Very Kind, Knowledgeable, Informative Doctor...results Alright but Was Expecting More for the Cost. - San Francisco, CA
I went in mainly for cheek augmentation and to...
I went in mainly for cheek augmentation and to address the dark circles that have been forming under my eyes over the last year or so. I've always had small cheeks, so was looking for some fullness in the cheek area and diminished under eye circles. I received a Perlane / Restylane mix using the microcannula technique. First of all, the microcannula was great, and there was very little pain and much less bruising than I expected. Dr. M. made the injection process quite tolerable. We started with 1cc, during which time Dr M. expressed "a little filler was going a long way" on my face. After the first one, we talked about stopping there for now, although Dr M. did mention the option of using a second cc. to fill in my nasolabial folds. I quickly agreed and we went ahead and did the second one. I am happy with the nasolabial area, although I was really expecting a more noticeable improvement in my cheeks and under eyes (especially since we went ahead with 2cc's instead of 1.) It's been about 10 days since my procedure, and as soon as the swelling from the procedure went down, I see less change in my cheek and eye area than I had hoped. My cheeks appear a bit "lumpy", (which is fine...I guess that is normal for some time after perlane?) but under eye improvement is less dramatic than my expectations. Nonetheless, I do have my follow up coming up in about 10 days, so I look forward to Dr M's skilled input. I know a picture says a thousand words...I took some before pictures of my own, so I will take some after pictures and post them both.
miyamirain's provider
Replies (2)
If you are pretty disappointed I definitely agree with Megan and say you should speak up, That is an awful lot to pay for 2 syringes and not get the results you expected and on top of that, not stick to the fee arrangements that were understood from the beginning. I would insist that they fix the credit seeing as how it was their mistake. Don't let them take advantage of you just bc this is your first treatment ever (like carsalesmen do to 1st time buyers). They shouldn't be worried about trying to rope you back with "future credit" if they stand behind the work that they do so hopefully they will do the right thing and it won't be too much of a problem for you. Did you go to this dr through a referral? Cosmetic surgery is highly competitive and it's always a good idea to check out multiple drs especially if you are new to the field. You can have such great experiences if you make sure you go to a dr that is not only nice but skilled and truly caring and that you trust indefinitely (after all, your face is in their hands!!) to do the best thing for you physically and for your health.
Perlane is a thicker consistancy so if you are having lumpiness issues, maybe try just Restylane next time although I love Perlane in my lips, nose bridge and nasolabial areas. The under eye skin is so thin, I would start w a smoother consistency filler (Juvederm is known for its gel like smoothness) at first then work your way to the thicker stuff as your body gets used to it. I hope this helps, if you have any doubts or questions, don't hesitate to ask your doctor or sites like this one where you can get information that is strictly meant to be beneficial and not selling you things. Best wishes!
I wanted to post my before and after photos...I...
UPDATE:
I just spoke with someone at the office addressing my concerns, with both the results, and the consultation fee. She was incredibly kind and sounded genuinely concerned. She apologized about the fee mix up and immediately credited my bank account directly. She also asked me to send her my "after" photos and said she would show them to Dr M. and speak with him about my thoughts.
I feel confident after our conversation that their primary goal is to give me a result that I feel happy with...they sound very willing to figure out the best way to go about making this happen.
I will continue to update this review, and thank you very much for commenting. As a newbie, it's really nice to hear some more experienced points of view!
Replies (1)
I am so happy to hear how helpful they were when you called! That is excellent, and I'm glad you felt listened to!
Thanks for posting the photos. Unfortunately I don't see much change in your cheeks either, but I do have to say that the under eye area looks really good from what I can see. That is an area I've considered trying a filler in, but haven't been brave enough to do it yet, so I have looked at lots of under eye photos. Yours look nice & even, not over done at all, and I don't notice that weird bluish tint that a lot of people seem to get. You just look really well rested. :)
So I went back for my follow-up appointment 3...
I do have more fullness in the cheeks, but now, over the last few weeks, I have developed VISIBLE and painful LUMPS...one in each cheek, and a large one on the inside of my upper lip. I called the office and was told to massage the area, and that with some time and massage, the lumps should gradually go away.
Unfortunately, they have not gone away, or gotten any better (it seems, especially the ones in my cheeks have actually become more pronounced.) My second follow up was supposed to be yesterday, but I was not able to make my appointment because I wasn't able to make the 8 hr, 400 mile round-trip for personal reasons. (Yes, it’s a long way to go, but I live up in the mountains and I thought that traveling to the city to see a board certified physician with a good track record would be worth the trip!)
When it comes down to it, at this point I am very disappointed and wish I did not spend my hard earned money for this. I was told that if the massage didn’t work to dissolve the lumps, I would need to come back in to see Dr. M. again, and go from there. I’m torn, as I would prefer to just start over with another physician, but I can’t afford to pay someone else to fix this problem.
How disappointing!
Replies (1)
miyamirain, I'm sorry to hear about the lumps that have developed. :( I don't blame you for feeling frustrated by it. The distance you have described is an awful long way to travel. From what you have said, including them giving you product at cost, it sounds like they do have your best interest in mind. If you feel comfortable, might be best to stay with that office until this is resolved. If you aren't comfortable with that, perhaps you could explain to them the distance is just too much and ask if they have anyone closer to you they refer to.
That is a bit odd how they handled the credit. Did they give you the option of putting it back on your bank card or taking an in office credit?
Since you aren't thrilled with your result, and you have the credit thing going on maybe you could call the office & explain whats going on. Perhaps there is something they can do(??).
Either way, looking forward to seeing your pictures. :)