visit her GP if her condition worsened, and it had been explained to her that her symptoms were probably related to the treatment she had added that botulinum toxicity was a very rare condition "not seen by the majority of doctors during their careers". But when her condition deteriorated over the following days, Ms Bailey rushed back to hospital where this time she was told she had botulism, a rare but life-threatening condition caused by a that point, she was one of 28 people to have been diagnosed with the toxic poisoning in north-east England after having anti-wrinkle Bailey stopped breathing and required resuscitation. She spent three days on the Intensive Care Unit and was treated with an anti-toxin."I remember lying on the bed thinking 'I'm dying here and I don't want to'," Ms Bailey says, crying as she recalls her experience. Upon her release, and being required now to wear an eye patch until her eye heals, she contacted Mrs Gray and was told by her it was a "nationwide problem with the product". "When I went in [to her appointment for the anti-wrinkle jabs], I felt like she was rushing that much it stung, my eyes were watering that much off it," Ms Bailey says."I cannot believe she's even dared to do that to people. "She didn't even know what was in it and we're having to live with what she's done to us. "I've nearly died because of it." Paula Harrison suffered a similar fate when she visited Mrs Gray at a salon in Blackhall, Co Durham, in late 54-year-old mother-of-two had previously been to the practitioner for a lip-filler procedure but this time decided to have what she thought was Botox and under-eye a few days, she too became unwell and also went to Sunderland Royal Hospital where she was admitted and spent four days, receiving an anti-toxin as part of her treatment. The BBC has previously reported how hospitals in the region ran out of their own stocks of the anti-toxin and needed to source it from hospitals across the country because of the unusually high number of patients who were presenting with symptoms of botulism. Mrs Harrison said her throat was closing up and she was unable to eat. "[Mrs Gray is] playing with people's lives," Mrs Harrison says. "Luckily, I'm all right, but I could have been dead." Mrs Gray, formerly known as Gemma Brown, operates her business Belissimo Aesthetics, which is not linked to any other business of the same name, from her home near Bishop Auckland and at a salon in administered an illegal type of botulinum toxin, the ingredient used in legal Botox-type products, to a number of are seven such products licensed for use in the UK, including the brand Botox which is the most commonly known. Mrs Gray used Toxpia, a product from South Korea which the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says is not licensed for use in the UK and which is an offence to sell or told clients it was a "new type of Botox" and charged between £75 and £100 for three areas of treatment. The BBC tried to contact her to ask her about her involvement but she said she was not interested in speaking. The BBC is naming Mrs Gray after speaking to a number of her clients. It is understood another aesthetic practitioner, who is a business associate of Mrs Gray's, bought the Toxpia from her and administered it to her own clients, many of whom also became ill. 'Consider the health impacts' Mrs Gray has told clients how sorry she is for what happened and described how bad she feels that they became ill. She told Mrs Harrison that it was a "new treatment on trial" and that she was also indicated it was a "nationwide" problem with the product and said people everywhere had become ill after using it. The BBC has seen no evidence to support this claim. Mrs Gray advertised her business as being "fully trained and insured". An investigation, led by the UK Health Security Agency, is ongoing. The agency has issued guidance to anyone who wishes to have this type of treatment, advising them to research their practitioner and make sure the product they are given is a legal medicine and licensed for use in the UK. The Department of Health and Social Care said people's lives were being put at risk by "inadequately trained operators in the cosmetic sector" and the government was looking into new regulations."We urge anyone considering cosmetic procedures to consider the possible health impacts and find a reputable, insured and qualified practitioner," a spokesperson said. 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