If you told me last year I’d be sitting in a dermatologist’s chair getting filler, I would have laughed. I was completely against it. I’d seen too many overfilled faces and just didn’t want to go down that road.
Then, I lost 80 pounds over the last two years. My body looked better, but my face wasn’t bouncing back the way I thought it would. I work an active job and take care of myself, but the weight loss left me looking more tired than I felt. My cheeks looked hollow, my lines looked deeper and my skin just looked worn out.
I’ve also spent a lifetime in the Florida sun without using sunscreen. Like a lot of ’80s kids growing up in Florida, sun protection was an afterthought. Because my skin tans easily, I have always “laid out” to “get some color.” But years of sun worshipping, beach days and skipping SPF were finally catching up to me.
My older sister, who swears by her Botox treatments, kept telling me to go see West Palm Beach dermatologist Kenneth Beer, MD. I finally gave in and made an appointment, but I was firm on one thing. Botox, yes. Filler, absolutely not.
Relaxing My Wrinkles
At my appointment, Dr. Beer listened to everything I was unhappy about. He agreed that some Botox Cosmetic injections would help smooth some of my fine lines and started there. Right when I thought we were done, he caught me off guard.
“Come back in a week and see how you feel, but I’ll tell you right now, you could really benefit from filler too,” he said. I smiled and nodded, but in my head, I was already saying no. I had no interest in looking puffy or fake.
Later that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said. I started researching filler and was surprised to learn how temporary it is. It can even be reversed. That made me feel a lot better. If I hated it, I wasn’t stuck with it.
By the time I went back for my follow-up, I was open to trying a little. Nothing drastic, just some in my cheeks to help regain some of the lost fat in my cheeks that helped me look younger, and a small amount in my lips for balance.
Taking the Plunge
The injections were quick. Dr. Beer used Juvéderm Voluma in the high points of my cheeks and he said I would probably see a benefit in my tear troughs as well. A little pinching, a little pressure and before I knew it, we were done. My cheeks felt sore that night, but by the third day, the swelling was gone and I could really see the difference.
The results were even better than I expected. I still look like me, just healthier and more refreshed. I love looking in the mirror and I can really see the difference in my upper lip and my forehead. Dr. Beer recommended the Ourself Lip Filler treatment ($145) as well and that has also given my lips even more plumping which overtime will continue (and hopefully make my filler last longer, too). It has a hyaluronic acid formula so it’s also smoothing the lines on my lips as well.
Why Did I Wait So Long?
I don’t know what I was so afraid of. My confidence got an instant boost and aside from a little soreness, it was so easy. Not one person has asked me if I had something done, but plenty of my friends and family have said I look well-rested and honestly, I love that.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. If it is done right, filler doesn’t make you look different, but it can make you look like yourself again.
