Today I wanted to share my experience with two Toronto clinics I've been to for lip injections. Yes, I had it done and most people close to me didn't notice unless I told them, because *newsflash* you can get lip injections and they can still look natural! I think a lot of people think Kylie Jenner lips when they hear the words "lip filler" but let's be clear: 1 syringe doesn't do that to you. She's definitely had like 3 full ass syringes in there lol (and if that's your thing, no hate. Just trying to clarify that it's not all puffiness and duck lips, and it's definitely achievable if you just want a bit of extra oomph!) I won't write a ton of pre and post procedures simply because this is easily google-able so I don't wanna be repetitive. This is more of a review on two specific clinics I went to.
I had my second lip injection done just last week at this clinic with a nurse named Mila, and had a really positive experience overall! Appointment started on time and everything ran smoothly. I was in and out of there in 45 minutes. Staff were all friendly and helpful.
The Procedure -
They applied numbing cream all over the lip and surrounding area as you can see below. They tell you not to close your mouth and do your best to keep your tongue away from your lips to avoid the numbing cream getting inside your mouth (but if it does, nothing too bad will happen, just that you'll be numb and uncomfortable for a bit). After 10 minutes, they go ahead with the procedure. This time around was alot smoother and less painful obviously due to the cream. The nurse also helped correct the minor gap between my lip perfectly, even with only half a syringe to work with. She also helped plump up my cupid's bow which is what I asked for (you can see this from the side angle in the second picture with my upper lip curving upwards more. My actual top lip without filler is just kind of flat and straight which you can probably see in any of my pictures between 2017-2018 lol) Overall SOOO happy with this work and can see myself coming back here because I trust them to do a good job!!
Pre-procedure
- At the time of making the appointment, the clinic will usually recommend you a few things such as avoiding fish oil and other supplements that may heighten your chances of bruising.
- On the day of the procedure, there is a quick consultation with the doctor just before they begin, and you'll be filling in some forms and answering questions before getting the OK from the doctor/plastic surgeon. Because this procedure is so common and fairly non-invasive, the nurse is the one who will perform it, not the plastic surgeon.
- On average, 1 syringe of Juvaderm will run you about $600 + tax. I researched alot of clinics before choosing one and this seemed to be the standard price I kept seeing. You can also commit to just half a syringe which will be half the price.
Post-Procedure
- There could be minor bleeding/spotting and potential bruising. It's not that serious or painful though, so there is no real downtime after lip injections, and you can put makeup back on right away. It just feels a bit tender to touch and awkward to talk because the lips are larger, still numb and a bit painful. A few recommendations that a clinic may make for the next 24 hours are a) don't touch or rub your lips and b) don't exercise.
- Expect pure swelling and tenderness, but this all goes away after Day 1-2. I actually think they look nicest on Day 1 because the swelling makes your lips look twice as plump but it doesn't last lol Alot of clinics on instagram take before and after pics, and the "after" pics are immediately post-treatment which is when the lips are swollen. This is literally SO deceiving because they are only that big purely from swelling! The end-result will actually be less noticeable and more natural. So if you are aiming for a really noticeable difference, you will most likely need more than 1 syringe. My first filler, I got 1 full syringe of Juvaderm (hyaluronic acid) but my lips still looked 'normal' to most people. My second filler, I got half a syringe of Stylage. Your body metabolizes this over time and the fillers will last anywhere between 6-12 months.
- You may feel lumps in your lips immediately post-procedure where the filler was put but most of the time, these can be gently massaged out and will go away within 2-3 days. They're fairly common so most of the time, its nothing to worry about. I had a minor lump that thankfully wasn't noticeable but just felt really weird every time I pressed my lips together because I could feel it but it went away after following the above steps!
My first lip injection was done in 2015 and was the worst and I hope no one ever has to deal with this kind of shit ass 'customer service'. First time lip injections can be scary enough, so its important to find a clinic that makes you feel comfortable and is professional from start to finish. Long story short, all the staff here had such a stuck-up attitude. To start, the nurse forgot I had an appointment and left for the evening already. Front desk staff called her back in, resulting in me waiting 20 minutes. Dr Jugenburg happened to be in the reception area when I first walked in, and seemed confused by me being there, but he didn't really acknowledge me or ask what he could help me with (that's always a nice way to make a customer feel when they're dropping $600 right? lol) The nurse, Marina came back, never apologized and wanted to argue that the emails we exchanged were unclear with my appointment scheduling (but my email from HER, that I STILL HAVE TO THIS DAY, said "we'll see you at 5pm") Mistakes happen but having a shitty attitude is not something I can excuse and overlook.
Wellness Centre 4 You
The Procedure -
The injections are obviously painful. It doesn't matter what clinic you go to, but if the nurse's technique is good, it'll hurt less. Marina didn't offer numbing cream prior to the injection and because it was my first time, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I thought this was just normal so I went along with it, assuming it was like tattoos and piercings where you never get numbing cream. Looking back, I'm pretty pissed she didn't let me know that was an option. The injections themselves have a numbing effect in it but that's kind of too late, seeing as the needle has to go in first and you've already felt all kinds of pain soooo...lol the results were okay but I specifically wanted a minor gap between my lips to be filled/corrected and Marina wasn't able to fill it so that was disappointing! I don't know if its because she didn't care to really do a good job or she just genuinely sucked at what she doing. I've read their reviews and people seemed to love the surgeon and his clinic staff but I don't know...all I can say is, name and reputation really is not everything.
I had my second lip injection done just last week at this clinic with a nurse named Mila, and had a really positive experience overall! Appointment started on time and everything ran smoothly. I was in and out of there in 45 minutes. Staff were all friendly and helpful.
The Procedure -
They applied numbing cream all over the lip and surrounding area as you can see below. They tell you not to close your mouth and do your best to keep your tongue away from your lips to avoid the numbing cream getting inside your mouth (but if it does, nothing too bad will happen, just that you'll be numb and uncomfortable for a bit). After 10 minutes, they go ahead with the procedure. This time around was alot smoother and less painful obviously due to the cream. The nurse also helped correct the minor gap between my lip perfectly, even with only half a syringe to work with. She also helped plump up my cupid's bow which is what I asked for (you can see this from the side angle in the second picture with my upper lip curving upwards more. My actual top lip without filler is just kind of flat and straight which you can probably see in any of my pictures between 2017-2018 lol) Overall SOOO happy with this work and can see myself coming back here because I trust them to do a good job!!
Took all the selfies in the world on Day 1 LOL
If anyone has any questions on lip filler experience that I didn't run through in this post, shoot me a message :) Hopefully this helps some of you if you've ever been curious or wanting to do it for yourself :) I love my lips and am so happy with the results!
