Having had naturally thin lips all my life, I finally decided to try something new and started looking into lip injections. While it took me a few years to go through with it, I have to say that I am overall happy with the results and may even get more in the future. The main reservations I had about getting lip filler in the first place was the fear of ending up with that “ducky” look that people talk about and that we so often see on social media and on celebrities. If that’s what you’re into – great! It just isn’t for me.
After doing extensive research and talking to several dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aestheticians, I found the perfect solution to my potential set back, which was the Russian lip technique. It turns out that there are several techniques that can be used to achieve different looks depending on what your overall goal is. My goal was the most subtle and natural looking lip injection with a nice plump, and that apparently can only be achieved with the Russian lip technique. This approach involves drawing the filler upward rather than outward during the injection process, leaving you with more upward volume than forward protruding duck lips.
I also found that if anything went wrong that filler could be dissolved with hyaluronidase, which is a product that breaks down hyaluronic acid, which is the dominant ingredient in Restylane Kysse, and that was the product used on me. Knowing that my filler could be dissolved, should I be dissatisfied with my results, was enough for me to go through with the treatment. Here was my experience.
Before the Treatment:
Before scheduling my appointment I did as much research as I could on the best medical spas near me. Once I found my spot, they had me come in for a consultation before actually scheduling my appointment for the treatment. Once I got there, the doctor went over my medical history and asked me basic questions about my overall goals and history of treatments. Because they had some time while I was at my consultation, I was able to get my filler on the same day, which was super exciting.
The Process:
They prepped me by wiping my lips with alcohol and then applying a topical numbing cream containing primarily lidocaine (which by the way, can also be purchased at any pharmacy over the counter if your medical spa doesn’t offer it in the clinic). The numbing cream stayed on for about 20 minutes before they wiped it off and took me into the procedure room.
I was obviously a little nervous considering it was my first time, but since I have gotten Botox before, it wasn’t my first injectable procedure, plus my doctor was very comforting which made the whole experience more pleasant.
The treatment process itself only took 15 – 20 minutes. Although it was certainly not pleasant, I think the numbing cream really made the whole thing more tolerable (FYI: there are also types of lip fillers that actually contain lidocaine!). Once the injections were finished, my lips were sanitized and I took a look in the mirror. I’ll be honest – I was a little shocked when I looked in the mirror. I had never seen my lips like that, but I knew that they were still swollen and wanted to wait for them to fully settle before making any final judgments.
They sent me home with an ice pack and advised me not to rub or touch my lips for 3 days. I was also told not to work out or expose my lips to heat on the first day as this could increase the swelling. On the following day they told me to apply a warm compress and arnica gel if I bruise (which I did because I always bruise like a banana).
After about one week the bruising had subsided and I could finally see the final result of my lips.
Final Thoughts:
All together the entire experience was much easier than I had expected, from the consultation, to the injection process, and the “recovery”. One of my main concerns was that the filler would be too obvious, which, depending on what you consider obvious may or may not be the case. Personally I think the results came out very natural looking, though anyone who knows me and sees me frequently can definitely tell that my lips are a little bigger than before. The “ducky” look that I had been holding me back for so long was absolutely not apparent with these lip fillers, though this could be due to the Russian Lip technique that was used and recommended by my injector for a more natural look.
Overall I’m happy that I was able to experience it and can imagine doing it again once these wear off. If you are on the fence about getting lip fillers I would highly recommend consulting with a few doctors and asking them about the Russian lip technique.
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