Leaderboard

Hi All, Have compiled a guide below, for those who are new to PS in Korea. Thank you to all who have selflessly shared your research/experience; which I have credited in the respective sections. 1. Navigating Korea 1.1 Travelling 1.1.1 Travelling from Incheon Airport to Seoul Airport Bus Cost: Approx. 15,000 won to Gangnam area Time: Approx. 1.5 hours Airport buses travel to all major areas of Seoul. Tickets to Gangnam area are around 15,000 won and the travel time is approximately 1.5 hours, depending on traffic and the destination. Tickets can be purchased at designated ticket booths outside the passenger terminal. The fare can be paid in cash, T-money, or credit card (at Incheon Airport). AREX Cost: Approx. 5,000 - 10,000 won to Gangnam area Time: Approx. 2 hours The AREX operates two types of trains: the Express train, which makes no stops along the way, and the All-Stop train, which makes 10 stops before it reaches Seoul Station. All stop train: The tickets are around 4,500 won and the estimated travel time is around an hour. The train departs regularly around every 6 to 7 minutes and operates from 5:20 till 23:57. Express train: This train does not make any stops and goes to Seoul station directly, and the tickets are around 8,000 won and the estimated travel time is around 45 minutes. The train departs around every 40 minutes and operates from 5:20 till 22:33. Keep in mind that the all stop train can be crowded especially during peak hours and if you cannot get a seat can be quite a long ride. The benefit of the express train is that there are pre-assigned seats and there is also WiFi. Once you arrive at Seoul Station you can easily transfer to other subway lines or get a taxi with your luggage, as the station has facilities like escalators and elevators (this is the case with most other stations in Seoul as well). Taxi Cost: Approx. 60,000 won to Gangnam area Time: Approx. 1.5 hours There are 4 types of taxis: Standard, international, deluxe, and jumbo taxi vans. International taxis are 20 percent more expensive than standard taxis and drivers speak English, Japanese, or Chinese. Deluxe taxis are approximately 40 to 50 percent more expensive than standard taxis, but use larger, more luxurious sedans. Jumbo taxi vans can accommodate up to 8 passengers at once and are the same price as deluxe taxies. Taxi stands for each type of taxi are located outside the arrival terminal. 1.1.2 Travelling around Korea Google Maps is not as updated as Naver and Kakao maps. Kakao and Naver have been the lead when it comes to navigation apps in Korea. If you understand Korean, Naver maps tend to be more detailed, including real time updates on arrival/departure timings for buses and trains. Naver maps instructions are in English – so that would be the recommended app if you do not understand Korean. Subway Korea (by Malang, yellow colour icon on Google Playstore, blue colour icon on Apple Store) is a handy map app that not only gives you the subway routes, but also lets you see to-the-minute train schedules, calculate the quickest routes to your destination, and even tell you which train car to get on for the quickest transfers. Best of all, it works offline, making navigating in transit a breeze. There are several online guides on how to use the app (https://thechelseabracket.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/best-apps-for-seoul-subway-지하철-2/) 1.2 Sim Card It is advisable for you to get a SIM card that allows you to get online with your phone, so you can use kakaotalk and maps. There is a detailed link here on the different type of sim cards (https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Korea_(South)). There are usually discounts if you pre-order ahead of your trip (https://www.krsim.net/). Do take note of the pickup times if you are arriving very late / super early. 1.3 Food Delivery Apps For English speakers, UberEats and Shuttle Delivery are some possible options. McDelivery is another option. If you understand Korean or are willing to spend some time to read up other online guides on Yogiyo app, there are a lot more food options there. 2. Research 2.1 Best time to visit Korea Credit to JLBCGP (https://beautyhacker.com/topic/1010768-best-time-to-visit-korea/) JLBCGP has made a detailed post, taking into account variables such as temperature, local holidays, high school/university students and yellow dust. Please refer to her post linked above. 2.2 How to check if a doctor is Board-certified There are several pointers to note: The Korean website is more updated than the English version (a few years dated). The mobile version of the Korean website allows you to search by clinic's and/or doctor's name (whereas the web version only allows you to search by doctor's name). Sometimes, the clinic's name may be spelled differently (e.g. DA Clinic may be reflected as 디에이성형외과, 디에이 성형외과 or DA성형외과). It may be better to search by doctor's name in this case. Also, sometimes when a doctor moves to a new clinic, the site may not be as updated and the doctor's name may still be reflected under the old clinic's name which he practiced at. For oral and maxillofacial dental surgeons, there is no English database to check board membership status. For ENT doctors, there are 2 medical societies in Korea (Credit to Kino on Discord): i) Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-head and Neck Surgery Email: [email protected] Website: http://eng.korl.or.kr/ ii) Korean Rhinologic Society Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.ksrhino.or.kr/eng/ I have attached screenshots (see this link https://beautyhacker.com/topic/1012254-checking-if-a-doctor-is-certified-by-the-korean-association-of-plastic-surgeons/) on: How to search by clinic name (click here http://www.prskorea.co.kr/mobile/search/search_h_name.asp) How to search by doctor (click here http://www.prskorea.co.kr/mobile/search/search_h_dr.asp) If there are no results, it means that the doctor is not certified by the board to begin with. See the link above on the screenshots on how to differentiate those who were suspended because they did not pay their membership renewal fees vs other reasons. For other pointers on how to check if a doctor is certified, you may refer to the English write-up on the page (click here http://www.prskorea.co.kr/English/mobile/sub/sub_02.asphttp://www.prskorea.co.kr/English/mobile/sub/sub_02.asp). 