My First Facial Filler Experience!
Entering the world of Facial Filler can be scary. You feel like you are going from elementary school to a college graduate program in one giant leap and to be honest, you feel like your never truly ready for the jump.
I have never had a top lip and envied the volumptuous lips of my husband’s family, secretly hoping our future children inherit the type of lips people pay for. Going from facials to Botox was great. It was easy, I had no side effects and it worked exactly how Iris had said it was going to. Eric didn’t even notice when I did it the first time, which was such a bonus! Facial Fillers on the other hand are a different animal and I knew I was joining the big girls club.
How it Happened
I had been talking to Iris about lip filler since I had done Botox (since 2012, OK, yes I am a procrastinating chicken) and she nicely agreed with me that I needed it. I booked the appointment and then found a reason to “postpone” the appointment four times (no joke, I did it four times). Then finally one afternoon Iris came in my room and said “come on, no excuses, were doing your lips right now!” OMG. OMG in a good way. OMG in a scared, I’m so totally ready but not ready for this at all. OMG because I’m so glad I found someone I trust in the way I trust Iris and I am so ready to wear a lipstick and have it show!
First Step
I had assisted the procedure before so I knew what to expect but Iris did her usual shpeal to go over all the do’s, dont’s and what I would see over the next 2 weeks. She cleaned my lip with an alcohol swab and then started applying the numbing cream. We started chatting about my upcoming trip for my grandma’s 85th birthday to take my mind off the impending experience and after a few minutes I felt weird. I had never had topical numbing but luckily I’ve had experience at my father in law’s dentist practice to know I was ultra sensitive and one of the lucky patient’s who can’t feel a thing once the numbing kicks in. I was talking but couldn’t feel my mouth moving, and it almost felt like my lips were already bigger (which was obviously not the case but that’s the way it felt). Then I was drooling. I think the drooling was the sign that I was ready, so Iris had me look at my shriveled pout one last time after she removed the numbing cream before we got started.
Injection Time
Iris had everything neatly placed on the counter for my facial filler before the numbing and secretly kept the Juvederm syringe in the box. It’s really a nice touch for a newbie like me since the needle and syringe just staring at you for 10 minutes can be daunting. She took the syringe out of the box and said to me, “OK, lean back with your head against the chair and close your eyes.” I felt like it was a dream. This is it!! No turning back now, I will never be lip-less again!! I closed my eyes. She squeezed my bottom lip and I felt nothing. NOTHING!! Now I know I’m sensitive and some people feel a slight poke, like a diabetic needle poking your finger, but I got nothin’. She squeezed my top lip a couple times and then told me to open my mouth. I’m not going to lie, it was kinda weird when she had her hand all up in my mouth massaging my lips, but I had been in weirder circumstances with her, so I just let her do her thing. Not only is the placement imperative for a natural look, but Iris massaging my lips also ensured no lumpies bumpies. I pictured her at FSU’s Commons sculpting in a clay class, but the clay was my lips. Nonetheless she was practicing her artistic craft. She put a little arnica cream on both the top and bottom lip to help with bruising since she knows I’m like a ripe peach and told me to open my eyes.
First Look
With the mirror being held in front of me, I opened my eyes and couldn’t believe it. O.M.G. IT LOOKED AMAZING! It was noticeably bigger, but still… natural. She told me to not really look at them for 24 hours because some of the volume I was seeing was swelling. WHAT? OK, impossible. I just got my lips filled, of coarse I plan on starting at myself for the next 3 days! I got in the car to drive home and realized I was like a male model that couldn’t control the urge of self assessment every 5 minutes. The side mirrors, the rear-view mirror, the sun visor mirror. Oh, and don’t forget my purse pocket mirror. Hmm, I didn’t realize I had so many mirrors in my car. At the stoplights, I had to check them again, just to make sure it was real. Yup, it was real!!
Aftermath
That night was interesting. I had a hard time drinking from any container. A straw was hard to purse my lips around and when I tried a water bottle I almost had to just pour the water in my mouth. Eating was normal but a little sensitive when my clumsy self poked my lip with a fork. I saw a small bruise right before bed, probably the size of a pencil eraser on a spot, and knew that was normal so I didn’t text Iris in a flurry. I slathered on some coconut oil and Vaseline on my new lips since it felt like I had been skiing for a week and then went to bed. I woke up the next morning and rushed to the bathroom mirror. They looked amazing! The swelling had gone down significantly and there was no other bruises I could see. Iris had surprised me with the appointment on a Saturday so I went about the weekend like normal but thinking everyone was admiring my new lips. I did go out and splurge on a gorg blue/pink lipstick that I knew I could never rock before the facial filler, and come Tuesday morning, I wore that baby prouder than a new mom carrying her infant!
The bruise went away in about 3-4 days but was easily covered with my makeup. Other than the dryness I had for a week, that was it! I got use to the size in that first week and felt like I had now become the Russian model I could always be!!
If you are thinking about Facial filler (or injections in general), do yourself a favor and schedule a consultation. If you are confident and comfortable with your injector, you will be happy with their craft. Ask for pictures of their work, look at reviews of their practice, and make sure they love what they do. I would never have me, my family or friends go to anyone other than Iris, because I know she is amazing and loves what she does.
We offer free consultations Tuesday through Saturday. Call us at (321) 821-4778 or visit our website to schedule your free customized consult. We can’t wait to see you and show you all the possibilities to achieve your aesthetic goals!
Till next time Melbourne!
Love the skin you’re in!
-A
