Kylie Jenner has made a fortune over the past few years — $900 million USD, to be exact — and a lot of that has to do with her lips. But before the Lip Kits, the unsafe YouTube challenges inspired by said attribute, and the Forbes feature, Jenner was just a girl looking for a bigger pout — and at just 17, that's exactly what she found.
Soon after, the secret was out: Jenner's Lip Kits were good, but they didn't perform magic. The then-teenager admitted that it was true: she had lip injections. For several years, Jenner maintained her signature, plump look. Then, six months after having her daughter, Stormi, Jenner revealed on Instagram that she was taking a break from fillers. "I got rid of all my filler," the 21-year-old wrote in the comments in response to a fan who said Jenner looked like her old — pre-injections — self.
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Alas, that didn't last for too long. Jenner posted a selfie on her Instagram story a week ago confirming that her lip fillers were officially back. "Thanks @Pawnta for coming through late last night with a lip touch up," she wrote on the image. Our interest piqued (again). So, we decided to go straight to the source, Pawnta, the registered nurse behind Jenner's latest procedure, to ask her everything. Like most things involving Jenner's life, the gritty details on her appointment were kept on the DL, but that doesn't mean we didn't ask exactly what a filler touch-up entails, what to expect after, and exactly how legit the Jenner Filler Effect really is.
But first, a very necessary note: Dermal filler can be a great solution for adults looking for facial volume and is viewed in the medical community as relatively safe. But like many procedures, it also has some major risks you might not have heard of, from non-healing sores to loss of skin to blindness in very rare cases. Check out this article, then keep scrolling for the interview with Pawnta. Ready? Let's jump in.
Your Instagram says you're an "advanced injector," what does that mean?
"I'm a registered nurse at Motykie Med Spa, but I also train new practitioners who want to get into the aesthetic field. I've been doing injectables for over 15 years."
"I'm a registered nurse at Motykie Med Spa, but I also train new practitioners who want to get into the aesthetic field. I've been doing injectables for over 15 years."
Kylie Jenner recently gave you a shout-out on Instagram. What procedure did you do for her?
"Just a small touch-up on her lip fillers. She doesn't do anything else, just lip fillers."
"Just a small touch-up on her lip fillers. She doesn't do anything else, just lip fillers."
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They look really natural. Was this intentional?
"My philosophy has always been 'less is more.' We're more of a conservative, natural practice, but the size does depend on the patient. Some people like to go really big and some people like to keep it natural.
"My philosophy has always been 'less is more.' We're more of a conservative, natural practice, but the size does depend on the patient. Some people like to go really big and some people like to keep it natural.
"We went the natural route for [Jenner's] touch-up since she's so naturally beautiful and a new mom. A lot of people get fillers because they're getting older and losing the hyaluronic acid in their lips, but she's so young that it has nothing to do with aging. For her, it's just about adding a little pout to her lips."
What are your lip fillers of choice?
"I like to use Juvéderm for the lips because it's made from hyaluronic acid. That means it retains and absorbs water, so it's specifically great for lips."
"I like to use Juvéderm for the lips because it's made from hyaluronic acid. That means it retains and absorbs water, so it's specifically great for lips."
How do you handle a situation when a patient doesn't want a natural look?
"I would still tell them to start out slow with the injections. I would never use more than one syringe of Juvéderm in one appointment anyway, even if they want bigger lips. I'd recommend them to come back to really build up the look. If it's a touch-up, we might only use half a syringe, but it depends."
"I would still tell them to start out slow with the injections. I would never use more than one syringe of Juvéderm in one appointment anyway, even if they want bigger lips. I'd recommend them to come back to really build up the look. If it's a touch-up, we might only use half a syringe, but it depends."
How long does a lip filler touch-up last?
"The longevity of the actual product depends on your metabolism, but normally lasts somewhere between four months to a year."
"The longevity of the actual product depends on your metabolism, but normally lasts somewhere between four months to a year."
How long does a touch-up take — and, be real, does it hurt?
"The actual procedure takes 30 minutes. We'll numb the patient for 10 to 15 minutes, then the actual procedure is about another 15 minutes. Some practitioners could take longer, but it depends.
"The actual procedure takes 30 minutes. We'll numb the patient for 10 to 15 minutes, then the actual procedure is about another 15 minutes. Some practitioners could take longer, but it depends.
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"Again, it depends, but for the most part, it's very comfortable. The Juvéderm comes with lidocaine, a numbing pain reliever in it, but I always use numbing cream for my patients, too."
Is there downtime after a touch-up?
"There's usually a little bit of redness, maybe some bruising and swelling for two to three days after the procedure. For such a small amount of filler used in a touch-up, there are hardly any side effects."
"There's usually a little bit of redness, maybe some bruising and swelling for two to three days after the procedure. For such a small amount of filler used in a touch-up, there are hardly any side effects."
Do you find it to be true that a lot of younger women are getting lip fillers?
"We see people of all different ages come through the Motykie Med Spa for different procedures, but I definitely have younger people, especially women between 21 and 30, come in for the lip fillers. If someone has had small lips all their life, was teased in high school, and are looking for a safe cosmetic procedure to boost their confidence, this is it."
"We see people of all different ages come through the Motykie Med Spa for different procedures, but I definitely have younger people, especially women between 21 and 30, come in for the lip fillers. If someone has had small lips all their life, was teased in high school, and are looking for a safe cosmetic procedure to boost their confidence, this is it."