2.3 What to research Types of procedures: Clinics’ websites, Plastic surgery concierge services Pros, cons and risks of procedures: Realself Recovery: Makemeheal Simulating how the PS procedure looks on you: Meitu (the app is easy to use and you can simulate smaller alars, higher bridge, smaller nose tip, philtrum reduction, zygoma reduction, vline surgery, etc). Clinics / Doctors: Purseforum, Beautyhacker, Soyoung (Chinese), Gangnam Unnie (Korean), Babitalk (Korean), Anti-PS cafes (http://cafe330.daum.net/_c21_/home?grpid=KY9Q), Korean forums on Naver, Nate *As there are many fake/planted reviews online, please use discretion and do not take everything you see at face value. Some clinics also photoshop their before/after photos. 3. Pre-Surgery 3.1 Packing List Notebook and pen to write notes during consultation Medical history / Drug allergies to inform clinic Button tops or loose fitting tops Electrical adapter Cotton bud / Q-tips (to apply medicine, dig nose, remove food particles for those with stitches inside mouth) Antibacterial wet wipes Lip balm (for rhino and FC as lips will get dry from breathing through the mouth) Pain relief medication Tissue paper (for running nose/teary eyes post-surgery & bleeding) Camouflage items (hoodie, sunglasses, face masks, caps) Vitamin K cream (e.g. Auriderm) (for bruising) Scar healing & reduction gel (e.g. Kelocote, Dermatix) Simple dressing set Arnica (e.g. Sineech) (for bruising) Bromelain (for swelling) Collagen powder (promotes healing) Vitamin C (promotes healing) Protein powder (if you have to be on a liquid diet) Dry shampoo 3.2 Pre-Surgery Pointers Avoid alcohol for 2 weeks before surgery No smoking at least 1 week before surgery Take vitamin supplements if needed (vitamin c, vitamin a, zinc, vitamin k, vitamin b, vitamin d, magnesium, amino acids) Avoid Vitamin E (increases bleeding) or ginseng/ ginko/ garlic/ ginger/ dongquai/ omega3 fatty acids Take good care of your skin (surgery may be postponed if there is pimple) Stop taking any medication or dietary supplements 2 weeks before surgery and notify during consultation Do not take any drugs with aspirin as they may have an undesirable side effects that may affect your surgery (abnormal bleeding and bruising). You may take Tylenol as a substitute for discomfort. The following is a summary taken from the Journal of American Medical Association on eight herbs that can potentially pose harm during and after surgery. It is recommended that the following herbs be stopped before surgery in order to avoid any potential complications from their use: St. John’s Wort can significantly increase the breakdown of other routinely administered drugs during surgery, some of which are vital to the care of patients after surgery. This should be discontinued at least 5 days before surgery. Echinacea should be used with caution in patients with asthma or allergic problems and should be discontinued as far in advance of surgery as possible. Ephedra causes a potential increase in blood pressure and heart rate. This herb has also been associated with sudden death under anesthesia. This should be discontinued at least 7 days before surgery. Garlic supplements have a potential for reducing clotting function and platelet function and should be stopped 7 days prior to surgery. Ginseng has also been shown to have effects on clotting pathways and should be discontinued approximately 7 days preoperatively. Ginkgo should be discontinued 7 days prior to surgery because it can inhibit platelet clotting factors. Kava should be discontinued 7 days preoperatively because it can increase the sedative effects of anesthetics. Valerian can increase the sedative effects of anesthetics. This should not be discontinued abruptly because there is risk of physical dependency to Valerian and withdrawal symptoms may develop. This should be tapered over several weeks before surgery. 4. Consultation 4.1 General consultation pointers to note Consult 3 Clinics / Day (space out start times by at least 2 hours, but spacing out by 3 hours buffer is recommended). Prepare some photos of how you want to look. Negotiate price - a) List example prices from other clinics b) State your budget is significantly lower than it actually is c) Offer to write them a review / before and after pictures for them to use on their site Always ask about the available dates for your surgery at the end of your consultation. Make sure you clearly understand the clinic’s revision policy and it is a good idea to get this in writing. You can get this by sending your consultant a mail/message where you summarize this policy and ask the consultant whether your understanding of this is complete and correct. Bring along something to take notes. MUST notify during consultation of any allergies or hypersensitive reactions towards certain medication 4.2 List of consultation questions Doctor Are you certified by the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery? Were you trained specifically in the field of plastic surgery? How many years of plastic surgery training have you had? Is doctor X specialized in (procedure)? Or does he focus on other areas? Cost What is the exact breakdown of fees for this procedure? Are there any hidden fees? What is the total cost of the surgery including drugs and treatment aids needed after the surgery? What is included in my aftercare and what not? For example things like overnight stay, medications, scar cream, pumpkin juice, pressure garment, ice packs, deswelling treatment, hair treatment, etc.? Is there VAT refund? Where is the nearest downtown VAT refund point (i.e. apart from the airport refund counter)? What is the name of the VAT