Lip lift performed by Dr. Rodriguez

Hi Shannon, thank you for responding. I also opted to have a consultation with Dr Rodriguez! He's driving distance from NY and he seems like an expert in lips! I know he will be completely honest with his profressional opinions towards your concerns. Hopefully an upper lip lift will work for you! Let me know how your consult went! I have mines on Thursday (virtual) and im so excited!
Was wondering If I should post pics or not ! So paranoid about anyone recognizing me! Will be waiting to hear from you! Best of luck

I drove from Long Island to have my procedure done with him today. I found him to be extremely honest and humble and he told me I was being way to critical of myself. From what I can see and I'm only 2 hours out of surgery he did a beautiful job

Thank you so much for your feedback! I've been following your review for a few weeks, I love the way you explain the details and your experience , so it's nice to hear your thoughts on my personal concern ! You look beautiful by the way; you're a huge inspiration! I work closely with only 3 people and I really would prefer if they had no idea that I had any thing cosmetically done. I know due the nature of my work I wouldn't be able to take a complete 10 consecutive business days off, but maybe more like 6 consecutive days. I kinda have a feeling based on what im reading that there will still be some swelling 5-6 days after the procedure. Did you happen to have any suggestions as to any medical procedures that would be mimic the look of a lip lift? Because I'm sure it's possible they may see a scar and some swelling, which is why I don't want to lie and say Im going on vacation :( also, how is it looking at yourself right after? I'm a little nervous about seeing myself with the scarring and swelling!
It's so reassuring to hear that no one really noticed what you did- it definitely takes some nervous energy off! Can't wait to hear back from you!

Going under IV sedation

I agree about being put under for this. I did.

Thank you so much for reaching out!

I don't know any one personally that had a lip lift so its nice to hear the feedback from you guys! Its reassuring to know that no one typically notices any thing was done - ultimately that's what im going for, a subtle enhancement! I am just a tad bit concerned about the swelling stages and how long ill be swollen for (which I know is impossible to foresee, and how long will it take before I look "acceptable" in public). I loveee your suggestions as to alternative procedures that mimick that of a lip lift. I plan on avoiding contact with anyone besides my sister and mom for atleast 3 weeks! Im hoping if I follow doc orders that I will have a speedy, fast recovery! How soon are you allowed to put make up on the scar? Also did your nostrils get or stay distorted?

Yes,

I do need anxiety worrying about the pain of the needles, then when they are about to inject me, then to be able to hear any noises from tools and voices - I just rather be knocked out and wake up when its all over! im way too into my head to be awake!

I don't need*

My surgeons prescribed a 6 day medrol steroid pack to help with swelling. It worked really good and helped a lot. My nose was swollen in the beginning to double size. It was not permanent. For myself the swelling that took a number of months to resolve was the center base of my nose (only I could notice). My procedure was a little different than your lip lift, so your swelling may be different or hopefully less. If you click my name in my review I posted one day post op picture if you look at my nose in that picture and compare it to other when I was healed more you can see how much swelling can affect the nose, but it was not permanent for me. Icing helps a lot and so does sleeping with your head raised above your heart. I just propped myself up on a couple of pillows. You will see swelling is a lot worse in the morning. I think I could wear makeup after the stiches were taken off but it was so long ago I do not remember. I would make sure your makeup is really clean. I bought a new foundation just for this. Good luck to you.

Wow! Your before and after pics are so inspiring! You look so beautiful! Thank you for your feed back! I did see your pic after the day of surgery and wow- that looks kinda intense. I hope I don't freak out when I see myself :( Did you take your steroid meds before and after the surgery? I also read asymmetry is everyone's most popular complaint - which I think is important to take a pretty accurate close up of your before nose simply because a lot of times its not entirely straight to begin with! So it helps to see that you're probably healing just fine! Also, did it affect your speech in any way? Did anyone ever ask you what that swelling was all about? Also, how long do you have to sleep upright? i really appreciate all of your feedback ! It means and helps so much! Your tips and advice are great!

