Hey babes!
I hope you all are having a great start to your week! It is officially APRIL! I couldn't be more thrilled that Spring is right around the corner... hopefully mother nature gets it together and this cold weather goes away asap!
I am excited to be posting about my lippie transformation now that they are settled and FINALLY perfect. If you didn't know I get my lips done.. SURPRISE! I was very insecure growing up because my top lip would always go away when I smiled and was basically non existent in the first place. When I was making enough $$ this was one of my first big girl purchases and they are worth every penny. Little did I know I was going to feel like I am on the show botched with all I had to go thru to fix them!
Quick background information...
I have been getting my lips done for about 2 years now, I won't say where I initially was going because I would feel too bad bashing- but I can tell you it wasn't at St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery's office! Initially I went to this cosmetic office because a friend of mine's mom got her fillers done there and loved the injector. I should have researched more into how long she has been doing fillers, her before and afters, etc. but was honestly too excited to get them done. Ladies, be SURE you do your research on whoever you are letting touch your face or any part of your body, because no one wants to have to spend even more money correcting a mistake that should not have been made in the first place!
The first time I got my lips done I remembered loving the shape that my nurse had created, however after the initial 2 weeks of them settling I wanted more volume. So when I went back for my check up I ended up getting another half syringe and was happy with the results. I would say the few times I went after that for another 1/2 syringe I started to slowly notice these weird pocket like bumps in my top lip. They were almost like grooves from the product building up- when I mentioned it to the nurse who definitely should have noticed them before I did told me she would inject around them and loosen them up/ make them more even. Getting injected was almost painful honestly when it never was for me in the past (with the numbing cream of course), and that's when I knew something was seriously wrong...
Fast Forward to Now:
As time went by I started to get more and more embarrassed of the weird bumps, and hated getting my picture taken (which as a blogger there is NOTHING worse then that!) I decided that I would let them settle a little bit longer and then go in for a consultation with Dr. Christian Prada's nurse, Debbie at St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery in the Chesterfield Valley. I had only heard amazing things about Dr. Prada and Debbie from friends who have had their lips and boobs done, so I knew that I needed to see not only what all the buzz was about, but if she could help me and if we were on the same page.
For the initial consultation I sat in the patient room with both of them and talked about my lip journey that lead me to now and how I have been using Juvederm XL. We decided that we would try to use a different product called Vollure to start the process of getting these lips back on track to the perfect pout.
My Personal Choice to Change Product: I choose Vollure for three different reason; 1. Nurse Debbie told me it's AMAZING 2. It's a much softer product and 3. It lasts for a year and a half (figuratively if your metabolism isn't crazy). Previously I had been using Juvederm XL which personally was a little harsher of a product for my lips, and only lasted a year, so I was definitely wanting a much softer product. The fact that it lasts a little longer is a plus! I was a little scarred from my lips going all Jay Z on me so I am glad that Dr. Prada's office offered different options.
Debbie was very sure we would be able to correct them, it was just a matter of if we would have to use dissolver. At my two week check up was when we would decide if we needed the dissolvent or be good to go.
Before :(
After First Round of Injections + Settled
2 Weeks Later:
Unfortunately we weren't able to quite get rid of the buildup/grooves from my first consultation. They were definitely BETTER then when I walked in, however the only way we were going to be able to get rid of the product was by dissolving it, and coming back a few days later to see if I could handle one final syringe/ if the bumps were actually gone. Debbie didn't end up dissolving any of the bottom lip because it wasn't bumpy at all, however in the top she went into the ridges and side pockets and dissolved that area. Guys the dissolver stings like a B****! Don't have to be the girl who has to be in the situation I was in, it wasn't fun! I came back in about 4 days later and all that bumpy crap was GONE. Thank you Lippie Gods and DEBBIE. We were then able to inject a full syringe back into my lips and fix the area she dissolved as well as injecting more into my bottom lip. This time around I wanted my upper lip to be decently smaller then my bottom lip (which is actually how they are supposed to look, wouldn't have known that if you saw how messed up my old top lip was compared to the bottom lol).
NOW:)
Review: Thank you so much Dr. Prada and Debbie for making me have the perfect Prada POUT! So grateful. I was right to listen to all of my friends who have put their faces and boobs (literally) in Dr. Prada's and Debbie's hands haha! Seriously. Guys. Do. Your. Research. I wish I would have known about Debbie when I started getting my injections because I would have 100% started my lip journey here! Debbie actually started at this practice 38 years ago, and has been doing fillers and botox the last 30 years. If any of my readers are familiar with Dr. White that's who she started her career with! It was such a relief to have someone who has been in the industry so long and was so precise with their injectables. I am so happy she was able to fix me up and help me feel great in front of the camera again.
Here's the price breakdown for you all who are interested in getting your lips or filler done! Please be sure to let them know that Maddie sent you! <3
$$$:
Juvederm: $550- Lasts a year
Vollure: $650- Lasts a year and a half
If you're interested in keeping up to date with St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery and receiving specials you will want to go to their website and sign up for their newsletter! I have listed the link below:
