Juvederm: Stories

A friend knew how upset I was with the results of my Artefill experience and the doctor who did it, and the $1,200 wasted when it totally deflated within 12 days, and never improved over the coarse of 3 months...So I kept wondering what to try next.

I work at UTMB and asked Board Certified Plastic Surgeon there if they could do the tear trough area of my eyes and most seemed reluctant or said they decide on the visit. Regular Juvaderm would cost $118 office visit, and I thought I would need two 1 cc syringes @ $475 per syringe, totaling $950. The UTMB doctors said the $118 would apply to the $950 bringing the final cost to roughly $852, but they still were sure over the phone if the physicians did the tear trough area.

So, my R.N. friends were telling me about a new board certified plastic surgeon named, Todd Adams, and also said he owns a Spa located in the same medical center building called Oasis Salon & MediSpa. My friend said Juvaderm was having a special in November where if you buy Juvaderm and 20 units of botox together you get $200 off. I didn't want to wait till November my birthday is in a couple of days, Oct 27th and I wanted to do this Oct 25. I was anticipating a bruised & swollen experience much like what happened with Artefill and wanted to be certain to have a couple of days off before returning to work in 3 days. So I called Oasis Salon & MediSpa. The telephone conversation was very professional. They said they absolutely do inject the tear trough area, and have years of experience doing it. It would be done by an RN, not the doctor. I assumed I would need 2 full 1 cc syringes, so I asked them if they would match the UTMB price. They quoted me $475 for each Juvaderm Ultra 1 cc syringe, and said if I bought 2 I could get $100 taken off and that would match my UTMB price. 2 other friends of mine had gone their and had great experiences. So I trust this.

When I came in for Consultation. A very pretty blonde RN, Jennifer Hogue, (RN, BSN, MEP-C) came in and asked me to dEscribe what bothered me. I told her the tear trough from the nose to the center was my problem. I also told her the bad Artefill experience and she said that was odd because they use it all the time. I told her that I never saw the Artefill packaging when the previous doctor from the other place came in. So Jennifer went out and got both the Juvaderm Ultra bottle and the Botox and told me to always ask to look at the packaging expiration and look for a hologram that is on every authentic bottle of the real stuff. She said you should be sure of what you are getting. Then she carefully inspected my face and told me that she only operates on her comfort zone and her previous experience and she said her recommendation would be only one Juvaderm Ultra 1 cc syringe to be used on both eyes, not two. She said two would overfill them. I hesitated and told her I had great fear one would not be enough, and I did not want to leave disappointed before my birthday and again go home with the same sunken in tear troughs. Again she calmly told me that 1 syringe is going to fill them and to trust her that she has done eyes that were worse than mine with one. So I said I would try to trust that, but would be really upset if it doesn't work out.

I told her that I never tried Botox or the Dysport. She explained in detail what it does, how long it will take to go in effect, where she'd inject the 20 units. She did before photos making me smile and position my eyes different ways. Then applied topical lidocaine and let it take effect. Then used a marker to trace my deficit tear trough area for guidelines and felt for my orbital bone, then carefully & meticulously injected each eye stopping and checking each. Showing me each time and asking me my preference of where I wanted more. She carefully mashed the areas and told me do not touch them, do not massage them. Leave them exactly as she injected them. One syringe did fill it. She gave me the mirror and to my surprise there was no bruising except the tiny needle marks and very little swelling. So then she gave me ice and asked me to ice it. She then gave me the botox in only above and below the outer corners of my eyes and told me it would take about 3 days to see it go into effect and about 2 wks it will peak in relaxing the eyes.

She told me that GNC sells Arnica for $2.00, they sell it for $10 and have a cream for $20. I bought the cream just in case and am using it. It feels nice. I am barely patting it on. She told me do not exercise for a couple of days, because excessive activity can cause the product lymphatic system to move the product. So I said I'd take it easy on my days off. She was very informative and professional. She delivered what she promised.

They told me that they would go ahead and give me the November special. So they charged me $475 for the Juvaderm Ultra, $200 for the 20 Units of Botox, then gave me the Juvaderm sponsored discount of $200 making my whole cost $575.00. I left feeling pretty and satisfied. Even hours later. I have virtually no swelling. No bruising.

She said if there is any unevenness do not wait to call her. They could correct it. I was so happy with the experience I told her I might come back on the Nov. Special November 11-18th. And use the special of Juvaderm Ultra and 20 unit of Botox on a different area! I'll go back there. Service was great.

