A woman from County Durham has been left with painful burns and potential scarring after wearing a budget adhesive bra purchased from the fast-fashion giant Shein.
Party Night Turns Painful
Victoria Heslop, a 50-year-old exams officer from Durham, bought the 'Waterdrops Invisible no-show nipple covers' for just £1.88 in May 2025. She intended to wear the stick-on product as a strapless bra under her dress for a friend's 60th birthday party in early September.
The party had an 80s theme and began in the afternoon. However, after a few hours of wearing the adhesive bra, Victoria began to feel an uncomfortable itching sensation on her chest. She was unable to remove the product until she returned home later that evening.
Severe Skin Reaction Discovered
Upon taking off the bra, Victoria was horrified to find her skin was red, inflamed, and covered in blisters where the adhesive had been. "It was really painful," she explained. The situation worsened over the following days, with the wounds becoming infected.
She visited her GP, who dressed the injuries and provided bandages for her to continue treatment at home. The healing process took a full two weeks, and Victoria remains concerned that she has been left with permanent scarring as a result of the incident.
Customer Seeks Answers from Retailer
Victoria, who describes herself as a regular Shein shopper with no prior issues, immediately contacted the company. She sent photographs of her injuries and lodged a formal complaint. While Shein issued a refund and stated they would investigate, Victoria claims communication has since stopped.
"I've had total silence from them, they're ignoring my emails," she said. Despite this experience, Victoria stated she would still buy clothing from Shein but would avoid any similar adhesive products in the future.
In a statement provided to the press, a Shein spokesperson said: "Earning and maintaining the trust of our customers is paramount... This is the first time we have received such a complaint about this product and we are taking it very seriously."
The company confirmed that, as a precautionary measure, the item had been immediately removed from sale on their website following the complaint. They added that they work with international testing agencies to ensure product safety and compliance with relevant regulations.
