Ok, so I've never had an upper lip. And, I barely have a lower one - but the upper one is REALLY thin. I smile - and it disappears completely - as you can see in the picture, left.But not anymore.
As of today - I have an upper lip thanks to Restylane® Dermal Filler and Dr. Jason Riehs of Le Beau Visage Medical Spa Frisco.
It's no wonder he's known as the Lip Doctor in Dallas. Because - for Dr. Riehs - it's artistry. His canvas is a face - and his medium (for filler) is Hyaluronic Acid - his tool a 30.5 gauge syringe.
Getting a cosmetic procedure done can be a little scary, and it might be something you wouldn't consider investing in for yourself. I felt this way a bit - before I met Dr. Riehs - even though I'd always thought about trying Restylane® or Botox®...
But after my experience - all of that has changed. I am no longer scared of getting something done - and there are several things that I would invest in to treat myself. With a little trust from his patients - there will be LOTS of very satisfied, beautiful people out there. (Yes, men too!)
Here's how my experience went:
DAY ONE:
It all starts with topical anesthetic gel on your gums (q-tips with blue gel that they stick under your lip leaving them hanging out your mouth so you look like a walrus) then onto the ole' sure-to-numb-your-entire-head dental block. (if you're enhancing your lips..) This takes about 30 minutes or a little less.
Then, once your eyeballs are numb because your head is full of lidocane, YOU'RE READY FOR YOUR RESTYLANE®!
Dr. Riehs gently and slowly uses this syringe to drop small little deposits of the Restylane® gel along the lip line. This takes about 30 minutes too. This is where the fine art comes in - he knows EXACTLY where to place these tiny drops of Restylane® to subtly enhance your lips.
The same process (sans the dental block) would go for any Restylane® treatment such as nasolabial folds, marionette lines, tear trough, cheeks, or really deep wrinkles that need filling.
And that was it. About an hour, to hour fifteen minutes - and a lifetime of no lips turned upside down.
DAY TWO:
So today was interesting! My lips are a beautiful crimson (as in - BLOOD red with a little blue!) from the bruising - and they are HUGE from the bottom of my nose to the lip itself. I have to say - I was a little panicked going in to see Dr. Riehs.
When I got there - he was THRILLED with the results. (this is because he has the 'crystal ball of cosmetic procedures' - and knows what's GOING to happen...)
The truth is that I had some bruising (TOTALLY NORMAL) and some swelling (TOTALLY NORMAL). Today was my BIG LIP DAY - and Angelina Jolie had NOTHIN' on my kissers today. She has lots on me in other places - but TODAY, my lips are EVERY BIT what hers are - TAKE THAT!!
I won't lie, I was a little worried - this is where that TRUST I was talking about earlier comes in.
DAY THREE:
Well - I have to tell you - Dr. Riehs was right. They're perfect. There's still a little bruising today - but the swelling has gone down significantly, and most people haven't even noticed I did anything to my lips. I notice though.
I have to make two passes with lipstick now. Only one before. (Yesterday, 6 passes - LOL)
It doesn't completely disappear when I smile.
I have a lip!! It's a miracle.
Q & A:
Would I do it again? Yes, I think I would. There is some discomfort - but for what I was trying to do, the results were perfect. Not TOO noticeable to others, but I can definitely see and more importantly, FEEL the improvement. Calling all ladies-without-lips!! This is your chance to actually have a lip. And - if you decide you don't like it - it'll go away. Which brings me to.....
How long will the results last? Dr. Riehs says typically around 3-6 months. It varies for everyone.
Was it that painful? Not with the dental block. I can imagine other areas (Nasolabial folds, Marionette Lines, Deep Creases, Cheeks) being a bit uncomfortable during the procedure, but they do a topical anesthetic to help with this.
Any tips or suggestions? Why, of course I have suggestions. I'm never without something to say... (just ask Dr. Riehs - it was NOT EASY for him to keep me from trying to talk - even with a dental block and a syringe in my lip - I was attempting to jabber. I bet he had something a little stronger on hand to shut me up) Anyway, here's my tips.
1/ Be sure you're numb before it begins - because there will definitely be a needle - and a little blood, and there will also be some discomfort during the procedure. It is very similar to having dental work done.
2/ Faint at heart? Ok, so we mention above - "definitely needles, definitely blood"... if you're one who drops at the sight of blood or needles - you MIGHT want to let Dr. Riehs know this before hand. It's not uncommon for those who are a bit weak in the knees to pass out during the procedure. If you're queasy, don't be cheesy. Let someone know!
3/ Bruising is worth it. Dr. Riehs has to really 'maneuver' the syringe around under the skin in the areas he wants the filler to stay. His technique takes a little longer than many other doctors, and you should be glad that Dr. Riehs takes his time with each patient - to get the result each individual patient is looking for. Because of this under-skin-movement with the needle - expect some bruising afterward from this movement under the skin (so he can place the product where it needs to be to have the effect it needs to have).
4/ Trust & faith is a MUST - It's important to have faith and trust that the professionals who have the skills and training to perform this procedure - know what they're doing and are going to follow your wishes. And how can you not trust a guy known as the Lip Doctor in Dallas?
5/ Don't get addicted or go overboard. You're going to love the results. It's SOOO likely you're going to think to yourself - "ok, I could have gone a little bigger, or done a little more..." - or want to do it again. It's the same feeling the 1980's tanning bed professionals used to reel you in after giving you 3 free tans: "you're going to love the tan you get from your free week, so you will for sure not mind paying $120 a month for a membership to fry your skin and expose yourself to damaging free radicals on a WHOLE NEW LEVEL on a daily basis!"....
Dr. Riehs is a blessing. He's going to be totally honest with you. In the clinic, we've seen him turn away many patients in certain cases where they wanted more than he was willing to inject, or repeated injections after desired result is achieved - because he doesn't want his patients to look fake, or 'like they'd had work done'. While this has disappointed many, he prides himself on helping his patients be beautiful - but with subtle, natural looking and VISIBLE results.
Visit us at Le Beau Visage Medical Spa in Frisco Texas to learn more, or call us at 214-705-7676. Every patient gets a free consultation with Dr. Riehs. What have you got to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? A new lip and a new you!
