.png)
You may already know (and for those who are just learning, welcome to the party) that I have had JUVÉDERM® lip injections done in June of 2017. According to JUVÉDERM®'s website, the injection "adds fullness to the lips for up to 1 year with optimal treatment." Okay, neat, so what exactly is it?
JUVÉDERM® is a cosmetic treatment referred to as a filler. It’s used to restore facial contours and improve signs of aging; it works by adding volume to the facial tissue through its active ingredient, hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in the human body. It stimulates the production of the connective tissue that plumps the skin (drugs.com).
I received the treatment as a (very) early birthday present because after seeing my mom's new lips (oh, and Kylie's, of course) I wanted to join the plump-party. And in conclusion, I begged her every day until she said yes and I lived happily ever after--Until they de-plumped as presumed.
Flash forward to the beginning of this summer, I asked my mother if it was time to book an appointment for another "early birthday present," to which her response was, "You can book it whenever, start saving up now."
Well, damn, Christine.
To my surprise, a woman who works at the office my mother and I go to (whom I grew up with; she's my mother's BFF) texted me last week: "We need your lips! We learned a new skill and would love to try it on you for to be our model"
I was thrilled and moved my schedule around to ensure I could get an appointment ASAP. Shifts covered, errands postponed...check and check, let's do this.
The next day, it hit me. Wait, what did I volunteer for?
I texted our fam friend for the details just to make sure we were on the same page.
"They are called PDO Smooth Threads. It's like a mini lip fill," she explained. "It fills out the border of your lips nicely." I agree again to go 'head with my appointment upon learning this and immediately Googled what I should expect.
I'll give you the science definition first, followed by my simplified one.
NovaThreads.com states, "In medical terms 'Selective Inflammatory Response', is the principle behind a lot of aesthetic procedures (such as Fractional Laser, Chemical Peels & MicroNeedling). Our skin is very good at repairing itself, and by inserting NOVATHREADS we make it ‘heal’ itself by creating new collagen, naturally! It’s a synthetic absorbable surgical suture composed of polydioxanone. PDO sutures are used to perform cardiothoracic surgery (such as open-heart surgery). It’s one of the safest materials to be implanted in the body."
In Nicole-terms, basically what happens is, a tiny-tiny strand is threaded around the boarder of your lips, which instantly gives a modest plump and more defined upper and lower lip. Even better, over time (plumper results will be more visible 4-6 weeks in) collagen will naturally be attracted to/grow in that area and therefore, leaving naturally plumper lips that last 2+ years before needing treatment again.
I am only approaching my second week with the threads, but come 4-6 weeks from now, if I decide I would like more threads, I am more than welcome to go back to the office to do so.
Any questions?? Please reach out to me-- I am so happy to lead you in the right direction/answer any of your questions!
Instagram: GetChicByNicole
