Would YOU inject collagen from dead horses into your face to look younger? Betty does and insists it's better than Botox. But some doctors are worried - and animal lovers are outraged

Betty, a grandmother and retired nail technician from Hove, East Sussex, has a relatively unconventional magnificence secret

There may be little doubt in Betty Bo's thoughts that she seems a very good decade youthful since she had a course of recent magnificence remedies to plump out her hole cheeks and fill in her wrinkles. However when her buddies ask her how she managed to show again the clock final 12 months within the run-up to her 60th birthday, few are ready for the reply.

For Betty, a grandmother and retired nail technician from Hove, East Sussex, has a relatively unconventional magnificence secret. She's had collagen from lifeless horses injected into her face. Repugnant? Merciless? Pointless? All the above?

No matter your view, the corporate that has launched the remedy, referred to as Nithya, into greater than 85 salons round Britain, insists it's going to be the most important factor since Botox.

But on the similar time, isn't Nithya additionally disturbing proof of how a lot we're ready to show a blind eye to ethics in our more and more determined makes an attempt to carry again the years?

Betty, who underwent a course of injections over six months final 12 months at a price of £1,200, nonetheless claims to be 'an animal individual', saying she had no second ideas concerning the remedy as a result of the horses 'don't endure'.

'At my age, a girl all the time likes to look youthful. I don't fear about it as a result of I'd relatively have this than Botox [a purified protein made from lab-grown bacteria] as a result of that is pure.'

In fact, it relatively is dependent upon the way you outline 'pure'.

Nithya claims to work by stimulating the expansion of collagen — the constructing blocks or scaffolding that holds pores and skin collectively from the within.

Different collagen-stimulating merchandise in the marketplace use polylactic acid, constructed from crops, or spheres of calcium.

Betty Bo is pictured each earlier than and after present process the remedy, referred to as Nithya

Nevertheless, the entrepreneurs declare Nithya is best than man-made collagen boosters as a result of it comes from the tendons of horses which were killed for meat.

They declare it really works nicely as a result of horse collagen is closest in construction to the collagen in human tissues.

Injecting it 3mm to 4mm into the pores and skin, it's imagined to stimulate the cells within the connective tissue that produces collagen, and set off much more of it.

But, unpalatable because it sounds, Nithya just isn't the primary time animal collagen has been injected into people as an anti-ageing remedy.

Earlier than man-made alternate options had been launched 15 years in the past, beauty dermatologists used collagen taken from the hides of cattle.

Protein from pigs and cockerel combs have additionally been used.

However bovine collagen was discovered to set off reactions in three per cent of individuals and considerations had been additionally raised in 2005 by the chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson, who stated there was a threat that such merchandise might transmit blood-borne ailments, similar to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob illness, the human type of BSE.

When Nithya was launched in Britain final September by Surrey-based Vida Aesthetics, it was stated to be 'fully protected with no reported long-term unwanted effects'.

Nevertheless, Femail has found Nithya is a re-launch of one other product, referred to as Linerase, by the identical firm. Inside months of its launch, it was reformulated by the producers, who diminished the dosage of horse protein and renamed it after some sufferers reported allergic reactions, similar to swelling and ache.

Former nail technician Betty, 59, says she now seems 15 years youthful

GP and beauty physician Kathryn Taylor-Barnes, who runs the Actual You Clinic in Richmond, Surrey, stated: 'I began getting studies of swelling and soreness in sufferers whom I had injected with Linerase.

'The response lasted as much as three or 4 days when their faces had been considerably extra swollen and noticeable to different folks.

'It was not a full allergic response, however extra a hypersensitivity response to the truth that they've had numerous injections and probably that the equine substance is an irritant.

'Possibly that's one of many causes the producers diminished the focus.'

Even so, Dr Taylor-Barnes says the attraction of Nithya over different synthetically produced collagen stimulators is its price.

Injections begin at £250, in comparison with round £450 for man-made collagen stimulators, as a result of the primary ingredient is already current within the lifeless our bodies of the animals.

'You additionally get a a lot, a lot faster response with Nithya. Inside about two weeks you see the distinction,' says Dr Taylor-Barnes.

One of many girls who reported unwanted effects is Paula Pennington, a 51-year-old horticulturalist from Guildford, Surrey.

She stated she 'appeared like she'd been via a automotive windscreen' after Linerase remedies sparked an allergic-type response.

'Inside a few hours, all underneath my eyes swelled up. The corners of my mouth went like cement for 5 to 6 hours and there was swelling across the jowl space — concerning the measurement of 10p cash — and across the nook of my eyes, which lasted for 4 to 5 days,' says Paula.

'I additionally had lumps the dimensions of 5p cash on my brow for per week.'

To cut back the swelling, she took anti-histamine capsules, which did dampen down her physique's response to the remedy till it pale.

Betty, who underwent a course of injections over six months final 12 months at a price of £1,200, nonetheless claims to be 'an animal individual', saying she had no second ideas

Nevertheless, whether or not it restores a youthful plumpness to the face or not, the brutal reality is that the method of how the collagen is collected from animals just isn't a reasonably image.

Usually, collagen is eliminated for medical functions from the carcasses of lifeless animals after being handled in vats to loosen the collagen bonds.

The proteins are then extracted, sterilised and became a powder. To make it injectable once more, it's added to sterile water and an anaesthetic.

