Plump lips and pronounced cheekbones have been a Hollywood beauty staple for years now, but not every starlet was naturally blessed with those flattering features. In fact, most celebrities have been turning to cosmetic treatments for decades in order to achieve that flawless appearance. And honestly, can you blame them? With fillers like Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne on the market, Hollywood’s elite can add volume to their faces, resulting in more pronounced features or an overall younger-looking appearance—talk about an easy fix.
However, while all of this sounds great, it can still be intimidating to finally cross over the cosmetic threshold to fillers. So, we asked four, filler-friendly women about their personal experience with the treatment so you’ll know exactly what to expect if you ever decide to book that dermatologist appointment.
You May Also Like: The Surprising Reason You Could Become ‘Immune’ to Certain Injectables—and the One to Switch to If It Happens
JoAnn, 56
Why did you want fillers? “I got fillers because I had a lot of sagging around my cheeks and mouth, resulting in parenthesis around my mouth. The doctor put fillers in my upper cheeks and also my temples. The cheek injections were supposed to help the sagging. He also told me that as you get older, your temples get hollow, and the fillers make you look younger, so I had him do that also.”
What do you wish you had known first? “I wish I had known how much I would like the results! I wish I had done it sooner. But, I wish I had looked into more doctors to do the procedure. Generally I was happy, but at first I felt like one of my temples looked like it had more filler than the other. It looks even now, but that’s probably because of time. I mentioned it to the doctor, and he didn’t do anything about it except tell me maybe the one temple needed more injection. I felt he should have given me more filler to even it out if he agreed with me. All in all, it’s important to really investigate doctors.”
Amy, 45
Why did you want fillers? “I get fillers a few times a year. I’m 45 and do not want to look it! I have a long, narrow face and it helps make me look fuller and more youthful under my eyes and in my chin and my temples. And now I have some serious cheekbones! Nothing that looks fake; just a better version of me. I eat through it, though, so have to get it every few months.”
What do you wish you had known first? “That I would need it more than twice a year. It’s expensive, but honestly, I’d rather have my filler than a new outfit. Also, I’m a bleeder and I swell, so a little disclaimer about that would be a good thing.”
June, 30
Why did you want fillers? “Earlier this year, I started noticing a shadow around my mouth (parenthesis/marionette lines) and it started to really bother me. More than lines around my eyes, I felt like that was the biggest sign of aging for me. My mom and all of my aunts have the same shadow around their mouth. One day I was meeting an friend at Dr. David Shafer’s office, and somehow the conversation turned into “My mom has this line and I’m beginning to see it too…” He used Juvéderm Vollure on me, and it’s soft and very malleable.”
What do you wish you had known first? “I think everyone makes a big fuss about getting treatments, but they don’t know how natural it can look. If it’s one thing I want to tell people, it is to do their research when it comes to finding a doctor.”
[Disclaimer: June works with Allergan]
Jennie, 37
Why did you want fillers? “I got fillers to enhance my lips for a fuller appearance and to soften my nasolabial folds. I chose New York plastic surgeon Stephen Greenberg, MD, for his expertise and knowledge of the various fillers on the market, and the variety that he uses in his office.”
What do you wish you had known first? “I wish that I knew to avoid taking aspirin in the few days leading up to my injection. I get really bad headaches pretty frequently, so I take aspirin on almost a daily basis. I did not realize the first time I was scheduling my injections that I should mention this, but I later found out that aspirin could increase my risk of bruising. With that said, Dr. Greenberg made me feel very comfortable and was very gentle in his approach, and I am happy to say that I did not bruise at all.”
