Juvederm Ultra Plus to Nl Folds/cheeks: Jury is Still Out! - Vancouver, BC

I just had two vials of juvederm ultra plus to my nl folds/cheeks. I had a local topical and the jv was mixed with lidocaine. There was no pain, seriously, and I was really scared about that... and no bruising at all so far. I followed the instructions of no asa/alcohol, and took bromelain pills for a few days beforehand. I was very nervous and had researched the pros and cons of this treatment ad naseum. So in terms of the procedure, it was no big deal for me.

Results? Yes? But they're very, very hard to place. They are subtle to put it mildly. I definitely wanted a more dramatic result, and feel I could have used another vials or two easily. I really considered getting more today because when I looked in the mirror after it was done I still saw my nl folds. I guess I don't want to get rid of them totally,,,but they were pretty deep. And this is literally an hour after the procedure, so I guess I can expect it to settle and dissipate even more. So...I honestly don't know what to say. The nl folds are vaguely improved, and the cheeeks are very slightly fuller. All I can say is I look a little less strained? I would like to get more though and get a better result, but this becomes expensive and I've no idea how long it will last...so I guess I'll wait a while and decide. I do not feel it in my skin much either like I'd expected-it's not hard..but perhaps that's because I'm still frozen? So, I cannot really say one way or the other right now whether it's worth it or not!

Update: so I'm a day out from my juvederm procedure. I do see a very vague difference. I see more of an improvement to my cheek area than the nl folds--one side is corrected quite welll, but the right side---the one that I sleep on unfortunately-- still has quite a deep crease. What I feel is these estimates of how much filler you will need are vastly underestimated... I could definitely have used at least another vial. And no, I'm not looking for radical improvements, but still something I can clearly see... right now I feel like I would like more filler, but price can quickly become an issue, especially when I don't know if it'll last. More filler at a better price would be a good business model because patient satisfaction would be much higher if people saw more dramatic improvements. As for brusing and swelling today? None. I literally expected a day or more of downtime after having this done. I have a couple of tiny pin prick marks that you'd need a magnifying glass to see... so I am incredibly surprised after reading all the horror stories on the Internet about this. I'm really pleased that it turned out so well in that respect.

I just got an email to update my review of juvederm, which I got over a year ago now. Was it worth it? How long did it last? These are sort of hard questions to answer. What I can tell you is that the first few weeks after the procedure, the juvederm did migrate a bit. The side of my face I sleep on, I remember over the x-mas holidays waking up after an incredibly long sleep-in with an unusual puffiness under the one eye. Enough that people noticed it without my pointing it out. It was moldable though, and I was able to massage it back down into place. I will restate that the improvements I saw with the two vials were indeed subtle, and I would have liked more. Having said that, I don't know if or when the "improvements" dissipated. I am feeling pretty good about how I look these days, and I don't look at myself and feel as old and drawn as I did even though I'm older now! Who knows if this is just a better frame of mind, lifestyle changes, or if the juvederm is still there. I couldn't tell you. At the time $750 for two vials was considered a "good deal." I've no idea what the pricing is like now, but in this economy, no way-I think that kind of a mark-up is a mistake, and the current market can't bear this. It would make much more business sense to offer this stuff at more attainable/sustainable prices. That way you'd have way more repeat business! For me personally, now that I'm watching my cash more carefully-that money is put to much better use in other way. But if I genuinely felt I wasn't being overcharged, and could afford it, I would probably not hesitate to have injectible fillers again. I would think that in 2011 there is probably something newer and better on the market that is more "crosslinked" and "viscous" for these larger areas of the face- more bang for the buck, please!