Can you get fuller lips at home, without seeing a facial plastic surgeon? Can you really inject fillers or Botox into your face on your own? While plenty of less-than-ethical websites would have you think "yes," the answer is very much "no." Going the DIY route is totally fine in some cases, such as when you’re working on a small home repair project or sewing a button back on to a shirt. But, when it comes to your face and body, it’s always best to leave the treatments in the hands of well-trained experienced medical professionals.
If you’re still considering a DIY treatment, take a look at some of the risks and consider a safer, more reliable option instead.
The #KylieJennerLipChallenge
Bruce Jenner might be getting a lot of attention because of his recent interview, but his daughter, Kylie Jenner remains in the spotlight, too. It doesn’t matter whether or not the teenager had injections or surgery performed to make her lips fuller. What matters is that plenty of teenagers and even some adults are trying to mimic the fullness of her lips, using pretty dangerous at-home methods. The method of choice that caught the most attention recently, and which created a trending hashtag, involves placing a shot glass over the lips, sucking in for a few minutes, then pulling the glass way. The suction and pressure add fullness to the lips very temporarily.
The big drawback is that this DIY method typically leaves a ring of bruising around the mouth, which remains long after the fullness has faded. It can also cause scarring and actually damage the lips’ tissue, destroying collagen. Plus, there’s the risk that the glass will shatter due to the pressure, meaning a person could end up with pretty bad cuts around his or her mouth.
If you want to add volume to your lips, a much safer option is to see a facial plastic surgeon and learn more about the options for lip augmentation. You might be a good candidate for an injectable filler, which will temporarily add volume. If you want permanent results, lip enhancement surgery, such as a lip lift or adding lip implants, might be a better option for you. While injections and surgery aren’t without their risks, when performed by a trained surgeon, those risks are usually very minimal.
DIY Injections
If you have a few wrinkles, you might be weighing the pros and cons of having injections, such as Botox or Juvederm, to either make your wrinkles less visible or to help fill them in. While the cost of seeing a facial plastic surgeon to have any type of injection performed is going to be higher than ordering a DIY "kit" or seeing someone who’s offering the injections at a private home or in a hotel room, the risk of long-term issues is considerably lower.
Although authentic Botox and similar product, Dysport, are only available from their manufacturers, and only sold to doctors, you might have seen so-called Botox treatments for sale online or seen an online video providing step-by-step instructions on how to perform the injections. If you order "Botox" from a website, you have no way to know what it is in it or what it will do to you when injected into your face. If you try to inject it yourself or have a person with little or no training perform the injection, there’s no way to be sure that you or that person will inject the right areas or get the dosing right, which can cause serious complications, such as drooping eyelids, trouble swallowing, or even infections.
The same risks are involved if you try a DIY filler. Like Botox and Dysport, authentic fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane are only available from the manufacturers and only sold to doctors. There’s no way to know what’s in a product you purchase from a random website, and there have been cases of people injecting themselves with so-called fillers, having rejections, and discovering that those fillers actually contained pieces of fiberglass or glass.
Don’t take the risk — if you’re thinking about any sort of injectable wrinkle treatment, book an appointment with a surgeon who has experience with the injection and can show you the results of that experience.
Eyelid Trainer
In some cases, people have taken to trying out devices that promise to mimic the results of a procedure such as an eyelid lift, without the need for surgery. A so-called "eyelid trainer" claims to shape the lids, creating a double lid look, in just a few minutes a day. The device, which looks like a really strange pair of glasses, will probably not cause lasting harm, but it also won’t produce the same results as a surgical procedure. It is likely to cause some discomfort, if not bruising.
A DIY procedure or gadget might seem like a cost-effective way to get the results you want without surgery or without a visit to a surgeon’s office. But, more often than not, the risks outweigh the potential benefits. If you are considering any type of DIY treatment, it’s a good idea to speak with a facial plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Jessica Kulak, first. Dr. Kulak can give you a good idea of the risks involved and recommend a much safer option instead. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Kulak at the Naderi Center in Virginia, call 703-481-0002. For a consultation at the center’s Maryland practice, call 301-222-2020.
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