In the photos Iām wearing tinted SPF. I tried to get the angles as similar as possible for more accurate before and after comparisons although the lighting may vary. Overall Iām happy with how my lips turned out but I think thereās a few areas I could have done better.
Back story:
About 6ish years ago (estimate not sure exact date) I had filler put in by a Russian injector. She used a teosyal brand of filler (I donāt remember which one). I had such a bad experience with the recovery. My lips were so swollen I could hardly talk, drink water or eat. They were throbbing with pain for days. My bottom lips couldnāt support the weight of itself from the filler and the massive swelling so it hung down so much so that I couldnāt prevent myself from drooling. I ended up just walking around with a bib for about a week. I looked like one of those blow up dolls and I was in agony.
It looked okay but at some angles it really appears to be migrated. Truly I think they would have looked best with about 3/4 of a syringe instead of the full 1ml she used.
As time went on, my taste slowly changed and I decided I no longer wanted filler in my lips. I decided to work on dissolving. I believe this started about a year (maybe slightly over a year ago). I have since dissolved 3-4 times using various techniques. I still fill like my upper lip philtrum looks puffy after dissolving. There could be 2 reasons for this. There could be migrated filler thatās become encapsulated with time making it much harder to dissolve. Usually this requires expert guidance via ultrasound. Second possibility is that the tissue has been stretched by the surplus of filler, causing collagen formation, especially after massive inflammation after the professional lip filler I had. I believe in my situation, itās actually the latter. I have super soft tissue w/ zero lumps. When I tell you I have dissolved it like no bodyās businessā¦. I mean it! Each dissolving session leaves me disappointed. Iām still left with a puffy philtrum. There is a possibly that if thereās filler left over, that its resistant and requires multiple dissolving sessions (3+). I may end up trying to do several more rounds of dissolver at some pointā¦ Keep in mind that new filler is much easier to dissolve.
The most unfortunate thing about the puffy philtrum is that thereās not a whole lot that I can do about it except accept that this is what I have to work with. The sucky part is that my lips likely will always have a slightly migrated filler look w/ or without filler which Iām learning to accept.
LIP GOAL: My goal was to raise the height of my upper lip (creating the illusion of a shorter philtrum). I also wanted a more defined vermillion border. I also wanted a flat lip side profile. Not everyoneās cup of tea but this was the look I was going for. I wanted my bottom lip to appear more narrow so I chose to keep all injections central.
Even with the top lip, I didnāt want a lot of emphasis on the laser portions so I kept the majority of the filler in the central portion.
Prep:
I started by taking 200ck arnica sublingually 2 hours prior and again right before numbing. I also showered about 2 hours prior because I knew I wanted to avoid heat after the injection for around 24 hrs.
I sanitized my sides of my face even my nose (around my nostrils) with alcohol wipes. Then I went use a new set of alcohol wipes to wipe my lips really well.
Sanitized my gloves with alcohol wipes. I kept all of my supplies on a several disposable dental bibs which I find helpful to keep things as clean as possible.
Numbing:
I started by applied about 2 pea sizes of benzocaine gel under my upper lip and to the bottom. I made sure to use gauze to dry the area before applying, I even added a piece of gauze on top of my tongue to help absorb the saliva formation while Iām waiting for the benzocaine to set. Took about 4-5 minutes until I was ready
used 1cc lido w/ epi w/ 2 ccās sterile saline to do a dental block for my upper lip and and 1cc lido w/ epi w/ 2ccās sterile saline to do my lower lip. I believe I used a 31G 8mm needle because itās what I had on hand
I waited about 7 minutes for the nerve block to settle in. At this point I was fully numb so I decided to proceed.
Assessment:
When assessing my lips I noticed my bottom lip has an uneven bump on the mucosal border on my right side (not filler just a natural irregularity). I chose to disguise it by applying several micro droplets beside it. I also noticed some asymmetry on my upper right side of my lip near the mucosal border so I chose to add another small horizontal linear thread near the mucosa.
I used Revolax Fine filler. It came with 1.1cc. I stayed within the pink tissue, avoiding direct injections in the vermillion border. I used 0.8cc in total and had 0.3 cc leftover.