refund counter operator? If possible complications may occur, does the patient have to pay for the treatment? What is the cost for this treatment? If the patient decides to discontinue the surgery for any reason, does the patient still need to pay for the entire surgery? Surgery What procedures do I need to do or would you recommend me to do? Am I a good candidate for this procedure? How will you perform my procedure? Where will the procedure be performed? How many of these procedures do you perform a week? A month? What is the most popular surgical procedure you perform in your clinic? How many other medical staff will assist with this procedure? Will there be an anesthesiologist present during my surgery? What type of anesthesia method and anesthetic are used? Is some or all of the surgical equipment and instruments sterilized and used only for my surgery? What are the risks of the surgery? What are the complication occurrence rates and the surgeon’s surgery success rates of this clinic? How are complications handled? Can I see before and after pictures of the surgery? Post-Surgery What type of treatment will I need after the surgery? Will I need to take painkillers after the surgery? Does swelling or bruising occur after surgery? If so, is it treatable? How long will it take for me to return to day-to-day activities after the surgery? How long will the surgery results last for; if not permanent? If I need to consult the surgeon, can I meet him/her even months after the surgery? What is the clinic’s revision or refund policy in case there are complications or when I am not satisfied? What is exactly included & excluded in the revision policy, like revision excludes anesthetics costs? How many follow-up visits will I need? When is the next follow-up visit? When will the stitches be removed? How long does it take for the scars to disappear? Surgical Records Is any information about my surgery recorded? If so, how is it recorded? Will my surgical records or photos be shown to anyone else? Will my approval be sought before any of my records, including photos, are shown to someone else? Can I keep a copy of my surgical records? How long does the clinic store surgical records after the surgery? Where can I find my surgical records if the clinic which performed the surgery closes? 5. Surgery 5.1 Anaesthesia Credit to Lemontea1234 (https://beautyhacker.com/topic/996406-anaethestics-terminology-and-general-thread/) 5.1.1 Anaesthetics 101 What exactly is Anaesthetics? According to webdictonary Anaesthetics is 'a substance that induces insensitivity to pain.' It’s a pharmaceutical substance in which is directly injected into your veins or inhaled. This thread hopefully can impart some knowledge of anaesthetics and the importance of pre-operative, post-operative care. Types of Anaesthetics: Gas: The simplest form of inhaled sedation drug. Commonly known as sevo gas or nitric oxide. Simply known to most as laughing gas to most. It is used for induction of surgery. The half life of those gases are only 15seconds. It won’t take away your pain, but distracts you and relaxes you so that they can insert a cannula. Gas form of anaesthesia isn’t common for the duration of the surgery as it’s too unpredictable. Rather it is used to help calm the patient and allow them to feel relaxed. It leaves the body when you exhale. Twilight sedation or Sedation: Twilight sedation is simply sedation. It is used so the patient can be conscious but also like a trance. It’s a state where you're awake but not aware. Most common sedation medication is known as Midazolam. Half life of midazolam is approx 1.5hours to 2.5hours. The common side effect of such drugs is grogginess, headaches, dizziness and memory loss in the period that the medication is used. If twilight sedation is used, the patient should be breathing on their own and can protect their own airway. Thus reducing the need to be 'intubated' or having a breathing tube down. Blocks or Local Anaesthetic: Another form of anaesthetic is just using a nerve block or spinal block for the surgery. It means the patient will be fully conscious and aware of their surroundings during surgery. The medication is injected directly into the nerve and should completely numb the area. This is not often fool proof and upon wearing off. Can cause pins and needles sensation. Spinal blocks are commonly used to paralyse the patient from the waist down in order for surgeons to perform surgery. However, it can cause permanent paralysis if not correctly administered. There's also simple local anaesthetic that surgeons use intraoperative by directly injecting to operative site. Some of them contain adrenaline which in small doses in healthy adults be no problem. But those with underlying heart conditions should be mindful of. General Anaesthetic: Often associated with what Michael Jackson got for sleep. Medication of choice is generally propofol. Half life is 2 to 24 hours. However actual pharmacological effect peaks at 2 mins mark, and effective for only 5 to 10 minutes. It puts you to complete sleep, and makes you unconscious. A side effect of this, is it causes respiratory depression. In which you don't breathe enough or deep enough to maintain optimal oxygen level in your body. Thus, patients undergoing GA usually will have a breathing tube, and will be connected up to a ventilator (machine that gives calculated breaths). However, you may still move some of your muscles in your chemically induced sleep. Much like natural sleep. Common side effects are dizziness, nausea, grogginess, headaches etc. Some are known to 'shiver' post anaesthetics, as their bodies try to get rid of the medication from your system. These are the most common form of anaesthetics. There are some that used combination of GA with local infiltration by surgeon or can give twilight sedation to start off. But then put into deeper sleep by general anaesthetics. 