I hardly felt any pain. I am happy. These photos are actual photos taken immediately after the injection. I'll post more as I heal.

It's 24 hours after my 1cc syringe of Juvaderm Ultra where only have the syringe was used on each eye, and 20 units of Botox. I love the results. I have very minimal swelling, virtually no bruising, except tiny needle marks. It truly looks great. I am so pleased with the product and the service. The cost was exceptional. Everyone should know Juvaderm owns Botox too, and is offering all doctors offices a rebate if both are bought together. The rebate is $200 off in the month of November.
My total cost, including the Arnica cream was $575 and I look and feel great. See 24 hour later photo below.

I need to correct the total price. Regular Juvaderm is $475. Juvaderm Ultra is $575 per syringe. The Juvaderm Ultra and Botox duo came to $575. It's $575 for 1 cc of Juvaderm Ultra. 20 units of Botox is $200. Then the Juvaderm Corporation is giving a $200 discount, so it's like you get Botox for free.

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE BLUE "T IN TEXAS" TO READ MY ARTEFILL, CO2 LASER EYE RESURFACING, AND INVISALIGN STORIES.

I just went back to Oasis Salon to get more filler done. My eyes looked so great when Jennifer did the Juvederm, but I wanted to tweek them just a little more. When I went Jennifer was off that day, so a new RN named Heidi assisted me. I had the choice of re-doing some Juvaderm but I wanted to try Perlane under my eyes because it was thicker and I had felt my tear trough are was previously deep. Some Heidi had no argument about using Perlane. She was just as skilled as Jennifer. Each time she handed me the mirror and asked me to show her where I wanted more done. I got 1 cc of Perlane and inject 3/4 half on each tear through, then ask her to fill the left over into a dent on y cheek area. It filled my eyes beautifully, and my cheek. I am so happy. I had zero bruises, the most minimal swelling. The photo below is one hour after the Perlane was injected. I felt so great I went shopping immediately after the injection. The staff at Oasis Salon is G-R-E-A-T. I only did my tear trough and little dent in cheek. In December they are giving a magnificent special on Perlane, so I am coming back to do the commas around my mouth and I am going to get the Michelle Pfiffer lips look. Look at my two new photos below. Oasis Salon has everything!

OH MY GOD, I NEED A NEW KEYBOARD OR THE CATS HAVE TO STOP LAYING ON IT WHILE I'M TRYING TO TYPE. I CAN'T EVEN READ WHAT I WROTE ABOVE FOR ALL THE TYPE-O'S. HEY, REAL SELF...WE MUST HAVE EDITING OPTIONS. I WAS TRYING TO SAY THAT WHEN I WENT TO OASIS TO GET MY TEAR TROUGH AREA INJECTED I DID ASK FOR 2 SYRINGES OF JUVADERM, BUT JENNIFER FELT IT WAS WISE TO START WITH LESS THEN BUILD IF NEEDED. SO 3 WEEKS LATER I DID FEEL I NEEDED TO STILL TWEEK MY TEAR TROUGH AREA. THIS TIME I ASKED FOR PERLANE BECAUSE IT IS NOT ONLY THICKER THAN JUVADERM, IT COMES WITH MORE PRODUCT. PERLANE IS 1CC, JUVADERM IS 0.8 SYRINGES. BOTH ARE GREAT THOUGH. SO I DID NEED TWO SYRINGES. I FEEL GREAT ABOUT BOTH FILLERS. THE 1CC SYRINGE OF PERLANE RE-DID BOTH EYES, THE LOWER TEAR TROUGH ONLY, AND WE HAD SOME LEFT OVER TO PUT IN A TORN LIGAMENT IN MY CHEEK, SO I REALLY GO MY MONIES WORTH! AS YOU CAN SEE BOTH RN'S JENNIFER AND HEIDI DELIVERED EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL RESULTS. NO BRUISING AND MINIMAL SWELLING.

I just posted the 24hr post results of Perlane injected into the tear trough area. I have very minimal bruising. I wanted to show this because some bruising is expected. I wanted to add that I took the recommendations seriously to not use any ASAIDS asprin, Advil, Ibuprophen, Alieve, or such pain killers, no vitamin E, or herb listed as potential problem makers. I did buy the Arnica cream and applied it immediately, and I did buy the Arnica tablets. I did not even ice the eyes after wards and I am doing great.

Photo of Healing Homeopathic Meds below.