Eddy Emilio, director of Vida Aesthetics, which markets Nithya within the UK, defends using horses for magnificence remedies on the grounds that the collagen comes from the our bodies of animals which were slaughtered for meat in Italy.

'In Italy and France, horse meat is as well-liked as beef and pork within the UK,' he says. 'The tendons are a by-product that isn't wanted, which is purchased from the abattoirs.

'After they kill the animal, that a part of the animal will probably be thrown away. You possibly can't eat it. So (the producers) purchase it and work with that a part of the animal.'

He claims that as a result of the meat is for human consumption, there is no such thing as a threat of an infection because the animals are rigorously checked.

The product is CE accredited, which suggests it meets the necessities of EU laws for security.

Nevertheless, Mr Emilio additionally confirmed that the product is similar as Linerase — however says Nithya is a decrease dosage of 70 ml, as a substitute of 100 ml, as a result of 'lots of people had been placing an excessive amount of within the face. Folks had been swelling'.

The corporate that has launched the remedy, referred to as Nithya, into greater than 85 salons round Britain, insists it's going to be the most important factor since Botox (pictured)

But he insists it's protected as a result of it's been utilized in bandages to speed up wound therapeutic. 'It's been in Italy an extended, very long time and broadly utilized in sponges utilized to wounds.

'It was thought: "It labored so nicely, why don't we use it for the aesthetic market?" '

Even so, some medical doctors are voicing considerations about using animal-based merchandise in clinics.

Advisor plastic surgeon Gerard Lambe, of Spire Manchester Hospital, informed the Mail: 'There may be nothing superior about horse collagen. It's dangerous science.

'The one approach it really works is to make an offended and inflammatory response from the physique, as if to say "What's this?" and triggering scarring round it.

'It doesn't make sense. Saying injecting collagen promotes collagen is like saying injecting cement promotes manufacturing of cement.

'There's additionally an enormous threat of power irritation and rejection as a result of it's an animal protein within the human physique. Some folks is perhaps tremendous with it. Others will react severely.

'Why would you employ this when there's a variety of protected man-made supplies, which have a confirmed monitor report?'

Beauty physician Sarah Tonks performs lots of of collagen boosting remedies yearly at The Pretty Clinic in London's Chelsea. 'My perspective in the direction of Nithya may be in a short time summed up by the very fact I might by no means use it myself,' she says.

'I don't suppose it's a good suggestion to make use of merchandise which have animal origins on account of considerations over cross contamination and probably larger dangers of over-stimulating the immune system.

'This could trigger the next incidence of a response, similar to swelling. We have already got strategies that create supplies, which don't have any threat of cross species allergy or pathogen contamination.'

Dr Tonks additionally has 'moral issues' with the product.

'I don't like the concept of utilizing one thing from a horse,' she says.

'I'm guessing that various different folks wouldn't wish to both as there are such a lot of different merchandise out there in the marketplace that don't require an animal supply.'

Betty nonetheless claims to be 'an animal individual', saying she had no second ideas concerning the remedy as a result of the horses 'don't endure'

Dr Sweta Rai, of the British Affiliation of Dermatologists, additionally questioned the necessity to use lifeless horses.

'It's a really bizarre approach of attempting to stimulate collagen manufacturing when there are safer, extra accepted, extra studied, extra researched strategies of doing so. I wouldn't endorse it.

'It's a overseas substance and the human physique accepts human merchandise quite a bit simpler than non-human merchandise.'

Moreover, there are considerations concerning the welfare of horses despatched to such abattoirs.

Roly Owers, chief govt of the World Horse Welfare, informed the Mail: 'We've got critical considerations concerning the circumstances in some abattoirs.

'And we strongly oppose the lengthy, arduous journeys to which greater than 50,000 horses a 12 months are subjected earlier than reaching European slaughterhouses. We've got seen horses spend as much as 24 hours on the street at a time earlier than being unloaded to relaxation — usually with little meals or water.

'That is fully unacceptable and we're pushing for a name to considerably cut back most journey occasions to be able to put an finish to the torment that 1000's of horses are compelled to endure.

'We'd urge any accountable pharmaceutical firm to make sure they know the circumstances underneath which their product is sourced and make sure that animal welfare is upheld all through.'

Elisa Allen, director of PETA UK, additionally condemned the corporate bringing this product to the UK as merciless, including she feared it might finally improve demand for lifeless horse merchandise.

'No matter claims manufacturers could make, animals pay the next worth. Nobody ought to improve the demand for animal elements, a lot of which come from overseas and are obtained underneath hideously merciless circumstances,' she says.

Animal lovers have additionally acted angrily. When Nithya was launched, protester Morag Welsh posted a message on the Vida Aesthetics Fb web site saying: 'One other excuse to slaughter horses now in your face — poor animals.'

But Betty insists she has no qualms about utilizing the remedy to beautify herself, particularly as she claims folks now mistake her for the sister, not the mom, of her 30-year-old daughter.

'I didn't fear about it in any respect,' she says. 'I simply noticed this as one thing we've in our our bodies that we lose after we grow old and this was a approach of changing it.'

Vida Aesthetics insists its product is totally protected with no reported long-term unwanted effects.

What number of different girls are ready to inject elements of a lifeless horse into their face to show again the years stays to be seen.

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