5.1.2 Importance of following pre-operative instructions For those who are new to surgery. You may be given a set of instructions to follow in order to prepare yourself for surgery. But! I bet you have questions on why it is important to follow them. Most important rule is DISCLOSE any medication and medical history that you may have. EVEN if you do think it’s relevant. Sometimes something small that happened a long time ago, may be important when you do surgery. When you're being operated on, your body will be under stress. And some old medical conditions can flare up under body stress. So please be mindful of this! Fasting: Fasting means to be nil by mouth. This means no water, no food, nothing that can stimulate saliva production in mouth to stomach. The only things you can take orally is your medications. ANY medication that is used to treat medical conditions can be taken, with as minimal water as possible. Ideal fasting times are: If your surgery is in the first thing in the morning. Try to have a small meal at midnight, and then nothing from 12 o'clock midnight onwards. If your surgery is in the afternoon, (after 1pm). You can have a light breakfast at 5am in the morning then it’s nothing from then onwards. •Why fasting is important? In the evident that you may involuntarily vomit, you would want no chance that whatever you vomit may end up in your lungs. The chances of this happening under GA is low, as your airway is protected. BUT, after the removal of your artificial airway. You may vomit and may be too groggy to protect your airway. If any solids or fluids that are foreign end up in your lungs. You may end up with a condition known as aspiration pneumonia. Treating it is much harder, and often mortality rate is high if you acquire this. Medications: Some people take supplements to add to their diets. Please still always seek medical advice before stopping some of your medications. ALWAYS disclose whatever medication you take as it can affect how your recovery and anaesthetics are metabolized. Importance of declaring allergies: Allergies are vital to be declared to treating doctors and anaesthetists. Did you know some medical products contain same protein as foods? Parts of latex gloves have the same protein as kiwifruit. So please tell your doctors and explain your symptoms of allergies when you go for surgery. Even if you think it’s just minor, please let them know! 5.2 Morning of surgery Wake up early & wash your face Make sure you are not wearing any accessories or nail polish Bring your contact lens case to store your contact lens (if applicable) NO breakfast (not even a small biscuit or a cup of water) Wear comfortable clothes (button down shirt) and bring cover-ups like caps or sunglasses to protect your eyes after surgery Prepare your appointment card including fees for the operation in advance so that you are on time for the surgery. Go over to clinic early to check in Bring socks - The surgery room can be a bit cold and socks can keep you warm thus calming you down before the surgery. 5.3 Pre-surgery process Change into your surgery clothes. Take everything off except for your underwear. Tie your hair back Wash hands first, then your entire face. Make sure it’s completely cleaned. Wait in patient waiting room Consultant brief you about the risk, liability, warranty (in my case, for the 1st year it's free revision, and in the 2nd year it's free revision but you have to pay anesthesia and consultation fees). Sign the waiver of liability form. Make sure that in the contract you sign with the clinic before your surgery, it is clearly stated what the full name is of the doctor that is operating on you. The clinic is legally obliged to put this in the contract. This is to avoid a clinic using another doctor for your surgery. Go into another room to take a photo of you pre-surgery Doctor comes in and analyses you for the second time (the first time should be at your consultation). He will make small notations on your face/body and discuss the shape again. Go into surgery. Rest in recovery room 6. Post-surgery 6.1 Recovery tips General Avoid spicy and high sodium food Sleep with head elevated 45 degrees for several days to minimize swelling Apply antibiotic ointment (if prescribed) to the incision site as directed Use ice packs (~10 mins on 10 mins off) for the first 3 days after surgery as often as you can to reduce swelling and bruising Do not take aspirin or any aspirin based pain medication unless approved by your surgeon Do not use scar reduction cream/gel on the incision site until the wound has fully healed No alcohol for 3 weeks as it causes fluid retention Do not smoke, as smoking delays healing and increases the risk of complications Limit your activity right after surgery (for the first 3 days) to reduce post-operative swelling and bleeding. Start walking as soon as possible from the 4th day onwards, this helps to reduce swelling and lowers the chance of blood clots Avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting and rigorous sports Before you attempt to pull any dead skin, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. Eye surgery-specific You can take showers from the neck down any time after your surgery. Don’t take full showers until your surgeon tells you it’s safe to do so. This is usually after stitches are out (~5 to 7 days). You may gently wash below your eyes with wipes or a soft washcloth. You can use dry shampoo for your hair. Once you can take full showers, you can wash your eyelids and shampoo your hair with mild products, such as baby shampoo. Wait at least 2 weeks before wearing contact lenses Do not apply any irritants or make-up on your eyelids or incision line for 2 weeks after the surgery Your physician may recommend Natural Tears (OTC eye drops) or OTC ophthalmic ointment or antibiotic eye drops as part of your post-op treatment. Don’t pull on your eyelids while using the eye drops. Nose surgery-specific You can take showers from the neck down any time after your surgery. Don’t take full showers until your surgeon tells you it’s safe to do so. This is usually after the nose splint and stitches are out (~7 to 10 