! Yes They're Fake ! Visitors' Journals - My Quest For Fuller Lips (Cymetra, Collagen, AlloDerm, Gore-Tex Strands)

My Quest For Fuller Lips

If I had known earlier that I would be posting my journal about my search and experiences on lip procedures that I have had, I would have taken some close-up “before” pictures. I searched through photos and came up with the best that I could, hoping that all interested would be able to see the difference.

I have longed for a sensuous, full mouth for many years. I loved Kim Bassinger’s, and even though smaller, Michelle Pfeiffer's lips. Now I have noticed that actresses and models mouths are getting fuller and they look great. I saw an old movie with Melanie Griffith, and cant think of the name right now of that movie. While watching it, I thought to myself, how much more youthful she looks now than she did in the 80’s. It has to be the lips. I think the fuller lips makes the face softer and younger looking, but that’s my opinion.

So, twelve years ago, I had my first collagen experience. The cost was $500 total for both lips, but I cannot remember how many cc’s I had. It was not much, very subtle. My boyfriend highly disapproved of any type of plastic surgery, so off I went to the plastic surgeon with my girlfriend. I was making good money, and thought this is my body, and I am paying for this, so I did not tell him. We were to meet up with him later for dinner. Later, when we met him, he was sitting next to me, and my girlfriend was sitting across from me at a restaurant. He kept glancing at me, and then said, “Wow, I really like that lipstick you are wearing”. Amazing!!! I never told him what I did. Yet he noticed a change, and liked it.

So here I am twelve years later, 12 years older, and I start my search again for something more permanent. I learned through my experiences, that I did not do the proper amount of research on lip augmentation. Had I known about this lip augmentation site, I could have saved myself A LOT of money.

Here are my "before" pictures taken in 2001

After some research and a referral from a friend, I made my first appointment for AlloDerm and collagen injections. I am told by this plastic surgeon that after 4 treatments, once every 4 weeks, I will have “permanent results”, with only minor touch ups needed after that to keep the look. I thought 4 visits with injections, (this would last a year or longer), and then just minor touch-ups to keep them full would be fine with me. HA!!! Soon to find out this was not to be true.

July 24, 2001: My first set of injections. 1 cc AlloDerm injectables (Cymetra) to each lip, with 1 cc of collagen on the border. I was told the AlloDerm went deeper into the tissues, and the collagen stayed mostly on top, and this would give me the nice border definition I was looking for. A nurse applied topical numbing crème on my lips. Then the PS injected me with the numbing agent on each side of my chin, well down below the lip line, and on each side of my cheeks. “Excuse me, Dr. …., is this going to numb my lips, and why aren’t you putting the injections directly into my lips to numb them”? His response to me was that was not the way it was done. He disappears for at least a half and hour. He comes back into my room, and I wait again, for him to mix the AlloDerm. This takes another 20 minutes. The topical numbing crème put on my lips has not worked, or it wore off. Are my lips numb? NOOOO!!! My FACE is numb all the way up to my eyeballs. Hey, I am a tough cookie, I have a high tolerance to pain, have had other procedures done and did not even use the pain meds prescribed. I have had natural childbirth….at home. But I can tell you this, it was the worst pain I have ever experienced. I could not stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. That AlloDerm felt like a train running through my lips. I could feel it expanding. It was an awful experience. I paid a total of $1,250 for this torture. Each cc of AlloDerm was $500 and the collagen was $250 for one cc, which was used on both lips.

These pics were taken the day after. No make up. I never planned on posting any of these pics so these are the best I have of this procedure on this visit. I was very happy with the results, (cant you tell J) and decided I would have more injected the next visit, 4 weeks away.

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Okay, yes it was painful, but oh my, I loved my lips. I even noticed that I was getting more attention to my face now, instead of my boobs! I have to go back. It did not last 4 weeks as told. I try to play smart this time, making my appointment the last one of the day, so the PS could not leave me alone in the room for such a long period of time.

August 12, 2001: I go to see a movie with my friend. The movie is called “Original Sin”, with Angelina Jolie. After watching this movie, I KNOW I want bigger, fuller lips. She played a wicked character and got away with everything. Was it her beauty? Her lips? I asked a few guys and the answer was yes. Not only that, I was leaving the theater with my friend, and a buddy of his was walking out of the same movie, and this guy could not, I mean he could not stop talking about Angelina’s lips. Then, to my amazement, he turned to me and said, “You should go get yours blown up like that”. Oh my gosh, what an insult I thought!!! I knew I was due for more injections.

