Um.. is It Really Only Supposed to Last UNDER 2 Weeks? (AND I Paid $1,500!) - Bryn Mawr, PA

So, I have naturally thin lips. They basically disappear when I smile. I have always wanted fuller, more attractive lips.

Also, one of my biggest problems with myself were my laugh lines! I am freshly 33 years old, exercise, don't smoke, etc... and I have horrible wrinkles. It's weird. Maybe it's just another "blessing" that comes with being fair-skinned. Ugh. Honestly, I had the laugh lines of a 45-50 year old. Especially noticeable after losing a bunch of weight (too much).

Anyway - I'd gotten botox for the abnormally DEEP forehead wrinkles I had, which made me look 15 years older than I am.. They gave me 60 units! BUT - they said the laugh lines can only be treated by dermal fillers - as paralyzing the muscles by the mouth would be dangerous. Yikes! But, they warned - the dermal fillers are much more expensive and painful... so I put it off for a while.

Eventually I got up the courage and I made an appointment with a plastic surgeon - I didn't want to go to a "spa" for this and I definitely wanted Lidocaine injections to numb me before the procedure.

The doctor came in to evaluate me and I mentioned how I would also like fuller lips, he said he could use the syringe of juvederm to do both! I was excited :) Until he told me the price: $750 per syringe!!! My lord... everyone else on here seems to have paid not much more than $500 - ANYWHERE. But, I was there, and I had my CareCredit card and my lack of financial responsibility, so I went for it. Guess what! He ended up "having to use 2 syringes" so it was $1500!! I almost cried...

Anyway - He gave me multiple injections of lidocaine in rather uncomfortable area inside the mouth - upward and downward. Fun! Then after I was numb, he began to inject. At the corners of my mouth I felt the sting and pain - he said this was because that area requires the numbing of different nerves. Whatever.. I basically just felt poking, prodding, a slight tugging... haha - gross, but I was numb (for the most part). They kept telling me how GREAT I looked as they were doing it... and he kept on wiping more and more blood away as he worked. Hmm.. I was a little freaked.

So, he ended up filling the areas where I have the laugh lines. Which is awesome, really. They are GONE. entirely!! Unfortunately, the left-hand side one was really deep, and my face is so thin that you can see a bit of a lump - but, I actually don't worry about it because it's only noticeable in vertical lighting which casts strong shadows (like that in Victoria's Secret dressing rooms!! SO unflattering). It did bruise too, at the bottom.

He also filled my lips which INSTANTLY became scary puffy - like it was some sort of joke! It looked like I'd had some terrible allergic reaction to something, or had gotten punched directly in the lips. They assured me they would go down within 2-3 days and there would be "very minimal bruising." He ended up using TWO syringes at $750 pp, so... um.. expensive.

Also, something which we didn't discuss beforehand, which I had never even considered - he filled those little raised areas that come down from your nose to your lips (I don't know what they're called). I was curious as to WHY - but, it ended up working out and helping make the lips themselves not look so trout-pouty.

So, I initially had only gone for Botox!! And I had already paid for 40 units ahead of time. For some reason, he tried like hell to talk me out of getting the Botox!! I don't get it... I'd already paid - I was doing it. So, while he was doing the Juvederm injections he gave me the Botox injections, he said, but they seemed to be placed so haphazardly and he was not being the least bit gentle (and I have a pretty high pain tolerance... I've had botox before, PLENTY of shots here and there and several tattoos!) but, he was really just JAMMING them in there. Yikes. It wasn't fun and I STILL have bruising on my forehead.

So, finally, after some fine-tuning, and him literally reaching inside my mouth with his fingers to MOLD them like clay, they finished. They both told me I looked FABULOUS, with smiles, and to QUOTE the doctor "and the best part is, this stuff lasts YEARS!" I questioned him.. I said excitedly, "REALLY??!" and he AND his NP both said "Yes, it will last years!!" Which I have found to be wayyyy inaccurate.

They also had me tiled back for the Botox injections... my other doctor said they must do it while you sit up and they ask me to not lie down for at least 4 hours. THIS doctor said that was a "myth." Hmm...

So, I was embarrassed to go out to the receptionist to pay!! I thought people were going to be like what in the world happened to her? Haha. I mean, it was really bad... and my lips were bloody!

Anyway - so, I paid my $1,500 *reluctantly* and left - with ZERO advice on aftercare even though I asked!! I put ice on them for the first day. It helped a lot! The bruising started to appear almost instantly!

OH - and I just called the practice where I had gotten the Botox done before and they said they could 'fix them' and they charge $475/syringe. I got SO ripped off.

I will tell you now, tylenol and ice are the key. They were tender once the feeling came back, but nothing intolerable. The ice really helped the swelling go down. As the day wore on the bruising increasingly got worse... until day 3 when it began to improve.

I've attached a bunch of photos to share with you all. I really hope someone can help me out with what the hell could have happened here! I did so much research on this Dr. before going to him - he had nothing but rave reviews! I am so baffled as to how my lips could be put through such hell, at such an inordinate cost - only to return to EXACTLY the way they were BEFORE I got the procedure done. (so sorry this is so long, I just wanted to be sure I shared my full experience for those who are looking into getting this done PLUS hoping someone can help explain to me why it lasted less than 2 weeks and if there's anything I can do about it??) THANK YOU!! :)