days). For the first month after rhinoplasty, you should not rest your glasses on the bridge of your nose. Either wear contact lenses or suspend the glasses with the use of a small tape from your forehead. Bruising around your nose in your cheeks and lower eyelids is very common after this type of surgery. Numbness over your nose is also quite normal. You will slowly regain sensation over the top of your nose. But you can expect the tip to be slightly numb and “stiff” feeling for up to three months after surgery. Breathing through your nose will slowly improve after we clean your nose out at your first clinic visit. Go to bed on time. Yawning may cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours. FC surgery-specific Post-Surgery Keeping your head lifted up and above your chest (for at least a week) will speed up the healing process. Use the ice pack for at least 3-4 days and after the 4th day, change to a hot pack. Be sure to treat both sides of the face equally. Any bruises or swelling will lessen in a week and heal after 3 weeks, so you do not have to worry. After the surgery, you must abstain from food for one day. You may drink 6 hours after the surgery, and eat after 48 hours. For those with jaw or cheekbone surgery, you may eat rice porridge after going on a liquid diet (such as juice, milk, rice gruel) for a day. *Spicy or salty food: You may eat after 2 weeks; tough and chewy food after one month When blood comes out of the mouth, spit it out. If you think you have swallowed too much blood or too much blood is coming out, then please contact the doctor. Gargling with the disinfectant that we prescribe is very important. If you do not want any wounds or infection, you must gargle at least 10 times per day. First, gargle your mouth with water a couple of times then use the disinfectant last. Until the seam in your mouth is completely gone, you must gargle for at least 2 weeks. You may use a toothbrush 1 week after the surgery. At first, use a smooth children’s toothbrush to brush your teeth (do not brush your gums). Keep the bandage around your head for at least one day. Wearing the bandage will help reduce the swelling faster. You may wash your face or hair after taking off the bandage and you may go to the sauna or the hot springs after 2 weeks. After the surgery, if the bandage is too tight or your neck feels uncomfortable, please tell the doctor. You can wash your hair after 3 days, you can take a shower after 5 days Fitness workouts (sports, health centers) after one month In order to prevent infections, you must take the prescribed medicine. No matter how perfect the surgery came out, if you do not diligently take precautions after the surgery, problems may arise or your face shape may change. Therefore, caring for your face after the surgery is just as important as the surgery itself. Diet Even though you can open your mouth a small amount, you still will not be able to chew for approximately 6-8 weeks. You therefore will be on what we term as a swallowing diet. This means anything that you can swallow without chewing. Anything blended or liquid is acceptable. You may also have any foods that are soft enough or small enough to be mashed between your tongue and teeth without chewing. These things may include any liquids, soups, scrambled eggs, applesauce, pie, cake, ice-cream, yogurt, pasta that is well chopped and small and soft, as well as meat which is ground up fine. High-calorie, high-protein meals are the best with plenty of liquids. This may require eating a small meal 5-6 times a day rather than three large meals. Use a cup or glass when eating. Pull the lower lip forward on either side and just pour the contents of the cup into your mouth. Straws are okay to use, but you may find this difficult at first. The reason it is difficult is because your lips may be swollen and with decreased feeling in the upper or lower lip creating a vacuum necessary to use a straw may be difficult. If you can use a straw, it is okay. Take in smaller amounts and eat more frequently, it may be necessary for you to eat 5-6 times a day in order to satisfy your body requirements. Try not to miss any meals. A small, plastic syringe with a piece of rubber tubing or catheter at the tip can be helpful in the feeding process. You may use one of these at the hospital and this may be helpful when you go home from the hospital. These syringes and rubber tubing may be picked up at any pharmacy or drug store and may be quite useful Try to get something fresh every day. A malt or a shake with fresh fruit and a vitamin supplement blended in it is ideal. (e.g. juices, smoothies, puddings, yogurt, etc.) Start drinking from a cup as soon as you’re physically able to. Your upwards trek back to having full energy begins the day you can throw your syringes in the garbage. Eat solid food as soon as your surgeon gives you the go-ahead. It’ll be a slow, tedious and frustrating process, but you need to go through with it in order to build your jaw muscles back up and learn how to chew properly once again. Hygiene Brush and rinse using a small amount of toothpaste and mouthwash. Oral hygiene is the single most important thing you can do to minimize possible infections. After each meal, brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush (child-size works well). Stand over the sink with your head tilted down and use a circular motion and angle the brush at 45 degrees toward the gum line. Use Peridex or a mouthwash without alcohol such as Biotene instead of toothpaste. Brush to the best of your ability and take your time. You may not be able to brush the inside of your teeth. Rinse your mouth with a solution of warm salt water (1 teaspoon salt in one 8 oz glass of warm water). Oral rinsing should be done after every meal. A moistened Q-tip or cotton swab may be used to wipe over the gums and tooth surfaces when brushing is impossible. You may follow brushing with a mild fluoride mouthwash to leave your breath and tongue feeling refreshed. Avoid the use of products such