Voluma, Juvederm Ultra Plus and Botox For My Tired/ Mad Face. - Solana Beach, CA

I never, ever thought I would do anything to my face. Then came middle age. Gamechanger. I work in the corporate world, which can be very unforgiving to us women as we age. I was born with a tired/mad face that I inherited from many generations of women in my family, and it has gotten worse with volume loss. (Doc said people refer to this as "resting b*tch face" which is so very apt.) I was also cursed with a down-turned smile, which I had hoped could be corrected too. I have pale, ruddy and thin skin.

Almost had this done at a Medi-spa, but several signs along the way led me to realize that I needed to go to a true expert. Did my research and found Dr. Palm, which was a blessing. Watching her videos on YouTube and reading her reviews reassured me that she was the Doc for me. Her education and training are top notch.

I was really impressed with everyone at this office. They were all kind and professional. I was seen promptly, and was guided every step of the way. Doc carefully and patiently spoke with me before the procedure, and after studying my face and asking me about my concerns, we decided on Voluma, Juvederm Ultra Plus, and botox. (I had gone in knowing I likely wanted Voluma and Botox). Dr. Palm really took to heart my wishes not to do anything that would be too noticeable right out of the gate. I did not want to look like one of those "blowfish" faces. I would rather have no perceptible results than to have people know immediately that I had "work done". She was happy to accommodate my wishes and clearly hit the mark. She also noted lesser volume on one side of my face, and worked to incorporate a solution into my treatment.

I was given a topical numbing cream, and about 30 minutes later, the injections began. The fillers have more lidocaine in them as well. Doc kindly informed me of every step, and what to expect, which was very comforting. (I was anxious). Although you can definitely feel the needle pricks, it was completely do-able. Doc also started working on my down-turned smile. All in all, I think I was done in less than an hour. I went on to have dinner with a friend immediately following the procedure. My experience at this practice was nothing less than stellar. Every team member was awesome.

My face was sore/tender for the first 3 days, and I did have some bruising that popped up intermittently in different spots, but I tend to bleed and have a low platelet count, so this was not surprising. I had some mild swelling, not noticeable to anyone but me. I also felt like I was getting ready to come down with the flu for the next 2 days, but it did not impact my activities, just felt a little "iffy". I think this might have been a typical reaction to botox. I was not impacted in any other way, and did my regular activities all weekend. One day after the procedure, I could see a benefit, and felt happy with the results.

Doc recommended that we try Sculptra on the next round, and also recommended Ultherapy. I am booked for my next visit, and will start slow with the Sculptra first.

I really believe that you get what you pay for, and when it comes to your face (or any other part of your body) you should go to the expert, which in my case, was Dr. Melanie Palm. She is highly trained (and in fact is a trainer) and knows what she is doing. Save up and go to the expert. I highly recommend this practice to anyone.

I am happy to say that after 10 days post treatment, I am starting to feel better. It could have been anecdotal, and I could have actually been fighting the flu but I was just not feeling well. I do still have some bruises visible on my face, but I do bruise really easily, so I was not surprised by this. Stay tuned!

I am really happy with Dr. Palm's work. And they have been spot-on with all the guidance, and I am feeling great. The results were very subtle, just as I requested. I can see a difference in the overall quality of my skin, and my wrinkles are diminished, but the work does not look "obvious", I just look refreshed.

Yesterday I had my first Sculptra treatment. Although I was nervous, Dr. Palm and her team were once again awesome. I was really worried about coming out looking like a blowfish, and they reassured me multiple times that I would not. I thought 2 vials sounded like a lot, but as usual, they were spot on, and I came out looking great, but not "done". I also thought I might need a botox touchup, but Doc talked me down, stating I really did not need much more. She only gave me a tiny touch up. Although I really thought the Sculptra would somehow be much more difficult than the Voluma and Juvederm that I recieved on my first treatment, it actually was easier and went by very fast. I had much less tenderness this time around. I am only one day out, but I really feel good. I have 4 more days of the 5/5/5 massaging.

My skin looks smoother, and my wrinkles are much less pronounced. And so far, no one seems to have noticed that I had work done, which is great. I am also using the retinol recommended by Dr. Palm, and I really feel a difference.

Spend the money, go see an expert like Dr. Palm. Once again, I was really very happy that I found Dr. Palm and her team. They are phenomenal, and they have been on target every time.

I am still very happy with my Sculptra results, thanks to Dr. Palm and her great team. I feel comfortable about booking the next Sculptra appointment. The initial treatment plan was for 5 vials, and the first treatment consisted of 2, so I have 3 vials left. I am also still happy using the Kinerase Tretinoin, which appears to be aiding in the smoothing out of my skin.