Introduction to Cosmetic Addiction
True trust comes from the inside, not from a syringe. At the age of 25, Christopher Sharratt from Staffordshire, Great Britain, opens up about his journey through the world of extreme cosmetic processes and his life-changing decision to undo everything. In a series of shocking before and after photos, Sharratt shared how years of lip and facial fillers have led to exaggerated features and facial swelling before deciding to reverse the effects and regain his natural appearance.
The Beginning of Addiction
Sharratt initially underwent his first filler injections at the age of 17, estimating that he spent around £3,500 (about $4,400) for cosmetic improvements. It all started after lying about his age to get the treatments, and what began as a small step quickly turned into a full-blown addiction to injectable fillers. The amount of money he spent is equivalent to half a house deposit, which is a staggering realization.
The Cycle of Addiction
The true kicker was the immediate satisfaction he received from the swelling that followed each injection. “You have a millimeter and your lips swell or wherever you have it on your face. And you are like, oh my god, this swelling looks so good. And a week later the swelling goes down and you are like, oh crap, I have to go and get another one,” he confessed. Dr. Cali Estes, a psychologist and research expert, explained that fillers cannot make people chemically addicted, but they can become mentally addicted. Every injection gives an immediate boost of confidence, and the brain begins to crave that dopamine hit again, much like checking likes on social media.
Aesthetic Blindness
For Sharratt, the cycle was too familiar, which prompted him to lose sight of how much he had changed his appearance. Dr. Estes calls this phenomenon "aesthetic blindness," in which people who use fillers stop noticing the changes while accumulating. The brain calibrates so quickly that what once looked dramatic now feels normal. They stop seeing the improvements and keep hunting for more and more.
The Turning Point
The turning point came during the COVID-19 lockdown when Sharratt could not access filling treatments. When he looked at photos of the past, he had a revelation: "I didn’t actually look that bad. I should have been a little more beautiful for me." Sharratt’s decision to reverse years of facial modifications was not easy. It took four rounds of dissolver injections, which were painful and time-consuming, to remove the filler.
The Reversal Process
Sharratt had four rounds of dissolvers because he had so much filler in his lip. "I had to start pulling my lips out and putting it in my back because it was not to be filled anywhere else," he said. "It took four whole rounds to get rid of it." The process was not only physically exhausting but also emotionally exhausting. Sharratt now hopes that sharing his story will raise awareness of the risks of cosmetic interventions and inspire a proportion of stricter regulations.
Lack of Regulation
One of the greatest concerns for Sharratt is the lack of supervision in Great Britain, where fillers are often administered in salons without medical supervision. "There must be so much more regulation," he said. "No 17-year-old should get fillers. Nobody." In the United States, skin fillers are regulated by the FDA, which has set age restrictions and guidelines for their use. In general, fillers are only approved for adults, and licensed medical specialists, including doctors and nurses, are the only ones who administer these injections in most states.
Long-Term Risks
Unfortunately, Sharratt said that patients are rarely informed about the long-term risks with fillers. "Nobody tells you that it does not completely dissolve … it moves your face," he noted. "It is not said that if you rush your lips, parts of your face can remain stretched." Dr. Estes emphasized the medical risks of fillers, which can include complications such as blindness. She also pointed out the risk of people with body dysmorphia or addiction tendencies and demanded that there be more psychological screening and ethical limits to protect people in need of protection.
A New Beginning
Now that he is free of fillers, Sharratt says he feels more confident and more approachable than ever before. "Now more people come to me than ever before," he said. "People wouldn’t come up and say hello." He hopes that his story will serve as a warning and will trigger a broader conversation about the dangers of cosmetic interventions. "Hopefully I can be one of the few people who set up their hand, I have made a mistake and we have to do something about it," he said. In a world where the pressure to look "perfect" is omnipresent, Sharratt’s story offers a reminder that sometimes less is more.
