In case you missed it, I had my first experience with Botox and filler a couple months ago at DC Plastic Surgery Boutique with the lovely Dr. Anita Kulkarni, and documented it all in a blog post here. I got amazing feedback from you guys, including a few local ladies who even made their own appointments at DCPSB! In addition to the wonderful words of encouragement, I also got flooded with questions so I decided to do a full Q&A post with Dr. Kulkarni.
Dr. K and I are answering all of your questions below, and anything and everything goes. So if you’ve ever wanted to grill a plastic surgeon about all the things you’re curious about, grab your coffee and get ready to read! Huge thank you to Dr. K for taking the time to do this with me (and for just being a general badass doctor fairy godmother). Hope this helps some of you!
Disclaimer: you are all gorgeous just the way you are, and I’m in no way suggesting that physical enhancements determine your beauty. I decided to make the choice to experiment with injectables after careful research for a board-certified plastic surgeon and a full consultation with my doctor. I chose to get tear trough filler to lessen the appearance of my genetic undereye hollows, and forehead Botox to prevent the deepening of wrinkles over time. Injectables and plastic surgery are not for everyone, and I highly recommend taking ample time to consider this decision, as well as discussing it with your doctor. ♥
Q: Does Botox prevent wrinkle lines from getting deeper? I have some caves on my forehead!
A: Yes! According to Dr. K, you should start Botox when you notice wrinkles when you’re not making a face. Botox sort of freezes those muscles, so you can’t continue deepening the existing wrinkles. It’s legit magic! – C
Q: What in the world is a “tear trough?!”
A: Haha! I feel like the plastic surgery world has come up with all these cutesy little terms to make things less intimidating and more commonplace (see: “lip flip” and “tummy tuck”). Your tear trough is just your undereye area, which on some people (aka me) appears like a dark circle or hollow. This procedure just fills up that hollow to reduce the appearance of dark circles and/or bags. – C
Q: How much did you get and what does that usually cost?
A: I got 25 total units of Botox in my forehead, between my eyebrows, and in the arches of my brow (because they’re naturally flat and Botox could push them further down). DCPSB charges $15 a unit for Botox. For the filler, I got a syringe of Vollure distributed between both tear troughs, which is $750 per syringe. Prices can vary by office and location, but these seem to be pretty standard across the board. – C
Q: How many units is the norm per Botox session?
A: 20 units – 60 units. Younger girls will be on the low end and older ladies will be on the higher end. – Dr. K
Q: How often do you have to come back to maintain?
A: Botox generally lasts 4-6 months, depending how fast your body degrades the product. Fillers last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, depending which filler is used. – C
Q: I’m super interested about tear trough filler. Did you use the 6 month filler or 1 year filler to start? Does this matter?
A: Chloe had Vollure which lasts 12-18 months. It doesn’t matter from a results standpoint, but the longer lasting one is better because it lasts longer! Importantly, all the HA (hyaluronic acid) fillers have an antidote called hyaluronidase, which dissolves them instantly. So, just in case you don’t like the way it looks, it can be dissolved instantly. – Dr. K
Q: Will the under eye filler make it look like your face has gained weight?
A: It should not make you look like you gained weight. Under eye filler should only be used for people who have a hollow there that needs to be filled. Not everybody is a good candidate for under eye filler. – Dr. K
Q: If you do tear trough filler once, do you have to keep maintaining it for the rest of your life?
A: You probably will because you’ll like the way it looks :). But if you don’t want to maintain, it will go back to the way it was before. The permanent solution for under eye aging is lower eyelid surgery (not a good idea for most young people). – Dr. K
Q: My boyfriend hates that I want to look into Botox and it’s making me reconsider. What can I tell him and the other judgmental people in my life?
