It’s no secret that I love getting lip fillers. I have gotten my lips done three times now with AZ Nurse Injector, Skyler Soares, for the past two years now.

Read my first experience and second experience. In addition, you can WATCH my third time getting lip fillers.

Skyler’s the only person I trust with my lips. She is incredibly skilled at what she does and always makes me feel so confident after our sessions! I finally got the chance to sit down with her for a quick Q & A on the process, types of fillers, and more!

All About Lip Fillers featuring AZ Nurse Injector, Skyler Soares

Hi everyone! I am here with AZ Nurse Injector, Skyler, who is my nurse injector. Do you want to introduce yourself?

Skyler: Yes, my name is Skyler. I am the nurse injector for Brown Plastic Surgery in Scottsdale, Arizona.

So we are going to be talking about lip fillers today. Who would you say is a good candidate for lip fillers?

Skyler: I feel like anybody who is looking for something as simple as a little natural plump. Also, somebody who is self-conscious about how their lips look and if they want to build a bigger lip or even somebody with an aging lip. There are so many different types of fillers, which allows us to really tailor it to whatever type of lip and goal the patient has, keeping anything from super natural to giving a plumper looking lip.

I have a question about oral herpes or cold sores. If someone were to have them, would they be able to get lip fillers?

Skyler: Yes, they can. We won’t inject while it is active or if you are having a kind of a flare-up. However, if you know that you have a history but you have not had a flare-up recently, we can always put you on a preventative medication to make sure that you don’t have any breakouts. We can also order you an antiviral medication if you forgot to tell us or if you got a cold sore afterward.

It is something that we treat all the time. It can flare-up after lip injections but it is something that is super easy to treat. We put you on medication for a couple of days and it usually nips it in the bud. Calling your injector as soon as you feel one coming up is very important, but also disclosing to them that you do have a history of it, prior to injections, just to make sure that we get you on an antiviral and you are good to go for treatment.

If someone is interested in getting lip fillers, what would you say the process is?

Skyler: We have a consultation where you come in first. We make sure that you are a good candidate for this treatment. We make sure that you do not have any previously placed fillers that are incorrect, lumpy, or bumpy. When you come in, we talk about your goals during that consultation and then we set you up with your price quote. You get pre-treatment and then you come back in two weeks. The pre-treatment could involve getting off blood thinners to ensure that you do not bruise or swell as much. We make sure that you are taking all the steps needed to ensure that you do not bruise or swell as much and then you come back for treatment. During the one-hour treatment, we put topical numbing cream on and then you are good to go!

Do you have any tips on looking for an injector?

Skyler: Yes. I think with social media, there are so many areas and platforms that you can look for someone. You can pick up on their style depending on what you like. If you want something more natural, find somebody who has a lot of that on their page. If you want a larger lip, look for someone who specializes in that. I also suggest consulting with them, making sure that you feel comfortable while asking them any questions you have. Also, make sure that you have a really good relationship. I feel like social media and then through word of mouth. if you have a friend who you know has something done, ask them where they go. It is always a good trusted source to get in and get more information.

What things should you be worried about when looking for an injector?

Skyler: I think just to make sure that the injector is on the same page as you, to make sure you are happy with the treatment. For example, if you want something very very natural and you go in and maybe they do not have the same aesthetic look then that could be a red flag. So, just make sure that they understand what you want. Make sure you show them photos.

Specifically, we also have you do a vision board of lips that you like. I have them show me stuff on my page that they like, making sure that you really feel like they understand you and your wants and goals so you do not end up with something you do not like. For example, if your lip came out too big or too small. You want to make sure they really understand your vision and what you want.

What main types of fillers are there?

Skyler: Everything that we use in the office is hyaluronic acid fillers so hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our body. These are all mixed with lidocaine so it makes the procedure a little bit more comfortable. There are two main companies that we carry. That is Juvederm and Restylane. Within those umbrellas, there are a ton of products. There are some that are very very soft and thin and really natural and there are others that are a little more robust and a little bit fuller. We kind of pick and choose but we go off of these two brands and use them both quite a bit. My favorite for lip fillers is Juvederm Volbella, Juvederm Ultra, and Restylane Refyne and Defyne are also my two most popular.

How long do these fillers last?

