I recently had lip fillers done at Allura Skin, Laser & Wellness Clinic, and to say I am obsessed would be an understatement. I have always had a pretty clouded perception of what people with lip injections looked like, but when I started inquiring about the procedure and talked to my friends about it, I was shocked to find out so many people I knew had them done, and I was none the wiser. When I thought of lip fillers, I would envision Farrah Abraham or Kylie Jenner and that just wasn’t a look I wanted for myself. However, when I learned you can do things like enhance the symmetry of your lips, or add just a touch of volume to make the lips more pronounced on the face, I was intrigued.
I quickly scheduled a visit with my Botox Injector, Jessica Benedict, R.N., to chat about possibly doing lip fillers for myself. Side note, if you guys live in Northern Colorado you have to go see Jessica (or Jess, as I adoringly refer to her) at Allura, she’s absolutely incredible. I have never achieved the results from Botox (and now lips) like I have from Jess. She’s a Registered Nurse who is constantly upping her game by attending continuing education and trainings. Follow her at @aestheicnurse_jessie on Instagram to see her amazing work! Anyway, I digress, at this appointment Jess asked me about my lip goals, and to be honest I hadn’t really thought too much about it other than not wanting to them to look overdone. My lips are naturally uneven, so we discussed evening them out and adding just a bit of fullness for subtle, yet sultry look. Based on what she suggested and what I wanted out of the procedure she recommended we use Juvéderm XC. This is a temporary smooth gel filler made of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies, and adds volume and provides hydration to the skin cells. She prepped me for my appointment and I got on her schedule the following week.
Leading up to the appointment there are a few things to do to prepare. Jess advised me to stop taking any Vitamin E or fish oil supplements for one week leading up to the procedure. She also asked me not to take any ibuprofen for a few days prior. These things can thin the blood and can cause bleeding or bruising. Day of the lip injections, I definitely was a little nervous, but I was so excited for the end result. Jess applied a numbing cream to my lips, this has to set for about 30 minutes, so in the meantime we revisited exactly what I was looking to achieve. Once the numbing set in it was go-time! She offered me a vibrating tool to put on the opposite side of the injection sites. The idea behind this is your brain is able to focus on something other than the injections, thus lessening the pain. I’m not sure if it was the vibrating tool, or the numbing cream, or the fact that Jess is just amazing, but I barely felt a thing! After the first poke all my nerves drifted away and I was actually able to relax and enjoyed my time. Jess would tell me exactly where she was injecting and what she was looking to achieve with each injection. She offered breaks so I could take a look in the mirror and after my first look I knew I would be a lip filler lifer.
The whole appointment took roughly an hour, most of the time was spent getting numb and the actual injection time was less than fifteen minutes. Once the procedure was finished, I was able to go about the rest of my day with no down time! I was definitely a bit swollen but, other than that the recovery from the procedure is very minimal. I had a few minor bruises near just two of the injection sites, but they went away quickly and they were easy to cover with makeup.
I wouldn’t call my lips sore necessarily, but they were just a little tender for a few days. The swelling took about three days to go down, however Jess advised me it does take about two weeks to really see the finished look (check out my two week post-treatment photos, below!).
It’s been a little over two weeks since my procedure and I am so unbelievably happy with the results. Truthfully, I just love my lips now. They are fuller, more even, and putting on lip gloss is seriously my favorite thing ever. I loved how easy the appointment was, and I can say with confidence I will be back in about six months for another treatment! If you are interested in having your lips filled, I could not recommend Allura more. You can schedule a free consultation to chat with one of their injectors to discuss your specific lip goals. Check them out at www.alluraclinic.com or call 970-223-0193!
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Photos: Before & 2 Weeks Post-Treatment
