Newlywed Travel Influencer Kate Sulsenti (Austin) on Finding Love and Marriage
When LGBTQ advocate and influencer Kate Sulsenti (Austin) came out, it was like entering a brightly-lit room, and she could see everything clearly for the first time. “The moment that I realized that I was gay, a switch flipped, and I was like, ‘holy crap,’ I remember in that moment how happy and joy-filled I felt to feel something so exciting,” Kate tells Out in the “Spilling the Tea on Me” series.
Kate missed out on experiencing love during her teenage years because of the expectations of society and her family, but that’s when she started advocating for herself and others.
“The more I did things that were true to myself and authentic to myself, I just started loving myself more because once you’re true to yourself, everything else just kind of follows,” Kate admits.
And being authentic to herself meant marrying her partner of nine years, Sarah. It was important to Kate to continue to stay authentic to herself as she was pursuing aesthetic treatments for this important milestone.
Kate shares, “I decided to book a consultation and get treated with JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC because my lips were lacking a little bit of plumpness. I also was noticing some moderate to severe lines on my forehead, frown lines, and crow's feet. So, I decided to book a BOTOX® Cosmetic consultation and get treated to temporarily smooth the look of those lines.”
We asked Kate some questions about her BOTOX® Cosmetic and JUVÉDERM® Collection of Fillers treatments. Check out her answers along with some behind-the-scenes photos.
What prompted your decision to seek a BOTOX® Cosmetic consultation?
I started noticing moderate lines on my forehead, crow's feet, and frown lines, and I wanted to do something about it. I decided to book a consultation with a licensed specialist, and get treated. It just felt like a pinch and the treatment only took 10-15 minutes.
What do you like most about your BOTOX® Cosmetic results?
I like that my lines are less noticeable and that the results are natural looking.* I still look like myself, just with less lines.
What prompted your decision to seek a JUVÉDERM consultation?
What prompted me to start looking into JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC for my lips was I just felt like they were lacking a little bit of plumpness. I didn’t wanna look back on our wedding photos and regret not doing it. Once my wife saw the results, she immediately booked an appointment for herself. I also wanted a treatment that was long lasting and fit into my schedule. JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC is twice as long lasting as any other cheek filler**.
What surprised you most about your treatment journey?
The thing that I was most surprised about after being treated with the JUVÉDERM® Collection of Fillers is the maintenance. The process in general was amazing and the maintenance is minimal. I wanted to get treated with JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC to achieve a more youthful look in my cheeks and to achieve a natural-looking result.
Real patient treated with BOTOX® Cosmetic and the JUVÉDERM® Collection of Fillers.
Talk to your doctor about BOTOX® Cosmetic and whether it's right for you. There are risks with this product. The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms.
Please see additional Important Safety Information below.
*In two clinical trials, a majority of patients reported they were “Mostly or Very Satisfied” with their overall treatment results at Day 60. In addition, these patients reported the same responses for the natural-looking result of treatment for their frown and forehead lines. In a 2022 survey, a majority of respondents treated for their crow’s feet lines said they “Completely or Somewhat Agree” that BOTOX® Cosmetic provides natural-looking results. Full results in 30 days.
**Based on duration data in JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC DFU June 2020, RESTYLANE® LYFT™ IFU May 2022, RESTYLANE® Contour IFU June 2021. Not a head-to-head study.
BOTOX® Cosmetic Important Information
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX® Cosmetic:
Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.
Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, and trouble swallowing.
BOTOX® Cosmetic dosing units are not the same as, or comparable to, any other botulinum toxin product.
There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when BOTOX® Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat frown lines, crow's feet lines, and/or forehead lines.
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX® Cosmetic. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.
Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. They include: itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, or dizziness or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you are wheezing or have asthma symptoms, or if you become dizzy or faint.
Do not receive BOTOX® Cosmetic if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site.
Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions, such as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic.
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; have trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic passes into breast milk).
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX® Cosmetic with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX® Cosmetic in the past.
Tell your doctor if you have received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc® , Dysport® , or Xeomin® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners.