August 17, 2001: Just 23 days later, and I am back again. I thought, okay, after this visit, I am halfway through, then just the minor touchups. I took a Valium. I wait for what seems an eternity to be seen. I guess my plan to be the last patient of the day did not work out too good for me, and also I took the Valium way too soon and it’s wearing off. I plead with the PS to numb my lips and not my face. “Can not do”. He cannot give me a good explanation, only that “the AlloDerm company does not allow that”. What I realize later, he just does not know how to. I really don’t know why my eyes need to be numbed when I am getting injected into my lips. Here goes….awful pain, more tears. I went 2 cc’s more this time, hoping I would not have to come back so soon. I had a total of 2 ccs in upper and 2 ccs in lower lips. I swelled up so much that I could not get the collagen injected at this time. Now I have to come back in 4 more days for more injections. I paid in advance. Total cost this visit $2,500.

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You can tell by looking at these pics that I went through quite a lot of trauma. These photos were taken 1-hour post op. Hey, I am wising up, and taking better post-op pics now J. Pic # 7 QUACK, QUACK. Check out that beak!

August 21, 2001: Back for the collagen border. This is a cinch. Collagen going in feels like nothing compared to AlloDerm. Wow. I am feeling really sexy now J. I let my friend take pics of me. These are silly, but you can see how the collagen really made a difference in the border and giving me a more defined and pouty shape. I was not using the Obagi line at this time, nor did I know about it.

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Blue water and yellow raft make a green face!

I soon realize after spending a total so far of $3, 750 in just 4 weeks that this is not going to last like the PS told me. In fact, I noticed after the swelling went down, and the injectables started to disappear, my lips were left dented and deflated looking. Oh my, now what have I done. I need a REAL permanent solution here. After much checking around this time, I decide on a consultation with a “facial only” plastic surgeon. He came highly recommended to me by many people. You can go to keyword and type in:

Dr. Stephen C. Adler and go to his web page and read all about him and his procedures, and you can contact him by E-mail: info@adlerplasticsurgery.com

September 21, 2001: I have my consultation with Dr. Adler. I immediately liked him and his staff. He was very informative. He told me of the different procedures and drawbacks of each. He was HONEST. He listened to everything I had to say or ask. I never felt rushed. I felt very good about him. He offered me a true permanent solution. I want these lips ASAP. I push for an immediate opening with his staff after leaving his consultation office. I make my appointment for my surgery, Gore-tex Strands with Alloderm Overlay. I am excited. I told him of my fear of the needle and what I had already experienced. I was assured that he would not hurt me. I am given prescriptions for Valium to take 1 hour before, and afterwards if needed, antibiotics, and a herpes med to prevent any cold sores. I was offered a pain medication prescription, but I declined, as I have yet to find one that does not give me hives, or just freaks me out. The cost for this surgery, to my amazement, was only $2,500! I thought they made a mistake, and said, “Are you sure”?

September 25, 2001: My dear friend drives me to my appointment with Dr. Adler. I arrive at 2:45 for my implants. I am taken immediately to the back to a surgery room and hooked up to the heart monitor, given a shot of morphine….whoopee, NO FEAR now. I was then given numbing shots to the entire lips, not the face! Dr. Adler has a way of numbing the lips (even when not on morphine) that you cannot even tell you are getting a needle. It’s easier than a visit to the dentist or gynecologist. A paper covering was placed over my face with only my mouth exposed. I was glad of this, as I did not want to see anything. During the entire procedure, which took about an hour and a half.

Dr. Adler, and his nurse Brittany, kept asking me how I was doing. I felt NOTHING. Relief. Not one bit of pain through this whole procedure. The only weird thing, was just “hearing” it. After I am stitched up, they let me look in the mirror. I have gotten used to the Daffy Duck look now, so I am not surprised at all, just very, very happy. The stitches, the undissolvable ones are taped to the outside corners of my mouth. My entire face is numb. There is NO pain. I was given a sheet with all the post-op instructions. Keep elevated, clean sutures with peroxide, Vaseline on lips 6 times daily, maneuver mouth as little as possible, no straws for one week, etc. I feel great and I am starved. I did not eat anything at all today. My friend brings me home, takes pics and then goes out to get us food. The only thing the PS forgot to tell me was that I would be a drool queen for the next week. You cannot drink without spilling everything all over yourself. So if any of you gals get implants, don’t forget the baby bib, and get a baby spoon for eating too, and a baby toothbrush for your teeth. These are all very helpful. Dr. Adler calls later in the evening to check on me. How sweet I thought.

