Lip Implants: Stories

Hi Chelamia, Are you also 'Marcella?' Because I think I just emailed you a long email. I had the undereye fat transplants for a hefty $2500 in 2002 and yes, although not totally reabsorbed enough of it disappeared that I had undereye implant surgery performed in 2009 for $2200 by an excellent surgeon, Dr. Apostolakis, in Austin TX. Definitely go with the implants, if you can find a surgeon you trust. OR call Dr. Apostolakis--he'll talk to you personally--and consider the airfare to go to him for it. Air from Phila. to Austin is about $300.00 these days--not much compared to cost of surgeries.

Truecolors...I just e-mailed you and forgot to ask you about the fat transplants which I've heard is good but that it can be reabsorbed...Where did they take the fat and put it? I think I recall it is expensive (how much?) but if it lasted a few years, that is better than one year like Juvaderm and those types of fillers don't you think? Have you heard of artfill or silikon for filler type of use? Nothing is permanent but they are moreso than the other but also I've heard more risk involved. I need to research more. Two doctors here love it but majority warn against it.

By the way, the photo of me to the left, which shows only the center of my face? That photo of me was taken pre-undereye implants, although I had had some fat transplants done before the photo was taken. The fat transplants helped but they were enormously expensive and unfortunately my body began to reabsorb the transplanted fat over the next few years.

Hi Tomato Face, My lip implants and undereye implants were done by {edited} in Austin, TX (Bee Cave or Bee Caves Rd.). He was very good and very thorough. If you want to see photos of me, you can email me at shanept@verizon.net.

Edited by Sharon: We've added a link to your provider above the review. Thanks!

Let me check in the mirror. Yes, I can purse my lips just fine. I can kiss just fine. I had my lips done a mere 6 weeks before my son married into a very prominent family because they're pretty new, and that's the first time I'd heard about them. I was about to get a forehead lift when I saw the surgeon's 22 yo assistant who had had hers done. They looked so fantastic on her that I asked the doctor to do them on me too. And I'm just so glad I did! Yes, I was very worried that they might look fake or make my smile look funny--after all, my smile had always been one of my best features. Perhaps I was making a bad mistake. I had fears that everyone would stare at me and think, "She has lips like Octamom." But looking now at the dozens of photos that were taken of me on my son's wedding day, there's no doubt in my mind that my new lips made me more photographic. I feel so much more attractive! [and if I didn't look 'normal' then my 3 adult children would be quick to tell me so]. Yes, I can feel the worm-like shapes inside my lips when I squeeze them. The 'gummy worms' did slightly change the shape of my smile but in a positive way (and people don't seem to notice something that subtle anyway--I think they think it's just my makeup). By the way, my new lips aren't nearly as large as Octamom's, who I think looks ridiculous when she smiles. Bella, if you send me your email address I'll send you a couple of photos of me.

hi true colors, can you purse your lips with the implants? do they truly move in a normal way, such as kissing? what do they feel like?

Ada, Jlaur and others, What I can tell you that might explains some of this is that my surgeon showed me the pairs of inserts that he was planning to use ahead of time. They were skinny, flesh-colored, flexible things that looked like skinny rubber worms. I don't mean for that to sound negative because I love my new lips. What I'm saying to you is that they weren't temporary injections-- they were inserts, permanent inserts. I've had a facelift, too--I'm 60 years old--but what I especially love about the lip inserts is that, unlike the facelift, which basically just turns back the clock, the lip implants have actually changed my appearance for the better--kind of like a nose job might.

Hi Ada and JLaur, I'm trying to post my before and after photos but can't seem to do it through realself.com (I'm not very computer savvy). But if you email me at my personal email address, shanetracy.pt@gmail.com, I'll send you photos. I believe that my doctor used Gortex but I'm not positive. Anyway, my lips look good and I felt good about my appearance at my son's wedding.

True Colors- What kind of permanent Lip Aug did you do? I'ver had juve, but i smile alot and talk ALOT, and I don' t think it'll last very long. It's been a mo and I'm seeing it de puff substantially already. I went to another dr who was appalled about using silikon 1000, so that kind of scared me away. but I would like a long term solution to plump up my lips. I don't need to look like Angelina (or octomom...talk about SCARY!) , i just want plumper sexier lips. What kind of filler did you use? Where is your dr ?

Hey there! I'm really glad you are happy with your lip implants. I'm having resty done to see if I would look better with bigger lips, but if I do I would want to do something permanent. What substance did you use? (silikon, goretex, etc ?)