A HOLIDAY GIFT TO MYSELF: WHY I PLUMPED MY POUT!

Yes, I am part of one of the fastest growing beauty trends! I joined the countless women and men who have had their lips injected.  There is simply no hiding it!  Not because my pucker is a bit more plentiful, but because the procedure was so public!  It was performed during a live social media feed by McRae M.D. Medical Laser Spa and I happily shared it on my Facebook, YouTube and Instagram! I was asked to be a live demo model by my doctor, Dr. Elizabeth McRae, for her Halloween product and procedure party for clients.  You can watch it for yourself.

No duck impersonations here though! I just wanted to add what the years had taken away.  While holding a squishy ball firmly in my hand, Dr. McRae began by deadening the area with just two quick shots.  As the examination room filled with interested onlookers, Aubrie, the office manager, began narrating each movement for the Facebook live feed as Dr. McRae deftly injected first the left side of my upper lip, followed by the right side, then proceeded to the bottom lip.  She used a Cannula 2 LL instead of a needle.  I will get to the reason why later. As the Cannula 2 LL neared the center of the lips, sometimes referred to as Cupid’s Bow, I could feel pain that I was warned would happen.  Noticeable but not excruciating.  In less than five minutes, the injections were completed to the oohhs and ahhhs of the growing audience.  I did not bruise and within minutes I was snapping selfies of my new slightly more abundant kisser as I enjoyed watching some of the other product demonstrations including a chemical peel.

My advice to anyone who is considering a minimally invasive procedure is to do it for the right reason.  I did it for myself.  No one convinced me or even said I needed a lip booster.  And, just as important, one must always consider the risks!  Plus, do your research on the physician or injector.  Dr. Elizabeth McRae knows beauty from the inside out.  She is a practicing Internist who has been injecting dermal fillers for 22 years. She is also a Fellow of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. In addition to being quite experienced, she is an artist.  She describes the placement of dermal fillers as an individualized procedure.  Each must be customized to the patient’s needs from the type of dermal filler to the way in which it is injected and placed.

Dr McRae used the cannula application to prevent bruising and excessive swelling.  She chose Juvéderm Volbella XC because it is softer than some of the others on the market and “moveable”.  Part of her selection was based on the new 1 CC size syringe.  Calling the amount of filler just right for my desired result, Juvéderm Volbella XC comes from the makers of Botox and is FDA approved.  Volbella XC is an injectable gel designed to add subtle volume to the lips and may smooth the appearance of vertical lip lines.

It is a mixture of different molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid using VYCROSS technology and the painkiller lidocaine.  Allergan says it may last as long as a year before additional injections are needed to keep the fullness. There are steps you must take before and after the injections for an optimal outcome.  Juvéderm website link

For me, I am happy with my results. I immediately felt sexier not because of the look but because I had done something special for me!

 

 

Dr. Elizabeth McRae is board certified in Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.  McRae M.D. Medical Laser Spa will celebrate its 13th anniversary early next year.  Dr. McRae combines her love of horses and anti-aging medicine by bringing her mobile Med Spa to Equestrian shows around the state. Learn more at https://www.mcraemd.net/  You can also follow on Facebook and Instagram