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In a few short months, I will be turning fifty. It sounds surreal to even think it, much less say it out loud. F-I-F-T-Y. That's a major milestone to hit and it has me reflecting on a lot of things in my life: where I am with my business, where I am with my personal health, how to face the next chapter in my life as an empty nester and certainly, how I feel about some of the physical changes my body is going through. One of the (many) things that has been bothering me of late is that my lips have started to thin. Not that I ever looked like a Kardashian, but I felt like I was having to rely on lip liner to enhance and define them more and more. I recently visited Dr. Vu Ho at Beautiful Faces MedSpa in Plano to go over the laundry list of things that are irritating me about getting older. Thinning lips was at the top of my list.
Before and After
Dr. Ho is a double board-certified plastic surgeon and he educated me that collagen is a protein that supports the body's soft tissue and it's what gives lips their plumpness. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen. I know this might be hard to believe, because I think everyone I know over the age of 35 has had some sort of injectable done... but until a few weeks ago - I had never stuck a needle in my face. Not even for Botox. But the desire to plump up my puckerer overrode my fear of needles and I agreed to let Dr. Ho shoot me up.
"Thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, lines and wrinkles have met their match thanks to the effectiveness of injectable filler, Restylane," says the Beautiful Faces MedSpa website. "Made of hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in the body, Restylane provides needed hydration to aged skin to provide additional volume to fill in lines and wrinkles. A family of injectables, Restylane Lyft is used to augment cheeks, and Restylane Silk is used to augment lips."
I was petrified that I was going to come out looking like Goldie Hawn in The First Wives Club so I told him to be conservative. "I want it to look natural", I said. Like twenty times. So, here's how it went down. They rubbed a layer of numbing creme all over my mouth and it sat for a few minutes. Then they wiped it off and Dr. Ho went to work. The doctor determined the appropriate dosage and injected Restylane Refyne into my lips and nasal labial folds (your smile lines). They also had a "cold roller" they rolled over certain spots on my face just to numb sensitive areas even more. And probably just to make me feel better, since I was such baby about it.
Top is my natural lip and the bottom image is after Restylane
The treatment took around 30 – 45 minutes to complete. For lip augmentation, the results can last for around 6 months. When used to treat lines, wrinkles, and folds, Restylane can last up to 1 year. Dr. Ho told me that I might have some swelling when I woke up the next morning (I didn't). I did some some minor pin prick bruises for a few days, but they were easily covered up with makeup.I have to admit, now that it's been a few weeks and I've gotten used to it - I totally wish he'd plumped me up a little MORE. I love the results and am looking forward to letting Dr. Ho work his magic on other areas that need a little improvement. Stay tuned...
If you'd like to consult with Dr. Vu Ho at Beautiful Faces MedSpa about injectables or laser treatments, call his office at 469-751-8114 and tell him I sent you! You can also visit Beautiful Faces MedSpa online.