Until a few years ago, my commitment to vanity was purely superficial. I’ve never gone under the knife, experimented with lip fillers, or legitimately spent money on a single makeover, opting for keratin treatments, at-home dermaplaning, hot tools, serums, supplements, Swiss Kriss facial cleansers.
Not because I’m against it (I come from a family of proud plastic surgery supporters), but because it didn’t occur to me that I shouldn’t wait until I’m 60 and then get the full lift – that I could make minor tweaks along the way .
I came to focus on my lips because—truthfully—I was hyper-aware of a certain standard of beauty that began to permeate and transcend popular culture, and I found myself climbing right into it. the more my face began to look very prosaic, very indifferent, very serious natural. Big, pillowy, fake lips were everywhere, even on girls almost two decades younger than me, and I wanted in.
If you’re considering lip fillers, read this first to leave with exactly what you came for.
1. Clearly describe how you want your lips to look at the consultation
In the year that followed, I had lip injections twice, by two different board certified doctors. The first time, I was bitterly disappointed—I went to a busy, fancy practice frequented by some of my beauty editor friends—and felt like I’d taken $900 and blown it, like Samantha Jones. The doctor didn’t ask me anything and seemed disengaged, and I left feeling like a fraud and unhappy. There was no difference and I was told I could pay more if I wanted to see one.
By the time I visited doctor number two – Michelle GreenMD, a dermatologist based in New York and RealSelf factor – I realized that the first round could have been more successful if I had been categorical in what I wanted. I immediately told Dr. Green that I wanted to see a noticeable difference and she spent time studying my face and asking questions.
We decided to use a syringe of Juvederm, which I had gotten the previous year, although Green concentrated it all on my lips, while the previous doctor used some on the skin around my mouth.
2. You must prepare
The first step, according to Dr Green, is to decide how old you are realistically You want your lips – think very carefully if you really want to go from thin lips to Lisa Rinna in one fell swoop. It will be obvious. “You really, really don’t want to [your lips] to overfill and it’s easier to have too little than too much,” Green said. But if you know you want to see a real difference right away, it’s up to you to express it – especially since I’ve found that most doctors prefer their work to look supernatural.
Physically, Green suggests abstaining from aspirin, Motrin, Aleve, fish oil, multivitamins, and vitamin E for about a week before your appointment, as each can act as a blood thinner and contribute to post-injection bruising.
3. Leave the Kylie photo at home
The professional jury is out on whether you should bring a photo with you to your appointment. I’ve read that some doctors like it, some don’t. Dr Green is in the latter camp, likening it to taking a photo to the salon – you can show your stylist what you want, but your hair type might not deliver, so you leave disappointed. “Everyone’s anatomy is different and everyone’s [face] it has a different shape,” he said. Better to explain what you think you want and let your doctor work with shaping your mouth to achieve it.