Hi,

You will not have the amount of swelling I had because I had several procedures. I took the steroids after my surgery. I think a lot of these pictures look odd close up and like you said some people naturally have a little distortion in the nose. This surgery can cause slight nose distortion, so weight it out if it would be something you could live with. For myself slight nasal distortion was worth it for what I needed, but thankfully my nose went back to normal. I think the first day or so it affected some of my words. I also drooled a bit the first few days when I drank liquid and could not suck a straw the first week and also had numbness and tightness. Again, I was a lot more swollen than you will be. No one asked why I was swollen because I avoided close friends and family for a while. People did ask why I looked so good. One of my doctors asked if I lost weight. Both my hair stylist and my best friend both asked if I had Botox. So this is a surgery where you look better but I think people cannot seem to figure out why. When you are swollen I think people may think you had juvaderm recently. The only permanent difference I still notice is when I put on lipstick and move my lips back and fourth to tub it in. My lips feels a little different when I do this because it is shorter than it was before. I only slept on an extra pillow and not upright. Do not freak out if your nose doubles in size and if you have numbness and tight feeling at incision. This is temporary. The number one thing women worry about after this that I have seen on this site is nose swelling. It will happen and is just temporary.The nasal distortion to me that is worrisome is when the cill/nose base gets completely removed. This is due to stitching to much inside of the nose. I have not seen any reviews of your doctor where this happened. For those who did not have a curved or raised nasal base to begin with it does not seem to matter when the doctor stitches inside of the nose (JMO). Good luck on your surgery!

Thank you so much for reaching back out! You covered so many areas that I needed to be elaborated!
Every thing you say makes complete sense. I know swelling is something im going to have to deal with inevitably with this type of surgery! You're so lucky you got to avoid close family and friends for a little while! I'm already someone who doesn't have a huge circle of friends and I'm not entirely close with much of my family members so I shouldn't be too difficult I presume! I know I will look different(in a good way) - I actually mentioned to someone I work with (there's only 3) that I would be taking a few days off for "nasal/septum surgery" and of course he bought the bait. just thinking about if I look different/better will he then think I was lying about the type of surgery I was getting. Either way Im trying to put too much attention on people and their reactions and more focus on me and how happy and excited I should be to finally take care of a little physical insecurity that will make me feel so much more better about myself! I noticed my nostrils are not 100% even.. They tilt just a tad which Im happy I noticed now rather than drive myself crazy thinking I ended up with a permanently distorted nose/nostrils! Im hoping that I will recover fast once I follow doctors instructions and not let the opinion/reaction of others pre occupy my mind ! Again thank you so much for responding - it is very appreciated.
Will keep you guys posted! Thanks again!!

This is the same area when people have some nose surgeries, so I don't think anyone will know any better. You will have stitches on for 5-7 days under your nose that will be noticeable. I do think your lips look really good as they are and not a big space in between your nose and upper lip. I don't want to discourage anyone because it is their own personal choice, but there is a risk of scarring. I had a super long distance and I was in my mid forties so the risk was worth it to me. Again, I am not trying to discourage you, just want you to be aware that this will leave a scar and some turn out better than others. Best to you.

You are perfect candidate that your nose width is similar to mouth so he can pill up the entire width of your lip. I think this will look stunning on you, just wanted you to be aware of scar as you are very young.

'pull' not 'pill'

Hi sorry for not responding faster! Didn't realize I had an unanswered comment!

Thank you so much for saying that! I'm a little nervous and even though I don't like to put that energy out into the universe, I really can't help it! I Wish I could see how it would like before actually getting done! I am fairly dark so scarring is something Im quite skeptical about. Just the pressure of trying to pop a pimple leaves a darkish mark on my skin so I can only imagine a scar of this stature. I'm hoping once I follow doctors orders and use scarring cream that it will help. I kind of have a curve from my nose to upper lip so I'm hoping the scar will camouflage behind the "puffiness". Thank you again for your feedback! Looking over your pictures ! They look so beautiful!!!

Thank you so much! You already have lovely lips, what most women would aspire to have and as I mentioned judging by the width of you nose vs width of your lips you are a perfect candidate as he will be able to pull the entire width of your lip area, which looks more natural (IMO). It is normal to be nervous before a surgery. You are being put under so it will literally feel like you blinked and it is done. Scar cream and strong sunscreen will help. Make sure you have soft foods like oatmeal if you need it the first day or so. A trick my after care nurse (who has been helping lip lift patients for 15 years recover) told me about trick to iceing is to double zip lock bag crushed ice and cut off a leg on a pair of nylons and place the bag in it and tie around your head. I let the ice sit for a while in the nylon leg to make the nylon cold first. This is an easy way to keep that area iced so you not have to hold it there. If you need to be around people in a short recovery period icing 24/7 (as much as you can) will help control the swelling and give you a faster recovery.

