Before & after.. the after photo was taken around two weeks after the procedure |
Overview
My lips have always been very thin and unsymmetrical and this has bothered me for as long as I can remember. Lip fillers had never really crossed my mind - then Kylie Jenner's lips were suddenly a massive topic of discussion and I was definitely sucked into the whole thing. I looked at before and after pictures and I couldn't believe the difference! I don't care what she says - she has DEFINITELY had lip fillers.I had a look around at different practices offering lip fillers near me. I decided to go somewhere that had a good reputation and was well known and this led me to Harley Medical. They have a few practices throughout the UK.
I firstly had a consultation a week before the procedure where I discussed what I wanted with Nicola (the lady who would carry out the fillers) and she suggested we use Juvederm Smile. This forumla is targeted for lips so it is slightly 'softer' than their other formulas.
I had my first lip fillers in December 2014. Here are two pictures of my lips before -
My top lip was very thin and also unsymmetrical where the right side curved slightly higher than the left side |
My lips before |
Procedure
I had done a lot of research before I went to my first appointment. In my consultation Nicola had advised me she wont be using any numbing cream or a dental block as the fillers had numbing agents in them. She explained that the first one or two injections would hurt slightly but after this the lip should become numb. I am a bit of a baby when it comes to needles so I purchased some EMLA 5% numbing cream from Boots which you can get from their pharmacy, behind the counter.
EMLA 5% Numbing Cream |
I used this about half an hour before my appointment and it worked a treat. Nicola took some before photos and then got to work. Even with the numbing cream the first two injections hurt, it feels like a sharp pinch which is the worst bit. When the juvederm is being injected it feels slighly uncomfortable and a bit strange but I wouldn't say it hurt. The injections mostly went along the border of the lips and not into the actual lip however I did have two into my actual lip which was more painful.
I had injections mostly in my top lip and we aimed to even the lip out so it was more symmetrical. I also had a few injections in the bottom. The numbing agent in the Juvederm works well but I am glad I put the numbing cream on before.
Once Nicola had finished injecting she had to 'massage' the lips. She runs her index and thumb finger either side of the lip to distribute the product and to avoid any clumps to give a smooth finish.
My lips felt very strange afterwards! It felt like I was constantly pouting and I couldn't relax my lips which I'm guessing was to do with the numbing cream. However you can immediately see the difference which I liked. My lips were slightly swollen and they didn't hurt at all.
However, as you can see my lips were not swollen at all and if you didn't know me you wouldn't even know I had had anything done. I was told they would last up to 6 months.
My lips straight after |
After the procedure
When I got home I couldn't stop looking at them! I was so pleased with them already and I couldn't wait to see what they would look like once the product had settled (which takes about a week). I had heard some horror stories about lips being humongous the next day with swelling, so I was scared to look in the mirror the next day!
My lips the next morning before work |
However, as you can see my lips were not swollen at all and if you didn't know me you wouldn't even know I had had anything done. I was told they would last up to 6 months.
Second Procedure
This time around I had the same formula (Juvederm Smile) and I also used the numbing cream again. This time I had no filler in my bottom lip - several people asked me if I had but I think this is due to the top lip being bigger and therefore it gave the illusion of the bottom looking bigger.
I'm not sure why, but the numbing agent in the Juvederm worked 10x better and I literally could not feel a thing after the first two injections. This time around I had a lot of swelling on the left side of my lip (as you can see in the pictures below) and there was blood this time during the procedure too, but there was no pain at all.
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My lips straight afterward. You can see swelling underneath my top lip on the left. |
The next day the swelling had gotten worse and there was also a bruise. My lips felt quite tender and a little bit painful but I was happy with the way they looked minus the swelling.
Swelling the next day |
Last time I had hardly any swelling or pain so I was surprised that this had happened. I went a lot bigger this time so I think this could be why and it was definitely worth it as it did not affect my day to day life. The swelling lasted for about 3 days, by the 3rd day the swelling was minimal.
All in all getting lip fillers is a breeze! The slight pain is so worth it and it is very bearable. I cannot believe the difference in my lips and it has really boosted my confidence. I think they look very natural and people who do not know me would never know I had had them done.
Feel free to leave any questions! :)