Over the past year or so, fillers, and specifically lip fillers, have seemed to have blown up. At this point, basically everyone knows someone who has gotten their lips done, whether it be a friend, someone on Instagram or a celebrity. Growing up, my lips were never something that I majorly focused on as an insecurity; I focused on my nose instead. However, as lip fillers became more and more popular, as well as more accessible to get done, I began thinking about getting mine injected. For those who do not know, lip fillers are usually collagen or hyaluronic acid-based and are injected directly into the lips to increase volume/size. Both substances are naturally occurring in the human body. Like I said, I always felt okay about my lips for the most part, but I definitely liked the idea of plumping up the size of my top lip to match the size of my bottom lip. So, I finally decided to try out the non-surgical procedure.
My first step towards getting a lip filler was finding a clinic that I felt confident about. I did research for months on lip filler places that performed the service (even before I decided for sure I was getting them done). Even though getting injections isn’t technically surgery, it still involves your face. There’s always the chance of something going wrong, so I wouldn’t recommend choosing a clinic lightly. I 100% recommend looking at clinics’ websites and social media pages (specifically Instagram) for before and after pictures of other clients’ lips. Eventually, I found a clinic downtown that I liked and trusted enough with my lips. As you probably know, getting lip fillers isn’t cheap and I have heard some people look for places that offer cheaper prices or special deals. While it’s ultimately your own decision where you want to go and how much you want to pay, I think when it comes to getting something injected into your face, it’s important to choose a clinic based on their professionalism, cleanliness and qualifications rather than who may have the best price (it’s not worth the risk!!!). If anything, it is a red flag to me if a clinic is discounting their lip injection prices while everyone else is in the $400-600/syringe range.
The next decision you need to make is how much filler you want to get, and this is something the clinic you go to can also help you figure out based on the look you are hoping to achieve. Given the fact that this was my very first-time getting lip fillers, and that my lips were already a decent size beforehand, I decided to only have half a syringe injected. At the clinic I went to, a half syringe cost me $300. The nurse who was performing the procedure sat me down before we started and asked me questions regarding my health, how I wanted my lips to look and the possible risks. While yes, it is unlikely that anything serious will happen to you as a result of getting injections, it is important that whoever is doing your injections talks to you about the potential risks (such as vascular occlusion, which can lead to tissue necrosis). The nurse then numbed my lips and started with the injection process.
A common question I was asked by friends after I got my lips done was whether or not it hurt. For the most part, I could not feel the needle going in at all but there were a couple spots, specifically on my bottom lip, that definitely did feel slightly uncomfortable. Overall, I would not say that it is anywhere near as bad as many people assume it is going to be pain wise. Since my top lip was my main focus, about 80% of the half syringe was injected into my top and 20% into the bottom.
Immediately after getting them done, my lips were understandably very swollen and after a few hours, bruises began to show up. They stayed swollen and bruised for about a week but luckily didn’t look too crazy. I’d say after approximately two weeks, my lips seemed to be fully healed and I really liked how they looked. The change wasn’t too obvious, since I went with a moderate amount of filler, but I could notice a difference, as well as many of my friends. Given the fact that I am really happy with the turn out and had a great experience with the clinic I went to, I believe that I will probably get my lips done again once I notice the filler has dissolved.
Just like I wasn’t unhappy with my lips before, I won’t be unhappy with them once the filler is gone, so if I do not have the money or time to get them redone right away, it won’t be a big deal. Lip fillers are not something that I feel I need to get done. It is just something that I find makes me feel slightly more confident. I do not think anybody needs to change their lips (though social media might make us feel like it sometimes) and that it is only something you should do if you feel 100% sure about it.
It’s your body/face and at the end of the day you should do whatever makes you happy and confident!