Tor is Dr. Hannah’s good friend and long time treatment guinea pig. She writes blogs for Dermis Skin to explain her experiences for others who are considering having an aesthetic treatment to help them decide if it’s right for them.
I said I would never have lip filler. I had seen photos in the media over the past decades of all the times it had gone wrong for celebrities and shut it out of my mind. When Hannah told me she had trained to do lip fillers I was judgmental and opinionated about how unnatural it was and how bad it looks. And over the past five years I watched the proliferation of lip filler practitioners and all their many disciples: the lips looked too big, almost comical, and created a tribe of women who, once beautiful and unique, all started to look the same.
However, once it was on my radar I started to scrutinise photos of the lips that Hannah had treated. They looked subtle and natural and a seed was planted. I started to realise that you only see or notice the obvious ones or the ones that go wrong. And became curious about trying it out for myself.
The first step was to have a consultation with Hannah and the hardest part was admitting I might have been wrong and had changed my mind. Hannah explained the process of having your lips done and the amount of filler that she would add. She was honest and transparent: yes it would possibly hurt and yes there might be swelling and bruising, but these things would be temporary.
She explained the journey: the lips could be red, swollen and sore after the treatment. For the first week or so the lips could potentially have some bruising and it would take a few days for the swelling to settle down. And after that, I would love them. I was also surprised to learn that they are not permanent: the filler used is a substance naturally produced in the body and as such my body would gradually absorb the filler and the lips would return to normal. She also said that her method was to start with small amounts because it’s easy to add more and build up to the desired look. This reassured me and I decided to go for it.
Hannah applied a numbing cream around my lips and left it on for a while to get to work. Though this cream certainly reduced the feeling, I definitely felt the injections, and at times it did hurt, The treatment consisted of multiple injections and some hurt more than others, for example the cupid’s bow and the middle of the bottom lip were particularly sore. But it did not take long and before I knew it it was over. Hannah gave me an ice pack and encouraged me to use arnica to help with any bruising.
The first week I could tell they were swollen and I felt like they looked uneven – the top lip looked bigger than the bottom lip. I sent Hannah photos and she reassured me it was swelling. I did have a small bruise on my upper lip and applied arnica as directed. I kept a low profile for a few days as I did not want people to know I had had lip fillers.
After about ten days the lips had settled down, the bruising and swelling had gone and my lips looked normal and even. When I compared them to the before photos, I could tell they were fuller and I liked the way they looked, but nobody else could tell which I was pleased about. I developed a sudden love of lipstick; something I rarely wore before, but now enjoyed applying it and admiring the pleasing new appearance.
The lip filler lasted around five months and I loved every minute of them. I felt more confident and liked their appearance, I cannot say I noticed them going back to normal as it was such a gradual process and its only through looking at the pictures can I see the changes.
Looking back at the photos I can clearly see the swelling immediately after the procedure. But two weeks later my lips were subtlety fuller with crisper definition and while nobody noticed, I certainly felt more confident and enjoyed using lipstick more!
I have definitely changed my opinion of lip filler. Some people love the lip filler look, and they want people to know they had their lips done. For me I relished the subtlety; increased confidence without having to explain myself.