Lips are so fun, let’s just start there. You’ve probably seen lip injections and maybe you want them, but you can’t get the horror stories you see on TikTok out of your head. So, you go back and forth and when you finally make the appointment, the nerves really set in. To take some of the guesswork out, let’s walk through exactly what you can expect from start to finish. 

What To Do Before Your Lip Filler Appointment

Let’s book. You’re going to want to take a look at your calendar to see what you have going on- weddings, reunions, photos, basically anything you don’t want to be bruised/swollen for, and you backsolve from there. Since bruising is common and likely, you’ll want to give yourself at least 2 full weeks post-procedure to do anything of significance, unless you’re like us and don’t care about bruising and swelling. You also want to be sure your treatment is 2 weeks before/after any dental appointments. You’ll fill out your paperwork, first visit questionnaire, medical history and consents prior to your appointment or you can wait until you come in.

If you’re prone to getting cold sores you’ll want to let us know, so we can call in a prescription to prevent any breakouts. You’ll also want to get Arnica tablets at the Good Health Store or through Amazon and begin taking those 2 days before your treatment to help with bruising. You’ll also want to avoid ibuprofen (and other blood thinning medications), alcohol and caffeine at least 24-hours before your treatment. 

It's Time To Get Your Lips Filled

The day of your appointment you’ll come in with no makeup on (at least on the lower half of your face), ready to go. Jacqui will hype you up about getting your lips done. We’ll call you into the room when it’s time and Kristina will go over consents, potential side effects, what to expect during the treatment, what to expect after, as well as aftercare instructions. She’ll make sure you’re completely comfortable with the information, answer any questions and talk about what filler she thinks will be the best for you. The fillers we use are made of hyaluronic acid, all with slightly different properties. Depending on your baseline and aesthetic goals we will decide on one or maybe a combination of two. We love Restylane Kysse, after all it’s made specifically for lips, it has a sturdier constitution, but still gives a boost of hydration for a natural, dynamic looking result.  Or, she may recommend Restylane Refyne, which is a little thinner and better suited for patients that are super nervous about volume or someone looking for more hydration and an improvement in lip lines. There’s also Restylane Defyne, this one will give you a bit more volume than Kysse, but still allows for natural movement. We also offer Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus, both of which give a bit more volume, but may not last as long. That’s a summer lip if I ever saw one.

Once you decide to move forward with the treatment, we will apply a topical numbing ointment to your lips and you’ll sit for at least 30 minutes before Kristina starts the treatment. It will taste weird, your lips will feel funny and you may drool a bit. All of these are very common and completely safe side effects. Once you feel good and numb, it will be time to lay you back, clean off the lips and begin. You’ll get squeezy stress balls or a vibration tool to hold and help distract you. There’s usually Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift playing in the background, but if that’s not really your vibe, we’re always open to requests. The injecting portion takes 20-30 minutes and Kristina will check in with you constantly throughout the treatment- making sure you’re feeling ok and remaining comfortable.

What's Next?

When your treatment is done, you’ll get cleaned off, Aquaphor will be applied to the lips and you’ll be handed a mirror to check yourself out. At first you may feel the lips are too big, but this is mostly due to swelling, which will improve significantly over the following 48 hours. You can apply ice to help with discomfort/swelling and/or take Tylenol, as needed.  Bruising can take 7-10 days to heal, taking the Arnica tablets and eating pineapple can speed up this process. You should avoid strenuous exercise as well as hot tubs/saunas for at least 48 hours. You can apply Aquaphor/Vaseline, but should avoid makeup on the lips for at least 24 hours. If you desire more volume (and this volume is appropriate for your face), we like to wait at least 4-6 weeks before treating again.

Before you leave, we will book you for a 2-3 week follow up appointment to check your results and make sure you’re 100% happy. At this point, your visit with us is done and you’re officially ready to live your best life with your best lips. And we love that for you.