I had an appendectomy about a week and a half ago! Three nights at Seton before I finally got to go home. It was no picnic, but now that it’s behind me I can look back and see a few positives (you know, aside from getting that nasty appendix out). Think there’s nothing good about a hospital stay?
Well, how about this: ONE– I didn’t have to worry about getting my daily water intake because I was hooked up to an IV!
TWO – the breakfast I got to eat after no food for TWO DAYS was nothing short of miraculous: french toast, bacon, coffee, yogurt and granola…lordt!!
and THREE – my discharge nurse said to me: “Well, you’re the favorite patient on the fifth floor! All the nurses are talking about the girl in 526 and can’t believe you’re 45! Seriously, you look like you could be in your 20s.” Although I’m uncomfortable saying complimentary things about myself, I wanted to share this because I genuinely feel this is due to talents of Iris, Kit and Gina and the way they work their magic with skincare and injectables. I’d definitely look my age without them!
To sort of highlight this point, I had one of those self-image type dreams a few weeks ago. The kind of dream that you know is just a reflection of how you’re feeling about yourself or seeing yourself in present time. In the dream I had gone to a party with Gina and her boyfriend. The party was no one we knew, but immediately everyone started to talk to Gina and Brent and everyone ignored me. I saw a glimpse of myself and my hair was frizzy and I hadn’t done anything to fix it. I didn’t have any makeup on and I felt lonely and unattractive and so I left. As I was walking out I thought, “I guess I’m finally at that age where no one really pays attention to me.” It was an overall sad feeling dream. When I woke up and recalled it, it was no surprise because I have felt pretty frumpy for the better part of this year.
Filler Up. Sometimes it’s easy to realize why you’re feeling blah, but other times it takes a specific occurrence to make you realize what’s been missing or off. A few days after that dream, Gina did my lip filler. I haven’t had lip filler since about February when we dissolved some old filler and I was left with my natural lips. When I looked in the mirror after the injections, even though I had bruising (because I didn’t follow pre-injection instructions!), I saw these plump, beautifully defined lips staring back at me and suddenly felt just a little bit better than I had that morning. It’s that dang thing called youth! Plump and firm is youth. No way around it. And we lose our plump as we get older. Fill up the volume loss and smooth out the lines and suddenly there’s a spring in your step and a double take when you walk past the mirror!
Lip enhancement is probably our most scheduled filler treatment. Some of our younger clients come in wanting just a little extra plump, others have naturally thin lips and need more volume, and some people just want a return to their youthful appearance. And remember that lip injections aren’t always Kardashian style! There are multiple ways to get a mouth makeover, no matter what you’re looking for. Here are a few ways to put a little extra sparkle in your smile:
Sad smile. This is where the corners of the lips are constantly pointing downward, looking almost as if they are being pulled down towards the chin, giving the appearance of looking angry or sad. It is caused by certain muscles in the mouth being stronger than the muscles that oppose them. A Botox injection into the depressor muscle in the mouth area causes the muscle to relax, allowing the corners of the mouth to be gently lifted and upturned. OR, if your down-turned smile isn’t particularly pronounced, but there is still a visible depression in the corners of the mouth, a small amount of filler injected into that area can provide similar lifting results.
Definition. Small amounts of filler, placed along the vermillion border (border of the lip) can give definition to an otherwise undifferentiated upper lip, while also calling attention to the cupid’s bow, resulting in a sexy pout. It can also can give the appearance of shortening a long upper lip.
Vertical lines, or smoker’s lines, that extend above and below the mouth can be erased with a small amount of delicate, maleable filler, perfect for being placed in these shallow, fines lines, giving you smoothed skin around your lips.
Relax. Have a gummy smile? A gummy smile is just excessive visible gum tissue when smiling. This can be easily treated with Botox. An injection of Botox in the upper lip reduces the lifting action of lip muscles (“elevator muscles”), which reduces the amount of gums visible when you smile.
A full lip enhancement can be as pronounced or subtle as you prefer. Common fillers we use for lips are Kysse, Defyne, Restylane and Juvederm. Lip injections can add volume to the lip, enhance your natural shape, even out any asymmetry, and the additional fullness makes the lip appear more smooth and youthful. Results generally last about a year.
