A Hard Lesson Learned

I went to Dr. Carney for lip fillers. Dr. Carney did not ask my opinion, which should have been an immediate red flag. Sadly, I assumed he was experienced and saw each client as individual and worked to create the best for each individual. Before the procedure I had explained to Dr. Carney I was very susceptible to bruising and he explained that usually there is little to no bruising to be expected. All in all Dr. Carney never really spoke to me. He was brief in his answers and provided little to no education or insight. I had tried to explain I would like both my lips fuller, noticeably fuller, but appropriate for my facial features. He stated that a fuller lower lip is always better, I explained again this was not my personal desire. After the injections were placed, the filler is then manipulated in the lips for proper placement. During this manipulation of the filler, Dr. Carney was extremely aggressive in how he moved around and smoothed the filler. It was so painful I had to ask him to stop and I have an extremely high pain tolerance. As he manipulated and moved around the filler it felt as if he was making my top lip flat. I was so confused. After the producer I was given ice and a mirror. My top lip and all the surrounding area particularly on was side was was immediately beginning to bruise and I hadn’t been wrong, my lip appeared flat and my lower lip ever so slightly bigger. I was now in pain, and upset because he had done exactly the opposite of what I requested, but what he determined was correct. He explained to me that my top lip would gain some fullness with time and scheduled me for my follow up. The next day the bruising was awful and yes, some of it due to how easily I bruise, but largely in part to his brutal manipulation of my lip. So now I had horribly bruising and very little difference in my lips. At my 2 week follow up I was still bruised and tried to explain to Dr. Carney how badly I had bruised and he did not believe me until I showed him pictures. Also, I explained my frustration at the flatness of my top lip (it resembled a ducks bill) and he explained that’s why there is a follow up. Dr. Carney chose a different product and then did the manipulation, however, I refused to let him hurt me. As I was leaving the practice then charged me a second fee, same as the first, never having even alluded to the fact that the ‘follow up’ appointment wasn’t included in the cost. So I left with horrible results and a physically injured flat top lip. It was only as I was leaving that I realized my lips resembled all of his office staff (females) and understood that he had given me the lips he thought was appropriate and what he does on all his clients. Nearly $2000 later, I had nothing but an awful and painful experience. I did gain insight however, I will never let a Doctor take advantage of me like that again, I will not be afraid to speak up myself ever again. After watching several videos in lip fillers for lip enhancement, I now know his aggressive approach is very wrong. Not a single video I reviewed showed such a brutal aggressive manipulation post filler injection. I should have stopped Dr. Carney when he was causing me so much pain. Please please do your research and find an experienced Doctor and avoid the horrible horrible experience I had. Please, if you chose this man for lip filler, just look at his female staff and you will see what your results will look like regardless of your desires.