as lemon glycerin swabs and commercial mouthwashes containing alcohol (these products can have a drying or irritating effect on the mucous membranes in the mouth). Use a Waterpik ONLY if ordered by your surgeon. If any skin incisions were made, clean them with 50% peroxide-water solution, remove scabs and apply Neosporin. At times, your breath may be indicative of the fact that you are not allowed to brush your teeth or floss during the first several weeks of recovery. To aid in freshening your breath, try gurgling with warm salt water a few times each day. Soon enough, you’ll be given the go-ahead to brush and floss again. Activities Take it easy the first week. You may resume most of your normal routine after the first week as tolerated. Avoid activities that might cause an injury to the face (athletic like football, basketball, racquetball, weight lifting, etc.). Aerobic exercises may be started after two weeks. For the first 3-4 days following surgery please limit your activity. It is important that you not confine yourself to bed. Try to spend most of the day sitting in a comfortable chair and taking short walks around the house. You should limit your visiting time to 1-2 hours. Although you may feel well, you have had a major procedure and your body needs to recover. Uninterrupted rest is very important in your healing period. Do not participate in sports or strenuous activities, or return to work until permitted by your surgeon. Driving any motorized machinery or vehicle or signing any legal documents while taking pain medications is not recommended. The pain medications may cause alterations of visual perception and impair judgment. Medications Antibiotics use only the first 4-6 days following surgery. Use pain medications only as needed. Anti-nausea use as instructed and notify doctor if relief is not quickly obtained. Acute pain management should always start with over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). If your surgeon approves these medications for you, you should take them as directed on the pill bottles, or by your surgeon. If you take the first pill before the anaesthetic has worn off, you will be able to manage any discomfort better. Precede each pain pill with a small amount of food, and chances for nausea will be reduced. The effects of pain medications vary widely among individuals. For severe pain, you may take your prescription opioid (narcotic). Do not take more opioid pills, or more often, than prescribed by your surgeon. If prescribed, Vicodin / Norco may be taken every 4-6 hours for pain. DO NOT USE TYLENOL. If you notice that the pain medication is not providing comfort for long enough, alternate the Vicodin / Norco and Ibuprofen throughout the day (ex: take 1 Vicodin, then 2 hours later, take ibuprofen. 2 hours later another Vicodin / Norco). If your pain is chronic (i.e. consistent and throbbing), you may have an infection and should schedule a visit with your surgeon just to be safe. On the other hand, if your pain comes in small bouts, it’s likely your nerves reawakening or your teeth being pulled by the elastics. In this case, just be patient and the pain will subside in due time. If you were prescribed pain medication, that may help as well. Nausea/Vomiting DON’T PANIC. Use medications as instructed. For mild vomiting or any empty stomach feeling lay in a face down position to allow fluids to drain out of mouth and nose. Notify the doctor of any nausea problems. Swelling The swelling will not become apparent until 1-2 days following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operation. However, the swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs. Two baggies filled with ice, or ice packs should be applied to the side of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on continuously while you are awake. After 48 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery. Thirty-six hours following surgery, the application of gentle moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the swelling and stiffness. Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows for the first week. Exercises Most often following these type of procedures, teeth must be kept together with wires or elastics after surgery. This allows the jaw bones to be held still while healing. Most of the time small bone screws and plates are used to hold the bone segments together during the healing period. With the use of these screws and plates, the jaws can still move slightly during the post-operative period. It must be remembered that the bones are not healed and are simply held together by screws and plates. Therefore, a gradual progression of movement and use of the jaws is encouraged, keeping in mind that complete healing does not take place for approximately two to three months after surgery. Immediately following surgery: Since surgery causes soreness in the muscles and bones of your jaw, movement will be difficult initially. We do not recommend any specific exercises during the first week to ten days after surgery. 10-14 days following surgery: Stand in front of a mirror and attempt to open and close your mouth. At ten days you should be able to get at least 1 finger between your teeth. This will increase gradually in the next several weeks. Simply move your jaws open and closed then side to side. Moist heat to the side of your face prior to these exercises can be beneficial. Do not use your fingers to force open your jaw. 4-8 weeks after surgery: At this time you should be able to get 2 fingers between your teeth comfortably and can begin using gentle finger pressure to stretch your jaw muscles. By week 8 you should be able to get 3 fingers between your teeth. Again, stretch the muscles open and closed as well as side to side. Breathing Difficulty Following your procedure, you will develop difficulty breathing through your nose. This is a transient problem that peaks at about day 3-4. You may feel that your airway passage is being blocked by the swelling, but be assured that there is plenty of room to breathe through. Limit your activity to reduce post-operative swelling and bleeding. Dried blood in the nasal passages is best cleaned by the spraying of saline spray and gentle suction with the bulb. Repeat this process as needed until nasal passages are free of dried blood. You may use a facial humidifier or steam in the shower to help loosen nasal secretions prior to suctioning. DO NOT blow your nose following surgery for a minimum of two weeks. Use Afrin Nasal Spray as directed by your surgeon. Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows for the first week. Miscellaneous Use nose spray if needed and no more than twice a day. Use ointment on lips to reduce swelling and avoid drying and chapping. Sleep with head elevated (2 pillows) the first week then normal elevation after that. Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows or in a comfortable recliner chair for the first week following surgery. Before you attempt to pull any dead skin off of your lips, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. Start using medicated lip balm immediately following your return to your own home. If you don’t, you’ll end up with flaps of dead skin that are half an inch in diameter, and I promise you they won’t feel good when they catch on your braces. Begin each day at a decent time. If you sleep most of the day, you won’t be able to sleep at night, and you’ll hate yourself for it. Get out of bed, shower, eat some breakfast and brush your teeth and you’ll enjoy each day a lot more. (This is good advice for any day of your life, but it especially applies when you’re on the verge of depression from having jaw surgery.) Go to bed on time. Yawning will cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours.

Hi all, I had a bunch of procedures done in late February and early March of 2020, and will be writing about it in this thread! Some of you might've followed my journey through KKT, Discord, or my blog, but I thought I'd post it here too for accessibility. Procedures done at Wannabe: EYES: incisional double eyelid surgery, ptosis correction, medial epicanthoplasty FAT GRAFT: forehead, temples, frontal cheek, chin UNDEREYE: fat repositioning JOWLS/JAW LINE: Accusculpt, threadlift (8 Mint threads), masseter muscle botox Dr. Jin Premium Nose Clinic: rhinoplasty with dorsum augmentation and tip projection using autologous rib cartilage Even though all of my surgeries were primaries, I knew that I wanted rib cartilage for my nose because of the long-term complication rate with alloplastic implants and donor cartilage, which made it seem inevitable that I'd need a revision surgery within a decade. I ended up picking Dr. Jin of Premium Nose Clinic without ever having an in-person consultation due to his experience with using autologous rib cartilage, natural aesthetic, and hearing positive things by word-of-mouth. For the other procedures, my short list was the following: JK Topface Namu Wannabe CWCMC (eye specialist only) I had scheduled Wannabe, Namu, and CWCMC for the first day, and then JK and Topface for the second day. Here are how the consultations went: WANNABE Alice is basically the most personable English speaking consultant ever- incredibly responsive and friendly. We'd corresponded over Kakao for about a month or so before I traveled to Seoul. The clinic was pretty easy to find and it was quiet when I arrived- one other client in the waiting room when I arrived, with 5 staff members at the front desk. I filled out some paperwork and they checked my passport to ensure that I hadn't visited China recently. I met with Alice for about 20 minutes and we continued our discussion now that I was actually in front of her. She assessed the thickness of my eyelid skin since I was interested in DES and medial epicanthoplasty- and she noted that I needed ptosis correction, which wasn't obvious from the pictures that I'd sent her. She also assessed the tissue around my jaw by touching my jaw and asking me to clench my teeth, since I'm pursuing non-invasive jaw contouring, and noted that it was a combination of muscle and fat that contributed to my square jaw, and suggested botox with Acculift and threadlifting. We then talked about my fat grafting aspirations- I'd already wanted fat grafting for my forehead and nasolabial lines, and she suggested that since I was already doing two areas, which counted as "full face" fat grafting, to also graft my frontal cheek area since that was sunken. After we had decided on the procedures, I met with Dr. Chang (also spelled as Jang), who agreed with the suggested procedures, and also suggested chin and undereye fat repositioning (I later learned that this was a specialty of his, and apparently he had invented a specialized needle for this procedure). Dr. Chang used that eye pokey tool to simulate folds for my eye- I wanted a slightly higher crease that would balance out the medial epicanthoplasty Overall, good experience with the clinic staff, Dr. Chang spoke English and was easy to talk to, seemed attentive and knowledgeable. Quoted prices were on the higher end, and I ended up with ALOT of procedures: incision DES, ptosis correction, medial epicanthoplasty, botox, accusculpt for jaw, threadlift (8 mint threads), undereye fat repositioning, full face fat injection and tear trough fat injection NAMU I'd been corresponding with Claire and she was very helpful but not always responsive- I get the impression that she's very busy. She seemed to forget that I was scheduled to consult today until I asked to confirm in the morning, and I think they had to squeeze me in even though the appointment had been made a month ago. The clinic was very busy with locals, and I spent about 10 minutes waiting before seeing Linda, the English speaking consultant. THEY DIDN'T CHECK MY PASSPORT and even though I'm American, I'm ethnically Chinese and definitely look it, so they don't seem to be taking Coronavirus precautions... Linda and I had a brief consultation and honestly I don't think anything interesting or important was said except that she suggested laser lifting instead of acculift, but also with threadlifting. I was to consult with Dr. Kirk, but he was in surgery, and I spent about an hour in the office twiddling my thumbs and taking photos of their B&A book. I also had the chance to observe the clinic hallway a bit, and it seemed pretty chaotic and frantic, which is a totally subjective opinion, but Eventually Dr. Kirk arrived and I think he just agreed with everything that I said, and I left feeling like nothing had really happened. I learned that Ulthera, the more expensive of the laser lifting options, was "stronger" and normally they would recommend 2 sessions of Doublo Gold for someone like me, but since I would probably only do one session, that I should go with Ulthera.