Thank you again for such kind words! You look amazing, so I hold your opinion in high regards.

I've kind of always been "ok" with the shape of my lips and mouth which is why I've always wondered where my insecurity with my face stemmed from. I've always also received nice compliments from people on them as well - which Im always so grateful for. However , as time progressed i just noticed whenever my brain seems to register a woman or person as attractive they generally, not always, but mostly has a shorter distance from nose to upper lip.
My teeth also start fairly high under my lips which also makes me feel unattractive. I feel like for as full as my lips are , my teeth exposure is not dominant enough. In other words, the majority of my front teeth are under my lips. I've always admired "toothy" smiles and people who have a lot of teeth exposure when the speak.

At the beginning of me learning about lip lifts , I would say to my self, there's no way im going through surgery and deal with looking at a huge scar on my face for God knows how long- which brought me to the idea of maybe getting veneers to give me that more "toothy" look.
But as time went by, I noticed I have great teeth, so why would I invest so much money and time in an area Im not really lacking in? That just meant to me that my true desires couldn't be surpressed no longer and this is my path of least resistance!

Surgery is def nerve wrecking but this is my first cosmetic experience and I feel very confident in who I chose to perform It! Thats why I felt the need to be sleeping during the procedure because the thought of the pain of the numbing needs starts messing with my nerves!

I love that tip about the ice pack and will try to make one before hand to kind of test it out! How long did you have to ice for? Does the coldness hurt?!
Again thank you for your kind words and support! Best wishes always.

Great suggestion. I wish I had done this.

Perfect suggestion and tip! did not even think to ask about post treatments! will def remember to ask his patient consultant! thank you in advance!

I can tell you he will be sure to swab it. He doesn't want you infected. That more cost and work to him and worry;

I don’t remember this exact details but he did bring me to 1.0-1.1 in distance

Where were you before?

I am not too certain! I believe 1.3-1.5

Millimeters? What did you use on your scar? I’m a black woman and that’s my biggest concern. People asking where I got the scar and the scar raising

Yes millimeters! Use Mederma(with SPF for the day time) and Organic Rosehip Seed Oil which will soften scar. Also use a little concealer (MAC Studio Finish Concealer - which has some orange undertone to properly cover the dark scar) also over it !

I was just on your profile looking at your beautiful results! Thank you so much for your positive feedback! It's other women like you that give me so much courage!

Aww! Thank you! The first time around wasn't as great as the second, but Im happy now. I might even get my uppee permalip removed and do fillers or a fat graft. Fillers always looked weird before because it made my long lip longer. Plus the permalip feels unnatural all of the time! Good luck! So excited to see your results!

You're very welcome! Your journey was well worth it! I have so much respect for women like you who go after the things you want and even post them up to share to inspire others! I've had more clarity reading through reviews on here than actually speaking to any one!

I think a fat graft seems like the most ideal approach! It's natural from your body and it def will feel and look more natural! Considering you have had 2 lip lifts I think the most safest and natural approach to plumpen them a little would be the fat graft! Nonetheless, it looks so beautiful now! Thanks for much for the feedback! I'm nervous and excited!!! I def will keep you guys posted!!

Thank you so much!!! November 20th which is a little longer of wait than I anticipated - but they had an appt for November 4th, but I go to LA on the 13th so I didnt want to travel so shortly after the procedure! How about you!

He is worth waiting for. His upper lip lifts and corner lifts are beautiful. He really knows how much to remove without giving you that hiked up rabbit look. Plus he has so much great information on his website under lip lifts. I am so excited for you!

Thank you so much for the reassurance! It's so easy to over analyze these procedures and wondeif you're making the right choice along with the right doctor. After looking over so many pictures and reading so many reviews I instintively feel he's the right choice for me! Appreciate your kind words so much! Best wishes to you!

Mine is scheduled for Nov 5th :)

Awesome! Which doctor if I may ask?

Thanks so much! I instinctively feel like I am making the right choice! I am putting my faith in his hands! appreciate your great energy!

Thank you so much for your kind words! Will def keep you guys posted!