Other side effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic include: dry mouth; discomfort or pain at the injection site; tiredness; headache; neck pain; and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids and eyebrows, swelling of your eyelids and dry eyes.
APPROVED USES
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow's feet lines, and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults.
For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor.
To report a side effect, please call Allergan at 1-800-678-1605.
Please see BOTOX® Cosmetic full Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide.
JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel Fillers Important Information
APPROVED USES
JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC injectable gel is for deep injection to improve moderate to severe loss of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21.
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile in adults over 21.
JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC, JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC, and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC injectable gels are for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC injectable gel is for adults over 21.
JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC injectable gel is also for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation in adults over 21.
JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC injectable gel is for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and correction of perioral lines, and for injection into the undereye hollows to improve the appearance of undereye hollows in adults over the age of 21.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Are there any reasons why I should not receive any JUVÉDERM® formulation?
Do not use these products if you have a history of multiple severe allergies or severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), if you are allergic to lidocaine or the Gram-positive bacterial proteins used in these products, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid fillers.
What warnings should my doctor advise me about?
One of the risks with using dermal fillers is the unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. Most of these events are irreversible.
If you have changes in your vision, signs of a stroke (including sudden difficulty speaking, numbness or weakness in your face, arms or legs, difficulty walking, face drooping, severe headache, dizziness, or confusion), white appearance of the skin, or unusual pain during or shortly after treatment, you should notify your health care practitioner immediately.
The use of dermal fillers where skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections are present should be postponed, as this may delay healing or make skin problems worse.
The effectiveness of removal of any dermal filler has not been studied.
What precautions should my doctor advise me about?
JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC should only be injected into undereye hollows by doctors who have completed the necessary training for this treatment area. To find a doctor, visit Juvederm.com/find-a-specialist. Doctors who complete the training will be listed with a symbol
The safety of these products for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has not been studied
The safety of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC has not been studied in patients under 35 years or over 65 years for cheek augmentation, or under 22 years and over 80 years for chin augmentation. The safety of JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC, JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC and JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC has not been studied in patients under 22 years, and the safety of JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC has not been studied in patients under 18 years
The safety and effectiveness of treatment with JUVÉDERM® products in anatomical regions outside of their approved uses have not been established in clinical studies
If you have a history of excessive scarring (thick, hard scars) or pigmentation disorders, treatment in these patients has not been studied and may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation
If you are planning other procedures including laser treatments or a chemical peel, there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site if these procedures are performed closely before or after JUVÉDERM® injectable gel treatment
Tell your doctor if you are on therapy used to reduce your body’s natural defense system (such as steroids, chemotherapy, and medicines to treat autoimmune diseases, HIV, and AIDs), as these may increase your risk of infection; and medications that can prolong bleeding (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners), as these may result in increased bruising or bleeding at the injection site.
Avoid applying makeup for 12 hours after treatment and minimize strenuous exercise, exposure to extensive sun or heat, and alcoholic beverages within the first 24 hours following treatment, as these may cause temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the injection site
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC was not studied in patients with significant loose skin of the chin, neck, or jaw
The effect of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injection into the chin on facial hair growth has not been studied
Patients who experience skin injury near the site of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injection may be at a higher risk for adverse events
Tell your doctor if you have already been injected with dermal fillers in the same area as the one(s) you are about to be treated for. This information helps your doctor decide when and whether you should get treatment
What are possible side effects of treatment?
The most commonly reported side effects with JUVÉDERM® injectable gels were redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching. For JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC, dryness was also reported.
These side effects are consistent with other facial injection procedures and most will resolve within 30 days. Your doctor may choose to treat side effects persisting longer with antibiotics, steroids, or hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid).
As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.
To report a side effect with any product in the JUVÉDERM® Collection, please call the Allergan® Product Support Department at 1‑877‑345‑5372. Please also visit Juvederm.com or talk to your doctor for more information.
Products in the JUVÉDERM® Collection are available only by a licensed physician or properly licensed practitioner.
MBD163144 09/23
