Since I am a veteran of many experiences with injectables and fillers I thought I’d ‘fill’ you in on ‘the good, the bad, and the not so-much-fun’.  Almost every doctor in Los Angeles these days has a syringe in hand and is ready to ‘stick it to you’.  When done correctly, the results are astonishing, when done incorrectly well, let’s just say it’s astonishing in the wrong way.

Botox, being the most common injectable, comes to mind first.  It has been used for about the last ten years to free foreheads from of the dreaded frown lines and vertical lift.  My first experience was in my mid 30s when the first hints of formation of wrinkles were starting  I’ve been told that is the best time to begin botox because as its been explained to me ‘when you take a piece of paper and fold it over and over again, what happens?   Deep creases.  If you keep your forehead from being folded over and over again, a deep crease won’t ever start.  Therefore I’ve been a botox faithful every since. 

I once went to a doctor in the Bay Area that was so devoted, she botoxed her entire face.  A lot.  To the point she spoke through a slot.  VERY scary.  Of course she gave me the maximum amount able to be injected into one human forehead, rendering the top part of my face a slab of marble.  It was too much and expensive to boot.  Since then I’ve had doctors that have injected me leaving my eyebrows when raised look like ‘Mr. Spock’  (you know you have seen this on others and laughed), or with a dreadful eyelid droop that made me look like Lauren Becall after a rough night.  Also, not attractive.  Done correctly, however, my forehead appears a little ‘plumped up’ (don’t ask me how), I’m still able to render an expression, however with the slight movement of someone 15 years my junior.  As I mentioned, the doctor you have injecting your botox will make all the difference, which is why I trust Dr. Chiu.  He will discuss your goals and how you want your forehead to react.  He is also very gentle with the needle, so you won’t need to mentally prepare yourself prior to seeing him.  Viola, 15 years gone! 

Restylane is another popular filler.  It is most commonly used to fill in lips or marinette lines just like Juvederm.  Both are good soft facial fillers that last up to eight months or so.  If you have lips on the thinner side, it really helps to have a syringe (or two) injected depending on how thin you lips might be.  Make sure your doctor gives you a dental block before starting, which is also a method employed by Dr. Chiu.  I went to one doctor who injected me without it and let’s just say he had to peel me off the ceiling after it was done.  I have a very high pain tolerance but found that procedure to be one of the most painful I’ve experienced.  You wouldn’t have dental surgery without a dental block, right?  The result can be very lovely, just make sure not to get a ‘trout pout’.  Again, you have seen them on others and laughed a bit, right? 

I’ve had injections of Restylane under my eyes to try and correct fragile thin skin.  The doctor that did this to me was the one who didn’t dental block me for the lip injection.  He injected under my eyes then pushed down hard to smooth out the potential tiny lumps of Restylane.  I bruised so badly from his administrations that I walked around looking like Kung Fu Panda for almost three months.  Let’s just say there is only so much a concealer can cover.  I think I might have scared off a potential boyfriend when my date ‘saw beneath’ the spackle to see two black eyes.  PRETTY… (not) 

The latest and greatest for me is Radiesse.  It is a long lasting filler that really compliments cheeks and jawline.  I found as age caught up with me that my cheeks seemed flattened out and a little sad looking.  My jawline was not as firm as it once had been.  Tiny jowls were forming (Jowls?  Mercy!).  Radiesse to the rescue.  It’s the perfect alternative to cheek implants which as you can see on Michael Jackson, and who wants to go there?  Also it is much easier than surgery.  Again, with Dr. Chiu, he mixes painkiller in with the product, it makes the difference between an afternoon of agony and a walk in the park. My first treatment was with a doctor prior to meeting Dr. Gabriel Chiu, I had to stop in between the treatment because I started to pass out from the pain.  With Dr. Chiu, I had mentally braced myself, only to be pleasantly surprised.  His method brings the experience back to strangely enjoyable, which is where it should be every time.  The results have brought my face back to the fullness of youth, without the downtime or expense of surgery.  Also, facial fillers look extremely natural, because they put back what is lost with time, not what was never there in the first place.  Who says you can’t turn back time? 

When I get asked out by someone 15 years younger, I smile and envision myself wearing a t-shirt that says ‘botox, radiesse, restalyne & Dr. Chiu J