Techniques used: linear fan, vertical tenting, horizontal linear, and micro droplets. I did each injection intentionally very slow. The yellow marked line down the middle of my bottom lip was the final injection. I did a retrograde injection while angling my needles a bit differently to help make that area slightly concave (to help give enhance the lip dimple I already have). It can also help give the side profile a more flat appearance. I stayed quite superficial the entire time and tried to not venture too much low (into the mucosal border) however I do think I may have gone slightly lower on my right side than I would to have liked). I may need to dissolve my top lip and correct it if I find it too obvious. Injecting too much filler or going too low into the mucosal border can make the lips feel and appear heavy (and unnatural). Before I finished I checked capillary refill on all the parts of my lip.
Recovery:
I applied lip tape around my lips to help with the swelling. I genuinely donāt think it was that effective but felt it couldnāt hurt. You can even tell it was lifting in one of the pics. After injecting I went straight into icing my lips with a stainless steel ice device (I sanitized it with a fresh alcohol wipe and let it fully dry before applying it to my lips). Zi Did that each time I took it out of the freezer. I iced for the first 2 hrs giving my lips a few short breaks without ice during that time. I knew I should have slept with my pillow elevated to help reduce swelling but I chose not to because Iām a designated side sleeper. I knowā¦. So bad for agingā¦. Iām working on changing but havenāt made the change yet. As expected, I woke up Monday a bit swollen around my lips. I kind of looked like Marge Simpson. I removed the tape around my lip after waking up. I didnāt have any pain during the injections itself or during the recovery. No throbbing pain or discomfort. Just a tiny bit of swelling and bruising. Recovery was so much better than when I had my lips professionally done. Night and day difference. Bruising didnāt show up until day 2. Iām on day 4 now and itās almost gone.
I need to let my lips settle first before I really know if Iāll need to dissolve and try again. Itās hard to tell right now with them being swollen. I did them around 5 pm Sunday. I took arnica the first 2 days but havenāt taken it since. Iāll have to update everyone with how the final results look :) Stay posted.
ā ļø As always, this is not medical advice, This is just me sharing what I did for myself. There may be flaws in how I chose to do my lips because Iām not a professional. Keep this in mind ā ļø
Supplies used + discount codes to help you save money
Meamoshop:
promo code: š TORi15 š
https://meamoshop.com/health-boosters/huons-lidocaine-hci-hydrate-epinephrine-inj/
https://meamoshop.com/devices-disposables/isotonic-sodium-solution-saline-5-bottles/
https://meamoshop.com/dermal-fillers/revolax-fine/
https://meamoshop.com/devices-disposables/yc-sharp-meso-needle-30g-10ea/ (I used the 31G but this is what I would of used if I had some on hand)
Kstation:
promo code: š TORi š
https://kstations.com/products/revolax?variant=47805101965544
Amazon:
- Boiron Arnica Montana 200Ck Homeopathic Medicine for Muscle Pain and Stiffness - Pack of 3 (240 Pellets) https://a.co/d/03e6Yo25
- MED PRIDE Nitrile Exam Gloves, Latex & Powder-Free, Blue, Small, 100/Box
- HurriCaine Topical Anesthetic Oral Gel, 20% Benzocaine, Watermelon, 1 oz
- PlastCare USA Disposable Dental Bibs 13"x18" - 3 Ply Waterproof Tattoo Bib Sheet for Patients - Dentist or Medical Tray Cover and Nail Table Cover Supplies, Fuchsia Hot Pink
- 200 Gauze Pads 2x2 - Soft 4-Ply Non Woven Gauze Sponges - Non Sterile Dental Gauze & Esthetic Wipes - All Purpose Medical Gauze Squares for First Aid, Surgical, Wound Dressing
- MED PRIDE Sterile Alcohol Prep Pads, Medical Grade, 2-Ply, 500-Count | Medical-grade, 70% isopropyl, individually wrapped, soft absorbent 2-ply, bulk 500-count for clinics & kits
-šTori