These pics were taken as soon as I arrived home from surgery. This is Gore-Tex strands with AlloDerm overlay. I do not know the amount. Note how swollen my face is.

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Gore-tex strands with AlloDerm overlay

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1 day post-op

September 27, 2001: Uh oh, I lost or ate my dissolvable sutures. I go in to see

Dr. Adler immediately. Everything still intact and looking good.

October 2, 2001(Hey, its my Birthday!) 8:30am appointment with my PS to have the sutures removed that did not fall out. Everything looking great.

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1 week post-op

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3 weeks post-op

I have had several post-op visits up to this point, and all is well.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

I can only wonder if it was something I did. I have a sore swollen blister on the lower inside corner of my lip. Did I work out too soon? I know I used an automatic toothbrush to brush my teeth since it was smaller, could that have jiggled things around? I was babysitting my granddaughter who is almost 2 and she bopped me with her head right smack in my mouth on 2 occasions (by accident of course). Man, did that ever hurt. Was it the comedy channel that I was watching and laughing so hard that could have popped something open? What did I do??? Call the PS. Go in immediately. Let me just make this short, since my journal is already too long. We tried. I never did get the full infection, but there were many visits, too many to mention, as my PS kept a close eye on me. I felt like I lived there, and really, the whole staff feel like family to me. We tried everything. I had the ends clipped several times, and re-sutured, sometimes not needing sutures at all. I had irrigation, which was uncomfortable. There was the tiniest little hole that you could barely even see. I never had an infection, but it just did not want to close.

I did get a salty taste in my mouth if I smiled too much. I was on antibiotics, Cipro 750mg that just took the final toll on my body and we removed the bottom implant. I decided I would rather have this taken out of the bottom rather than continue on the antibiotics any longer. They really made me sick. My bottom implant was removed in December. It was a pain free procedure, but sad. L At least I still had the AlloDerm in there, so my lip did not really deflate. I actually did not even notice much of a difference until much later.

February 11, 2002: Consultation with Dr. Adler, and not my first. He has kept a close eye on me even after the removal of the bottom implant. We are trying to see how my lips are, and I have healed well. Ready to go again. Cost for second surgery $1,900. I am charged for the cost of implants only.

February 21, 2001: I go in for surgery for my implant. I also had decided I wanted to make the upper lip a little fuller with more of the AlloDerm overlay. I thought this would be a simple procedure, so I opted NOT to take any meds or morphine. BAD CHOICE on my part. I think this procedure was a little harder due to scar tissue, and NOT having a morphine shot. But I came through it fine. I did take the meds given for infection, Keflex the first week, and for extra precaution, I took the Cipro the second week, a lower dosage this time) after the sutures were removed. I was extra, extra careful, and still am to this day as I will be 4 weeks post-op tomorrow. I never lost any sutures this time. I did get a few little blisters that worried me at first, but they disappeared as soon as the sutures were removed. I seem do be doing really good. My PS told me he has never to date had to remove them a second time, so that makes me feel better too. I am almost glad I had to have the bottom implant removed. My PS took the incision wider this time, and I think they look better, even though I liked the first ones too. The only other thing I might do when it comes to the States, is have the border outlined with the Artecoll. I think that will give me the complete look that I want, just a little more definition on the lip line. I am very satisfied with the fullness of my lips. Here are my post-op pics after second surgery.

These pics were taken 30 hours post-op. You can just call me Vaseline face on these!

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30 hrs. post-op

Here I am 4 days post op. Notice I am no longer tan, and my skin is looking so much younger. I also owe that to Dr. Adler. He has a special mix of Retin-A with bleaching crème that I was using, and now I am on the Obagi skin care program. I would love to send (when I have time) at least 1 picture of me in with makeup on and looking normal, not like QUACK QUACK. I think I heal rather well, with minimal bruising and swelling. I take a lot of vitamins, including Vitamin C.

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4 days post-op

And finally, here are my 4-week results: Please ignore my red, peeling, blotchy skin. This is from the Obagi skin care line, and I cannot put any makeup on at this time. My face is peeling leaving new and fresh skin.

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4-weeks post-op

I hope I didn’t bore you too much, but made my journal informative. This is the BEST site, and I have met new friends, and great girls on here. Good luck to all!

Please note: I have seen a lot of Dr. Adler’s patients and they all look beautiful. You don’t even notice the patients that have had face-lifts. They look natural, not pulled. One of his staff personal just had a lip procedure and she is gorgeous. She had thin lips, so he did a different procedure on her. I don’t know the medical term. She is very pleased. I will ask her if I can post her pictures on this site too. I am sure she would be more than happy to share them.

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