Claim against Hampshire beauty clinic for inappropriate treatment of facial blood dot

Posted: 14/04/2014

The specialist cosmetic surgery claims team at Penningtons Manches LLP has recently been instructed to act for a client on a negligence claim against a registered nurse practising aesthetic medicine at a local clinic. The client noticed a red blood dot on her forehead and consulted her GP who advised her that treatment was not available on the NHS and suggested that she try a beauty clinic.

The client researched various clinics and came across one based locally which had a very impressive website. She attended the clinic at the end of 2013 and was seen by a nurse who was running the business. The nurse advised that she was confident she could treat the red blood dot so that it would disappear and that the procedure would be straightforward and simple. Our client agreed to go ahead with the treatment that same day. It is understood that Sclerovein, a substance used to treat varicose veins, was injected into the dot three or four times but failed to work. The following morning, our client woke up with facial swelling, a feeling of immense pressure behind her eyes and blurred vision. She attended Accident and Emergency where they told her that the Sclerovein treatment was the cause of the problems and it should never have been injected into the face. Unfortunately, the swelling and pressure-like feeling behind her eyes continued for some time. She continues to suffer from pain behind her left eye with associated headaches and swelling.

Elise Bevan, a senior associate in the clinical negligence team at Penningtons Manches who specialises in cosmetic treatment claims team, comments : “Our client was impressed with the beauty clinic's impressive and professional website and was reassured by the nurse’s confidence that she could treat the problem easily. However, the fact that this nurse injected Sclerovein into her face is evidence of a lack of experience.  Scelorvein injection in the face can cause pressure reversal in the arteries and irreversible visual disturbance (blindness), which fortunately did not happen in this case.

“It is a classic example of unregulated treatments being performed at beauty clinics. While the treatments may seem straightforward and simple, the consequences when it goes wrong can often be catastrophic.”

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