After having naturally thin lips my whole life, I decided to give lip injections a try. Although it took me several years to actually get them done, I’m happy with the results overall and may even end up doing more in the future. One of my main concerns about getting a lip filler in the first place was the fear that I would end up with the “ducky” look people often talk about. I understand that some people really like this look, but I wanted something more natural, where people would look at me and wonder, “did she get her lips done or not?”. After extensive research and speaking with a variety of dermatologists, plastic surgery specialists, and aestheticians, I found this website that described all the nuances of getting the Russian lip technique. It seemed to be the perfect solution to my problem that would eliminate my ultimate fear of getting a lip filler. There are many techniques available to achieve different looks, depending on your goals. The Russian lip technique was my goal. It gave me the most natural and subtle looking lip injection. This method draws the filler upwards rather than outward during injection, resulting in more upward volume than those protruding duck lips I absolutely did not want. In addition to the Russian Lip technique my doctor used a hyaluronic acid based filler called Restylane Kysse. Most dermal fillers used in the face are hyaluronic acid based, which also means that they are dissolvable using hyaluronidase injections should I change my mind about the filler once it has already been injected.
Before treatment:
Before I booked my appointment, I researched as many medical spas as possible in my area. After I had found the spot that I liked, they invited me to come in for a one on one consultation with the doctor to discuss the treatment and all of my options. Once we had finished the consultation, I felt a lot more confident in getting a lip filler and went ahead to book my treatment. The doctor reviewed my medical history and asked me questions about my treatment goals, what I want it to look like, and past treatments. They were able to fill my injections the same day because they were available, which was very exciting.
This is the process:
After preparing me, they applied a cream that contained primarily lidocaine to my lips. They left the numbing cream on my lips for about 20 minutes, then took me to the procedure room to get my lips injected.
Although I was nervous as it was my first cosmetic procedure ever (I haven’t even had Botox injections before), I didn’t feel any anxiety. My doctor was also very comforting, which made the experience a lot more pleasant and far less nerve wracking.
The entire treatment took between 15 and 20 minutes. It was not particularly pleasant, as expected, but the numbing cream made it more bearable. (FYI, there are lip fillers that contain lidocaine that make the injections so much easier to bear too!) After the injections were completed, I was able to clean my lips and take a look at the mirror. I will admit that I was surprised when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Although I hadn’t seen my lips this way before, I was aware that they were still swelling and I wanted to wait until they settled before I made any final judgments.
I was sent home with an ice pack and instructed to not touch or rub my lips for three days. The doctors advised me not to exercise or expose my lips to too much heat the first day to make sure that I didn’t increase the swelling. They advised me to use an arnica gel and warm compress if I bruised the next day. As expected, I definitely bruised a lot, so I certainly took the doctor’s advice of using a warm compress, which worked wonders.
About a week later, the bruising had subsided. I was finally able to see my final result.
Final thoughts
The entire process was far more straightforward than I expected. It started with the consultation and ended with the injection and lips that I was very happy with. At first I was concerned that the filler might be too obvious, resulting in that duck face look that people refer to when they talk about lip fillers with no experience. This could vary depending on your perception of what is obvious, and on the type of result that you think looks good. Everyone has different versions of beauty and of what they find beautiful. Although the results were natural looking to me, anyone who has seen me regularly can see that my lips have grown a bit. I was especially happy to see that I didn’t end up with a fake looking duck lip, rather a very natural looking smoother and plumper lip. My injector suggested the Russian Lip technique, which could have contributed to a more natural appearance.
All in all I am happy that I was able to experience my first lip filler with results that I actually loved. Because I live in New York, it was difficult to choose the best spot to get my lips done. When there are so many medical spas to choose from, it is hard to weigh out which one you like the most. I ended up at Skinly Aesthetics medspa and will probably never go anywhere else, now that I trust my one place. If you are on the hunt for a medical spa in your area, I recommend doing a lot of research on the clinic, the location, the injector’s qualifications and years of experience, as well as office details to see what it actually looks like in there (is it clean? And so forth). You can also look into before and after photos on each individual clinic’s websites as well as reviews to see what other people have to say about the clinic you are looking into.
