A filler addict who spent £3,000 in two years on Botox is unrecognisable after having his natural look restored.
Chris Sharratt had his first lip treatment when he was just 17 after lying to beauticians about his age and quickly became addicted.
The 25-year-old suffered from self-esteem issues and wanted to “run away from his old self.”
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He had filler injected into his lips, jaw and cheeks every fortnight for two years.
Chris was forced to go cold turkey during lockdown and says that’s when he realised that he’d gone too far.
“I had my first filler at 17 and by 18 I was addicted,” Chris, from Cannock, Staffs, told Need To Know.
“Every couple of weeks, I would get it.
“I’d get 1ml to go on a night out or to a restaurant.
“I had neck filler, lip filler, jaw filler and Botox all over my face.
“Everyone said I went too far, but I ignored them because I hated my old self more than anything.
“People said I looked ugly and like an alien or Pete Burns, but I told myself that when I was a teenager anyway.
“I hated the way I looked all through my teenage years because I never looked like the other lads.
“I was excited about running away from the person I looked like for so long, and there’ll be so many people like me who have done the same.”
When the restrictions were lifted in 2021, he got the filler dissolved and hasn’t had any since.
Chris said: “During lockdown, the botox started to wear out and I looked at an old photo of myself and realised I didn’t look that bad.
“I wanted to go back to myself and treat myself a bit better.
“Everyone says I look better now. I wish people had told me I looked good when I was a teenager, and I would have been more confident.
“Filler doesn’t dissolve. It migrates around your face.
“You have to have it dissolved physically, or it’s quite dangerous, and I never knew that.”
Chris is now confidently flaunting his natural appearance and is sharing his story to raise awareness of how addictive filler can be.
He added, “I lied about my age, and because I had a beard, I got away with it.
“Nobody checked.
“I went to whoever was the cheapest and available.
“If one person said I had too much already, I’d go to the next one.
“It’s so unregulated in the UK, people are going over the top and running from their old selves instead of treating themselves a bit better.
“People are getting filler for their 18th birthday.
“Teenagers shouldn’t be worried about their looks; they’re deciding their careers.
“Health inspectors should be checking filler salons regularly, people should be getting the right information, and there should be ID checks.
“The minimum age should be 21.
“I can have a laugh at myself, but there will be people worried they’ll never be able to reverse the work they’ve had done.
“Insecurities stay with you for life, but I’m more confident than I was, and I’d never go to that extreme again.
“I love myself enough now.”
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