This year Christina G. made a commitment to take care of her skin with the help of our aesthetic nurse specialist, Elizabeth. While implementing a day and evening regimen with SkinMedica, she has also undergone various treatments such as Botox, Voluma, chemical peels, and dermaplaning.
One of her most recent visits with Elizabeth was to try the newest cosmetic injection created by Allergan called Juvederm Volbella. The aesthetic goal of Volbella is to create subtle lip fullness while decreasing the appearance of vertical lines which are caused by age and sun overexposure.
A few weeks ago, Christina, 50, decided to give Juvederm Volbella a try.
What made you decide to schedule a Volbella treatment?
I have been under the care of Elizabeth for about a year now. She mentioned this new cosmetic injection called Volbella and how I might be a great candidate. Elizabeth shared how their patient coordinator, Karen, had it done and recommended I see her to learn of her experience. Karen raved about it and was really happy with the results. I did my own research when I got home on RealSelf, liked what I discovered, and decided to schedule an appointment.
What aesthetic changes did you want from your Volbella treatment?
I definitely wanted fuller lips but nothing that looked too overdone. I was searching for something more natural looking. I also had these vertical lines on my lower and top lips and hoped that could be resolved, too.
Did you find the Volbella treatment results satisfactory?
I absolutely did. The fullness was the perfect amount, and I also noticed a very subtle pout. The added fullness also made most of my vertical lines disappear. This treatment really rejuvenated my lip area, particularly the top portion, Cupid ’s bow. I am very happy with the results.
Were the injections painful?
I really experienced minimal discomfort. Elizabeth first applied a topical numbing agent to my lips and let it sit for about 25 minutes or so. Following this, she began the injection series which outlined the bottom and lower portion of my lips. The only area I felt a couple of the injections were the middle-top portion of my lips. Aside from this area, I barely felt a thing. Elizabeth also explained how Volbella had lidocaine in its ingredients which helped ease any discomfort.
How long did it take and what happened afterwards?
After the numbing agent, the actual injection series took about 15 minutes. After the injections, Elizabeth had me stay for about 10 minutes to apply ice packs. She also gave me an ice pack for the drive home. I continued the icing “on and off” into the evening hours.
Did you have any bruising or swelling?
I did not have any bruising, but I did have a little swelling which lasted a couple days. I met with people I already knew the very next day, and they didn’t even notice it. I really believe the icing helped considerably.
Would you recommend Volbella to others?
I absolutely will and already have. While it’s a great product, you need someone like Elizabeth or Dr. Bolitho do the injections so you receive the very best results.