Skyler: They range anywhere depending on your goals. Some fillers will last, you know, three to six months. Other ones are able to last up to 12 months. It just depends on what we pick and your goals. If you like to keep a larger plumper looking lip, you’ll probably need treatment a little bit more often, maybe every four to eight months or if you really like something soft or natural. I’ll usually see them like every 12 months on average.

What fillers have I gotten done?

Skyler: The very first time we saw you, we did Juvederm Ultra, then on the second visit, we did Juvederm Volbella, and then this last time we did Restylane Refyne. I feel like Ultra was probably your favorite. We’re gonna do Ultra again here soon but I feel like Ultra is like a nice all-around, like very pretty natural looking but it gives you volume while Volbella is very, very soft. I call it like lip gloss in a syringe. It’s very hydrating so I feel like when we did yours we maybe wanted a little more volume and this is just a really nice option for first-timers who don’t want much done to their lips. Then Restylane Refyne is kind of like those two had a baby. That’s the difference between them all. Yeah, we’ll do Ultra on you again.

What are the pros and cons of getting lip fillers?

Skyler: I think the pros are just having a nicer looking lip that makes you more confident. You put lipstick on, it looks better when you smile, your lips don’t disappear. The only con would be you don’t like the way the filler looks. You just don’t feel like this is what you were expecting. The nice thing about any of the cons is that anything that we use is completely dissolvable. The cons would be that you’re not happy with the outcome or it’s not what you thought. But if that is the case, then we just dissolve it.

Really, it’s just pros would be you know having a nicer looking lip, being happier and more confident in yourself and that’s about it. I think cons to maybe the downtime, bruising, swelling. Sometimes that’s hard for patients but it’s temporary and if you follow pre-treatment instructions you don’t have any blood thinners or anything like that. You usually heal quite quickly for like a week or two of downtime and then you’re good to go.

What is pre-treatment?

Skyler: Essentially, we have you avoid any blood thinners so that includes alcohol, aspirin, Aleve, ibuprofen. There is a ton of vitamins and herbs that thins the blood so ginkgo ginger garlic, Vitamin E, fish oil. We give patients a whole list and have them discontinue these for two weeks prior to treatment. Also, we found that patients that work out the day of treatment or have caffeine the day of treatment – they do bleed a little bit more as well. We have tablets and a gel that’s called Arnica.

Arnica just like a homeopathic remedy for like bruising and it makes you heal a little bit faster if taken after injectables but it also can prevent it if taken before. We sell that in the office but you can get at Whole Foods or Sprouts. They carry it as well, so start the tablets like two to three days before treatment and then continuing it until the bruising is completely gone. This is another pre-treatment tip we give patients.

Then what about post-treatment?

Skyler: Afterward, you just want to be super gentle with the lips, no drinking through a straw. No aggressive making out, nothing where you’re moving too much – just keep it simple. We don’t want you to wear makeup for two days after treatment because we don’t want you to get an infection in the injection site. We’re really strict with that. Ice is your best friends and we just want to make sure that you’re icing the lips afterward until the bruising and the swelling goes down. The swelling lasts about 48 hours to a couple of days. Just ice and take it easy. Sleep a little bit elevated.

Don’t do anything too crazy. No exercise for two days and just take it simple. We don’t want you eating a big hamburger where you’re really moving the mouth a lot and then we just want to make sure that you know everything settles in. It is a process so the lips swell. Sometimes it settles in a way we’re not happy with but it all starts to integrate with your natural tissue and by that two to four week mark, everything’s settled in and blended and looks really pretty.

What other services do you offer at Brown Plastic Surgery?

Skyler: We offer botox and Dysport. We have all types of fillers so we can do, you know, lips, cheeks, jawline, teardrops, temples. We also have an aesthetic side, so we’ll do the Dermal Infusions, microneedling, and then Dr. Brown is a plastic surgeon so he specializes in breast and body reconstructive surgery.

How can we find you?

Skyler: I am on Instagram and Facebook – AZ Nurse Injector and then I work at Brown Plastic Surgery and you can find them there in Scottsdale. If you just look them up, that’s where we are.

Thank you so much to Skyler for sitting down with me to talk all about lip fillers.

Where to find AZ Nurse Injector, Skyler Soares: Instagram | Facebook

Other blog posts that could be of interest to you:

• Lip Fillers with Juvederm Ultra
• Lip Fillers with Juvederm Volbella
• Boob Job Journey
  • Consultation
  • Pre-Op Appointment
  • Surgery Day
  • One Week Post-Op
  • Five Months Post-Op