My Juvederm in Lips Experience - Dallas, TX

I'm 37 years old and after much consideration , I finally decided to get filler injected into my lips. I have not had any filler or Botox yet. I had a thin upper lip that looked very nice when smiling, but my lips were plain and unattractive when not smiling. I'd hate photos where someone caught me before I had a chance to smile! I'd envy the women who had beautiful plump lips while not making any face at all. I recently saw a girl in my hair salon who had amazing lips. They were full and nicely shaped, and tapered at the ends. I don't like like the thick ends that look like sausages. So I asked where she got hers done and she gave me the name of her nurse at a med spa. I immediately called and booked an appt! Cost of 1 syringe juvederm -$475.
Day 1 of my appointment, she applied numbing cream on my lips and gave me a magazine to read for 15 min. After the time passed, she came back in and handed me some air blower thing to point at myself to distract me from any pain I might feel in my lips. She was very gentle and took her time. She used some method where she kept changing out the needle because she said she liked making her injections very sharp. After she was done I almost passed out because my lips were swollen and looked duckish. I didn't want anyone to see me! She assured me they'd look fine in a couple of days. So I laid low and sure enough, by about Day 3 or 4 they went down and began to look normal. I was very happy with the size once the swelling went down but I was not happy that one side of my top lip was higher than the other. I was already asymmetrical to begin with but my lip was so thin before so it was barely noticeable. Now that I had a top lip, the unevenness was very noticeable. I decided to wait it out until my follow up appt incase it was due to swelling. At my follow up one week later , she went ahead and put just a little bit more in the lower side, less than a quarter. A squirt basically. And while it was swollen, it looked to be even but a week later, it was back to being lower than the other side again. She didn't want to out any more and she said the fixing assymetry was very difficult to do. So I left it and fixed it with lip liner for the time being. 4 weeks past my first injection, I decided to see a respected plastic surgeon in my area and inquire about fixing the uneven lip. It wasn't uneven when I smiled, only when my face was rested or when I spoke. It bothered me and I was self conscious about it. Anyway, during my consultation, the PS informed me that he could easily fix the top lip. That it was like dealing with 2 different lips and that the injection site of one side needed to be different than the other in order to even them out. He said I could remove it all and start all over, or he could simply add more. I opted to add more and he agreed that was the wisest choice. He said 1/2 syringe. It sounded like a lot to me but he assured me it wouldn't be too much. He's known for doing faces only and is quite conservative so I decided to trust him. Cost of 1/2 syringe at PS office- $275
Day 1 of injection with PS- He was so fast! Much faster then the nurse and his hand seemed so much more steady. He didn't switch out the needles and his massage technique was different. There was more blood than with the nurse. Immediately I could tell my lips were even. But they were quite swollen! Again, I laid low.
Day 2 and 3- They were still swollen and I looked quite duckish from the side. A little bit of bruising. Not too bad. They felt heavy and full and I was worried they were overfilled. Perhaps it was just bc my bottom lip wasn't touched and so it was more flat and settled compared to the freshly injected top lip. I was also worried the heaviness of the top lip was giving me laugh line wrinkles!
Day 4- Today. I woke up and they feel much lighter! Less swelling and not as heavy feeling. Still a little stiff when I smile. They are perfectly even and I love looking at them. The laugh lines are gone so i think it was due to swelling. I still do hope they go down a bit more over the next few days. My follow up is in 2 wks and if they still feel "full and heavy" then I may ask him to remove some. Based on everyone's reviews and my experience with that first injection 4 weeks ago, I have a feeling they'll soften up and I won't need to remove any- Hopefully!

Overall, happy with the experience. Next time, ill stick with the PS due to my assymmetry. The nurse at the med spa was very good and had I not started off with uneven lips, I would have been very happy with her. I've had no issues with bumps or lumps with either time. I did have a little "dent" above one side after my injection with the nurse that the PS seems to have fixed without me even asking. Also, they are more "pillowy" the second time around. I will update in a week or 2.

They are less stiff and easier to stretch and move around. They feel tender in the morning, but by late morning (10:30/11) they feel fine. I still think there is a bit of swelling above the border but it's nothing too obvious. I know they still need more time to soften and settle.
I feel very sexy without being over the top. I was so afraid to look like Lisa Rinna ,Tori Spelling , or that Donatella Versace. Also, my top lip isn't too big that my original smile is distorted. My smile is almost exactly the same. As the product softens, it becomes easier to smile and my top lip stretches and thins out as it should.
I took in photos of Ashley Green and Camilla Belle for lips that I liked. It's always good to take in a photo of the type of lip you'd like to achieve with the injections as there's all types of lip styles out there: pillowy, defined, heart shaped, rounded, pointed, etc. Hope my review helps those of you on the fence of getting lip filler. :)

I still love them! They have settled quite well and are very soft and palpable. They no longer feel tight when I smile, and they are just right. I can kind of feel the filler when I pinch my lip with my fingers but honestly they don't feel much different than real lips, just a tad bit firmer. I do hope they last at least 3 months.