It seems these days the conversation around skin is less “What do you use on your face?” and more “What do you use in your face?” I first heard about New York plastic surgeon Dr. Lara Devgan when VIOLET GREY was testing her (now VIOLET-CODE-approved) lip plumper and I tried it on a shoot. I was instantly obsessed (this product is basically temporary fillers in a tube) so I looked her up on Instagram and 10 minutes later, I was asking for her number.

Growing up, I had never once considered plastic surgery or Botox. My mother hardly has any wrinkles and swears by sunscreen and water as her skin care regimen. She was (and still is) a big advocate of living naturally, an ethos I've adopted as well. But recently, fillers started to pique my interest. That could be because I live in Los Angeles, where cosmetic tweaks are a big part of the beauty conversation. (Many of my friends started getting Botox in their early twenties, touting it as preventative.) Or because I just turned 30. It's not that I have a lot of wrinkles--I don't. But I have started to notice some things that bother me a bit: laugh lines, a slightly lazy eyelid, skin that just doesn't seem quite as tight as it once was. The thing that I thought about the most though were my lips. Lips are sexy. Mine didn't necessarily feel thin, but I felt that they would be more proportionate and suit my face better if they were fuller. Still me, just slightly more seductive. But I was reluctant to dive into anything that was going to need constant upkeep for the rest of my life. And I didn't want to be stuck with anything trend-driven. I also didn't know where to start. It was important to me to find someone who would spend time with me, talk through all the options and do what was right for my face, not a copy-and-paste job. I found all that in Dr. Devgan.

THE CONSULTATION
When I was in New York in February, I visited Dr. Devgan's Upper East Side office. I was a little nervous and I couldn't help but think of that Sex and The City episode where Samantha's plastic surgon Sharpies her entire body. But she immediately made me feel at ease. Going into it I knew I wanted to get my lips done and I quizzed her for a good 25 minutes before she got to the procedure (I feel lucky if I get 10 minutes with my G.P.). She's not only warm and approachable but extremely smart and communicates how and what she does in a way that's easy to understand. She walked me through every step, including how she would fill out my lips to make them fuller and more symmetrical.

THE INJECTIONS
Once I committed, her nurse applied numbing cream and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, Dr. Devgan went to work. A heads up: the actual injections were quick, but they hurt. I have a low pain tolerance and was PMS-ing, at which point even putting on a pair of jeans brings tears to my eyes, so it's quite possible my perception of pain was skewed. Regardless, Dr. Devgan talked me through it and made me feel at ease.

THE RESULTS
After the treatment, I iced as much as I could that day to keep the swelling as minimal as possible. The next day the swelling was almost completely gone. And I'm happy to report that I love the results: My lips look super natural and it's amazing what a difference symmetry makes. The size and shape enhance my face without changing it and even makes my eyes look more defined. Only my closest friends can tell they're bigger. By writing this story, I've just outed myself. (Hi Mom, baby got her lips done!) TBD on her thoughts, but whatever they are, I feel more confident and way sexier.

DR. DEVGAN'S TIPSHEET