Before and after photos of Eleni’s injection filler treatment

I recruited our product tester Eleni to help me with a before and after test for injection fillers.

Injection fillers have become one of the most popular non-surgical cosmetic rejuvenation procedures performed by cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons. For a lot of women over 35, injection fillers are a way to fill out deep lines that might really make you look older than your actual age.

Eleni’s before photo: This is the photo I took of Eleni before the procedure. Eleni decided to focus on softening the lines around her mouth, aka nasal labial fold.

Eleni’s during photo: I was able to snap these shots of Eleni during the time the doctor was injecting the fillers. It was obvious that when the doctor was injecting certain areas of Eleni’s face it was painful because I could see her eyes closing and she had that look of discomfort on her face. This is something I didn’t expect. I’ve never had fillers myself and it’s interesting how on makeover shows on the telly never really show patients feeling the sting of the injection. I think I’ve only see once on “10 Years Younger” that a participant actually let the doctor know how painful the injections were.

Eleni’s after photo: This is a shot I took of Eleni 19 days after the treatment. As you can see the lines around her mouth are more filled out and it gives her face a softer and more youthful look.

I’ve also asked Eleni to document her experience because I thought it would be very helpful for readers:

Friday July 11

I was a bit nervous, yet excited about going to Dr. Paul Cohen for Juvederm injections. From what I read and understood about Juvederm, it’s a hyaluronic acid filler that can last for up to a year. That sounded good to me.

It’s always disconcerting being asked if I’m tired or in a bad mood when I’m actually feeling quite perky…it’s just my age showing!

I made it to Dr. Paul Cohen’s sleek downtown office and was immediately put at ease by the professionalism of the staff. Dr. Cohen was also very nice. He zeroed in on the nasolabial folds (around my mouth) and injected one syringe into each side. He was gentle and exact in his work in order to get the best results possible. I have to admit that it hurt a little for just a bit, but nothing terrible – especially if I got to look more refreshed. The ice pads felt comforting after we were done. The whole procedure took less than 15 minutes. I was told to stay out of the sun for at least 48 hours and that was it!

By the time I got home, there was no bruising, pain or noticeable improvement to report. I knew it can take up to a week to show though.

Saturday July 12

I hung out at home and stayed out of the sun as instructed. I experienced no down time or leftover pain at all. There are no noticeable changes to report yet.

Sunday July 13

I went for brunch with friends and my friend Tom thought I looked nice. I’m still living with no pain, bruising or swelling. I do see a bit of a softer look around the mouth.

Tuesday July 15

I’m feeling perfectly normal. That said, I did notice slight bruising on the lower right side of my face, but I was able to easily cover it with makeup. I wish I could see more of a difference … I should probably check the “before” photo to remind myself that I did look tired before.

Thursday July 17

I looked like I had a case of “dirty face” just below my lower lip, on either side. I guess that’s the bruising I was told to expect. Funny – I thought it would be blue and yellow bruising, but it’s just dark.

Friday July 18

Well, I don’t want to be staring at myself in the mirror all the time, but I find that I’m doing so and can’t help it! The bruising is much lighter already and the lines on the right side of my face have settled and smoothed out nicely. I can still see the wrinkle around my mouth on the left side of my face, but it’s considerably softer. It has made me try harder to stay in touch with my “inner girl” and I found myself wearing lipstick, foundation, brows, mascara and liner all week.

Saturday July 19

I had dinner with friends and they thought I looked great – I didn’t mention the Juvederm.

Monday July 21

It has been 10 days now, so I guess this is as good as it gets. The nasolabial lines were not completely erased, but I’m really happy with the results. I’m continuing to do my hair and makeup carefully each day and also to wear something pretty instead of just “quick-out-the-door numbers”.

Friday July 25

I think the men at the construction site looked at me! No…it was probably just me looking at them again. Oh well…two weeks later and that’s it, I guess. Not as much of a change as I had hoped, but a definite softening of the nasolabial folds (around my mouth – more so on the right side of my face than on the left. Being 50 requires more filler than two syringes in order to smooth out that whole area. Dr. Cohen suggested an extra syringe to top it all off, but I’ll have to put some funds aside for that next time. In any event, I thought it was just great and I would do it again whenever my budget allows.

Wednesday July 31

I went out with friends for cocktails last evening at an outdoor rooftop lounge and I felt more confident in being seen in daylight than I have for a long time. It looks and feels natural and I would definitely consider this treatment again.