A: *Alexa, play ‘Can’t Hold Us Down’ by Christina Aguilera* – lol no but seriously girl, you do you! Your boyfriend most likely will not even notice, or maybe he’ll say some typical guy thing like “your makeup looks really good today, did you do something different?” and you’ll be like SIGH. At the end of the day, do what makes you happy and what you feel is right for your body! The more we act like Botox isn’t this crazy invasive thing that makes moms clutch their pearls, the less taboo it will be. I feel like it’s basically the same thing as getting your eyebrows microbladed – you’re just enhancing your natural beauty, and it’s not even permanent! I also like to enlighten the pearl-clutchers that the main reason I’m doing it is preventative, and if they still judge then that’s on them! – C
Q: Did you notice a huge difference in your forehead? Thinking about Botox but worried about the price!
A: HUGE. It took about two weeks to fully kick in for me, but once I saw that silky smooth forehead I knew it was worth it. I feel more fresh-faced, look less tired, and makeup seriously goes on like butter. The price definitely sucks, but the way I see it, you’ll spend less on expensive skincare throughout your life if you’re actively preventing your wrinkles from deepening now! I also decided to set up a savings account in my Qapital app (similar ones are Acorn and Digit) so that money is automatically set aside each month. Then when it’s time to go back for a touch-up appointment, you don’t feel like you just spent half a paycheck. – C
Q: Is there any way to get rid of a broken blood vessel on my face?
A: Yes, there are lasers that work for broken blood vessels to take the red out. – Dr. K
Q: What if I have a terrible pain tolerance? I have a couple things I’d love to get done but am terrified of needles/pain!
A: The microcannula technique is much less painful than using a needle to inject the filler. To take the edge off, you can put numbing cream on beforehand and take 1000 mg of Tylenol before you come in. – Dr. K
Q: Lip fillers. What if you love your lip shape but want more volume without changing the shape? Is this possible?
A: ABSOLUTELY! This is the ideal case for lip filler – it is much easier to add volume without changing shape than it is to give shape to lips that don’t already have it. – Dr. K
Q: What’s the deal with long term effects? Should I be concerned about skin stretching or anything?
A: No, it’s a very small volume of filler. It doesn’t permanently change the skin. – Dr. K
Q: I have a friend hosting a “Botox party” with a doctor. Thoughts?
A: Generally a bad idea, especially if it’s being done in a home and not a doctor’s office – there’s no way to make a home as clean and sterile as a doctor’s office. The lighting in a home is never as good. There is often alcohol, peer pressure, and a doctor who doesn’t have the time to understand each patient’s goals. While Botox is generally safe, treating it like it’s as casual as makeup is not appropriate. – Dr. K
^Y’all, see how freaking legit this babe is?? – C
Q: How do I properly thank you for bringing Dr. K into my life?
A: Omg I love this so much! I’m just happy that I stumbled upon her and get to share her with you guys!! I’ve gotten so many messages saying that you finally gathered up the courage to tweak something that has always bothered you, and that makes me SO happy. My undereye area bugged me for so long, and I honestly wish I had done this years ago. Life is too short not to feel like your best self! Of course there’s a difference between subtle enhancements and going full Heidi Montag (wow that vid gets me every time #shook), and it’s really easy to get addicted and go down the plastic surgery rabbit hole. I think the most important thing here is your doctor, and that’s why I’ve been literally singing Dr. Kulkarni’s praises from the rooftops! In my original blog post I told y’all that Dr. K focuses mainly on rebuilding after breast cancer, restoring post-baby bodies, and gently slowing the aging process, so you aren’t going to go in wanting forehead Botox and leave with an appointment for a nose job and lipo. In fact, I had a list of things that I had always wanted to ask a plastic surgeon, ranging from scar removal to a full breast reduction (someone save me from these jugs lol), and Dr. K turned down about 90% of those. That’s how I knew she was the real deal!
Feel free to email or DM me if you’re considering any enhancements of your own – I’d be happy to answer any further questions and/or help you along in what can be a scary process. I’ve LOVED hearing from those of you who have visited Dr. K, so please keep me updated! Cheers to looking and feeling like the best versions of ourselves!
Don’t forget you’ll also get 10% off at DCPSB if you mention me – enjoy!
