My Lips are Filled

It's 2 days before Valentine's Day and also my birthday. I thought, what better way to celebrate another year of getting older than...botox and lip fillers. When they said beauty is pain, they weren't kidding. Today I had the ultimate experience. Being in the beauty industry, I see a variety of ever-changing trends, one of which we have Kyle Jenner and her voluminous lips to thank for. As a makeup artist, naturally I've tried numerous lip plumping products and made attempts to draw/create the illusion of fuller lips. Always falling short and never satisfied with the results, I decided to take the plunge and go Kyle Jenner myself. I scheduled a meeting with dermatologist Dr. Antonovich at MUSC Physicians (in the Charleston area) to discuss my options. I was reassured that fillers today have come a long way and are much safer than you might have once heard. Collagen, which was once the go-to filler, is now less commonly administered. Today's options are much safer and longer lasting, offering up to 6 months of noticeable effect. There are several fillers on the market but the 2 recommended during my visit were Restylane (Restylane-L, Restylane Silk) and Juvederm (Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus). A local anesthetic was placed on my lips prior to the procedure. Feeling pretty numb and somewhat swollen before my procedure even began made my heart race in anticipation. There are 2 ways to insert the filler, the first with a needle and the second with a micro-cannula (much like a very tiny catheter). The difference being that using the cannula reduces the risk of bruising. I opted for both. In my experience I found it more painful to use the cannula, however the bruising was a significantly reduced. The biggest concern that women I work with typically express is their fear of how painful the procedure is going to be. Believe me when I say it wasn't completely painless, but with the needle, the best way I can describe it is a sensation of tiny pinches to your lip. The cannula is a whole different story. I had a total of 4 botox injections placed on the outside rim of my upper lip to help maintain the mobility of the filler and make it last longer. Keep in mind that filler does move...so you are essentially shaping and/or reshaping your lip, which is simply mind blowing to me. The botox helps with this.​I expect your next question is likely...how much is this going to run me? The cost for a lip augmentation can range from $500-$600 depending on your specialist of choice. If you decide to take the plunge, keep in mind that you won't want to be debuting your pretty puffed lips for a couple of days. Expect to be swollen and bruised for at least 2-3 days before you can go out and show off your pout. My overall experience was worth every penny and semi-painful second of the procedure. I achieved the exact look I had been gunning for and won't have to worry about my lips for at least the next 6 months!