Let's Talk About Lip Fillers: Q&A

So as some of you may already know, just before Christmas I got lip fillers for the first time. It's something I've wanted to get for a while and something I've thought a lot about for months, maybe even years, as my lips are always something I've felt self-conscious about. Although I've always had a really defined cupid's bow, my top lip was always a lot thinner than my bottom and even though this didn't "bother" me as such, I knew I'd feel a lot happier with bigger lips. So, I booked the appointment at The Body Detox Clinic in Newcastle, a clinic which my friend and I researched a lot about, bigged myself up and went for it. I knew a lot you might have some questions about lip fillers and the procedure and it still seems like such a taboo subject and I just wanted to be really open about it and tell you everything I could, to help you out if you're thinking about getting them or if you're simply just a bit curious. A lot of people asked me questions on Twitter so hopefully I can get them all answered in this post!

WHAT DID YOU GET DONE AND HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

Juvaderm is a gel injected into your lips to make them fuller. I know there are a few different types of filler and different brands but Juvaderm as what I got in mine. I had 5 injections in my top lip and 2 in the bottom lip and had 0.5ml in total, which cost me £75 as the clinic currently has a Christmas offer on where you can get 1ml for £150 rather than £180 and my friend and I halved the 1ml. The Body Detox Clinic was the place we chose to go to and they were brilliant. The lady who did the injections sat us down before the procedure and explained everything and said that we were under no obligation to go through with it. She was really open and told us what could go wrong and all of the risks associated with getting the filler and worked with us as she was doing the injections to make sure we got the lips we wanted. Juvaderm is not permanent and at most the fillers will last up to six months (if I'm lucky) and I'm pretty sure your lips go back to normal if you don't continue getting the fillers.

DID IT HURT?

This has certainly been the most asked question and I can definitely understand why. I'm pretty tough and pain doesn't usually bother me but I'll be honest, I was terrified. I didn't know what to expect and I was thinking that it was going to be the worst pain in the world and I was honestly petrified. I did get numbing cream on my lips at the clinic which did make a huge difference and I couldn't feel the needle go into my lip at all. However, that's the only bit you can't feel. When the Juvaderm is actually being injected into your lip it really hurts. It's a sharp, intense pain that the numbing cream doesn't help at all and the injection in the middle of my top lip was absolutely awful. The good thing is though that it only lasts about three seconds. As soon as the needle is pulled out the pain is gone so if you can put up with the pain for a few seconds then you'll be fine. It didn't hurt enough to put me off going back again next year either so I would say that although it did really, really hurt, it's not as bad as you imagine it. 

Swelling on my top lip 

Bruising on the inside of my top lip

WAS THERE ANY SWELLING, BLEEDING OR BRUISING?

Sorry for the very unattractive photos above but I feel it's best to illustrate this kind of question. In short, yes. My lips didn't bleed at all but my friends did and her lips didn't swell at all but mine did. I guess this is one that is individual to each person and my top lip swelled a lot as you can see from the above photos. It didn't swell so much that it looked ridiculous but it was really painful and I couldn't drink or speak properly for a few hours that night (which was great considering I was at work ha!) because it hurt quite a lot to move them as they were really sore but the swelling went down after a day. My lips did bruise on the top as I've tried to show you in the photo above. Don't worry they didn't swell as much as it looks, I was sticking my lip right out to show you where it bruised! You can see the bruising along the inside of my lip and it also bruised in the corner of my lip but it wasn't anything drastic and it was easy to just cover with a bit of lipstick the next day. 

HAVE YOU FELT ANY JUDGEMENT FROM FAMILY OR FRIENDS?

I've been really open about having them done and it's not something that I'm going to be ashamed of and hide (apart from the fact I was so excited and couldn't keep my mouth shut about them even if I wanted to). I do feel that this kind of thing is still a bit of a taboo and people will kind of look down on you when you tell them about it without even realising they're doing it but I thought this happened a lot more when I said I was going to get them done as opposed to saying I've had them done. I think this is because when you say "I'm getting lip fillers", people get this image of you in their heads that you're going to have these gigantic fish lips that will look unnatural and plastic but when you actually get it done, they see it's not like that and that it does actually look nice. Mostly, people said "but why, you're fine the way you are!" and I think that's something people will always say but at the end of the day it's up to you and only you. As long as you are happy with the result, no one else can say anything to you about it but really most people have actually been intrigued with them and not judgemental at all (to my face at least!)

WHY DID YOU GET THEM DONE? WERE YOU INFLUENCED BY PEOPLE LIKE KYLIE JENNER?

Like I said above, the main reason that I went for it is because I knew I'd feel a lot better about myself if I had fuller lips. My top lip was quite thin and although it may not have been noticeable to other people, it was noticeable to me. It didn't really bother me as in I hated it but it was just something I knew I could change and it would make me happier, just like getting a new hair cut or eyebrow shape is for some people. I wouldn't say I was influenced by Kylie Jenner but I won't lie, I have looked at her lips and thought about how nice they looked but who hasn't? I don't think it's something you should get done purely because Kylie or some other celebrity has them done though. It's a decision that's personal to you and if you get them done because you want lips like Kylie you should probably think about it a little bit more as if that's the case, chances are they'll never be good enough for you and you may get stuck in a vicious circle.

ARE THEY WORTH THE £££? WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE NOW?

For me, they have 100% been worth the money. I absolutely love the shape of them and how natural they look and I'll definitely be going back for a top up when they go back down. Sitting here now my lips feel totally normal but sometimes when I move them in a certain way they feel a bit strange and full(?) for want of a better word. It's a hard feeling to describe but I guess it's just something you get used to as you would a piercing or something like that. I've had no loss of sensation in my lips and other than the weird feeling that they're bigger than they should be they now feel completely normal. 

DO YOU THINK YOU WILL CONTINUE GETTING THEM EVEN WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?

Right now I really love them so I'm pretty sure I'll continue getting them. That is, as long as it's what I want. If I ever get older and think that it's not the look I want to go for anymore then I will stop but honestly I don't think that will ever be me! I'm not one of those people who thinks you have to "grow old gracefully" (whatever the hell that means anyway) and as long as it's making me happy I will continue to get them. 

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THEM?

The most important question of all. Yes I am very happy with them. As you can see from the before and after picture above, there is quite a big difference but not a huge difference. People don't notice unless I tell them and for me, that's exactly what I wanted. They're still their natural shape but have a bit more umphh and I just feel so much more confident. My top lip doesn't disappear when I smile anymore and I can look in the mirror without trying to pout to make myself look better. 

Although I am over the moon with mine, I still don't think it's something you should rush into. Think about it first and think about the reasons why you want fuller lips. Will you be happier with yourself or will you never be satisfied? We all know that there can be a slippery slope with things like this, as there can be with anything to do with your appearance, so it's not something that should be rushed into. It does hurt, it is uncomfortable and it is expensive and there are a lot of things that can go wrong. My main advice would be to research the place you're thinking of going and make sure it's a well respected clinic that will help if something does go wrong and make sure you know for sure that it is something that will make you happier because that's what the main goal of these procedures are - it's all about how you feel. 

Any more questions I haven't answered just leave them in the comments below and I'll answer them! What do you think about the lip fillers? Honestly!

Amy x