My friends and I have a bad habit of sending photos of celebrities back and forth to one another talking about the rumored cosmetic procedures they've had done. It wasn't until we got into a heated debate one night about someone's lip filler that I thought, wait, maybe I want to try this out for myself. To be clear, I'm never one to judge someone else - famous or not - for their filler injectables or plastic surgery choices; if it makes you feel better about yourself (and you can afford it), that's your decision to make. About a week later, I booked an appointment with my plastic surgeon, Melissa Doft, M.D.
Although I, and Dr. Doft, suggest doing research before choosing the physician for your injectables, mine was a unique case. Dr. Doft is the woman responsible for my breast reduction surgery in 2018. As far as bedside manner goes, Dr. Doft has been the best, so trusting her with my lips was a no-brainer. Now, it's officially been three years since first getting my lip filler and, well, I'm definitely still on the bandwagon. Although it's been awhile since I've had my filler replenished, I can say that the cosmetic treatment was right for me.
Whether or not it's right for you is not my battle to bear, but I hope my personal journey might - at the very least - help answer some of your burning questions about the process, the bruising, and what needles actually feel like in your lips. Keep reading to see my entire experience, from one hour after to a month post-procedure.