80 Fairlady/September 2019Lip service
Dr Dominique Myburgh applied
a numbing gel all over my mouth
and took me through what to
expect while we waited for the
gel to take effect. If you are very
squeamish, they also offer dental
blockers, which numb the entire
mouth, but that’s recommended
only if you’re terrified of needles.
Like most clinics, Skin Renewal
uses hyaluronic acid-based fillers.
‘Hyaluronic acid is found naturally
in your skin and its main function
is to absorb moisture and hydrate,’says Dr Myburgh. ‘So it’s seen as a
more natural product that you are
injecting into your lips or fat pads.’
She adds that we also have an
enzyme in our body that breaks
down the hyaluronic acid. ‘Because
there is more movement in the lip
area, the filler will start to break
down in eight to 12 months.’ The
filler is injected into the lips to add
volume, as well as in the border of
the lips for more definition.
After going through my medical
history, dos and don’ts and the
risks involved, it was time to get
started. Firstly, Dr Myburgh marks
the spots she’ll be injecting with
a white pen (you can end up with
tattoos if you use black ink – eek!).
Skin Renewal follows the MD
Codes for their procedure. These
were guidelines created by world-
renowned plastic surgeon Dr
Mauricio de Maio on where best
to place the fillers, and how much
filler is needed to get the best
results and natural proportions.
‘You should keep your natural
proportions the same: the bottom
lip needs to be fuller than the top
lip,’ says Dr Myburgh.
For me, she chose Juvéderm
for ‘a plump, pillowy pout’, and
started by injecting the bordersof my lips. I braced myself for the
pain. It’s not the most comfortable
experience, but the injections are
quick, and I’ve had worse – it was
bearable. The filler also contains
lidocaine, so after the first injection
your mouth gets even number. The
most painful parts are towards the
centre of the lip. Once the border
is done, the worst is over; all that’s
left is the inner lip. And in just 15
minutes, it’s over.
I felt quite strange walking out
of the clinic; my lips were fairlyswollen – talking was a weird
experience. And once the numbing
cream wore off, they hurt a bit.
But by the next day the pain was
gone, the swelling was down and
my lips looked great – especially
with a bold red lipstick, which
I wore for date night. The best
part was that
they were
noticeable
enough that
my friends
and colleagues
complimented
me, but so
subtle that
strangers
couldn’t tell
I’d had some
‘work done’.
In two weeks, I’ll
go for a follow-up to
check that the filler
has settled properly
and that everything is
even. ‘Some patients
prefer the look of their
lips immediately after
the injections, so they
may want to add a bit
more filler once the
swelling has gone,’
says Dr Myburgh.PREPARATION BEFORE AND
AFTER YOUR LIP FILLERS
■ Avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatories,
omega-3s and high-dosage vitamin E
supplements for 10 days before the
procedure. These thin your blood and
may result in increased bruising.
■ Similarly, avoid coffee and alcohol 24
hours before your procedure.
■ The injections cause trauma to the
area, which can stimulate a fever blister.
If you’re prone to them, treat your lips
with cold sore cream for 10 days before
your appointment. Your doctor can also
prescribe an anti-viral that you should
take for five days after the filler treatment.
■ Do not have any dental work in the
four weeks before and after having fillers
injected as that can release bacteria,
which increases the risk of infection.
■ Avoid applying makeup to the area for
24 hours after the procedure.
■ Afterwards, massage your lips twice
a day for one minute to help distribute
the filler.■ You may experience a bit of bruising, which can last
anything from five to 10 days. You will be swollen for
two to three days afterwards.
■ Your lips will be tender, so pressure and certain
movements may cause slight pain.
■ In a very small percentage of patients there’s the rare
possibility of pigmentation forming in the area that has
been treated with the filler.
■ The most serious complication is if the filler is in-
jected into a blood vessel or an artery, as that will stop
blood flow to the tissue.
■ For the first six hours after treatment, be aware of an
excessive amount of pain (eight to 10 on the pain scale)
and a change in colour – red (and blue in the case of
bruising) is fine, but patches of white aren’t good. If that
happens, the filler needs to be dissolved immediately.
The risk for the lip area is low, though.‘We don’t do more than one
syringe in a sitting; it’s only after
the swelling has gone down that
you can see the full effect.’
I definitely understand the fuss
and am even considering going in
for a retouch after eight months. ✤PHOTOGRAPHS: LIZA VAN DEVENTER