(edited) NAMU overall: clinic felt very busy and chaotic, not sure I would receive any attention after the surgery lol, but quoted very low prices (about 50% of what WANNABE quoted me for roughly the same procedures). Possibly a good option if I weren't doing something as finicky as eyes. The price was definitely right. I might be concerned if I were visiting at a later date since they don't seem to be taking precautions against corona virus. CWCMC I was referred to Dr. Choi by Dr. Jin of Premier Nose, and I believe that Dr. Choi is an eye specialist in the same way that Dr. Jin is a nose specialist- they prioritize functionality over all else, which I think tends to result in a natural look. Dr. Choi was extremely warm and friendly, his English was good, and he was the only one who shook my hand lol (he knew I was American and I had been talking with him personally over KKT). I didn't even speak to any of his staff (I don't think they spoke English?). He took alot of time to ask what I wanted and explain the technical aspects of the procedures. We never talked about price. I feel very confident that he is an extremely technically talented surgeon, as well as generally a really nice and considerate person, but I didn't feel confident about whether he would achieve the aesthetic results that I wanted. His before and afters were very natural, but when he was using the pokey stick tool to shape my eye crease, he never seemed to get a shape that I wanted. I don't think I was able to properly convey to him the shape that I wanted, whereas with Dr. Chang of WANNABE, he was very quickly able to make the eye shape configuration that I was hoping for. CWCMC overall: I wish I had picked Dr. Choi just because he's so nice, but he only does eyes, and I wanted other procedures, and I didn't feel like he and I were on the same page about the results I hope to achieve I ended up picking Wannabe due to a few factors So outside of a few hard objective factors, like being licensed, accessible, seeing before and afters that seemed realistic and also aligned with my own personal ideal, etc., alot of my decision was based on "feel" or my "gut". It's entirely possible that I could've been just as happy or even more satisfied at Namu, but I picked Wannabe because of how they made me feel: Alice - honestly, she was a huge factor in my decision. The fact that I could communicate clearly with her and that I felt like I had her full attention whenever it was warranted made me feel comfortable and safe Dr. Chang - he very quickly and deftly manipulated my eyelids to the shape that I wanted to achieve, and I think that inspired confidence in me that he and I had similar aesthetic ideals. He also seemed calm (not stressed or overworked) and capable clinic staff - the staff were polite and helpful. call me superstitious but I think that if the staff are rude and stressed, that says something about the work environment only 2 doctors, and each doctor does a maximum of 4 surgeries a day, according to Alice I'll post more as I finish writing about the surgeries and recovery process

hi everyone, i thought i’d talk about my consultation journey to help out others thinking about surgery as I found all these threads massively helpful! My goal is to get my surgeries done in Korea in early 2021 as travel doesn’t seem possible this year. Though it’s early to get consultations, I have a long list and lots of time, so I thought — might as well! it’s going to be LONG, sorry. I plan on creating a separate thread once I finally get my surgery done, so this will be a consultation thread only. I will continue to add as I get more consultations and sort out my thoughts and thought it would be interesting and helpful for anyone interested in these clinics. ** update as of 12/28/2020: You'll notice my mind going back and forth a lot, LOL. Better safe than sorry when it comes to something as big as surgery, right? I've edited it as much as I could to improve clarity as well as any glaring grammatical errors. ** BACKGROUND INFO Early 20s, East Asian female interested in primary DES + primary Rhino highly likely getting: forehead fat graft, masseter botox as well as partial buccal fat removal (as of 12/28/20) DES: incision method + ptosis correction (have monolids with lots of fat on eyelids) Rhino: higher nose bridge, slimmer + less bulbous alars and tip most likely silicone for bridge and septal cartilage for tip My eyes are really weak, one eyebrow is significantly higher than the other because I keep raising them up because of the lack of power my eyes have. It also emphasizes the uneven sizes between my eyes, as the one with more strength is also the one with less fat on my eyelid, making the difference in size really obvious, especially when I smile. This causes a lot of strain on my eyebrows and my forehead, and I find myself constantly forcing myself to relax my eyes because it causes me to get minor headaches. I was very hesitant on getting DES as I have an acquaintance who did their eyes here in America and ended up with the dreaded sausage eyes. As I have a lot of fat on my eyelids, I knew for sure I would have to go with the incision method, which has a higher rate of getting sausage eyes. However, the problems I mentioned above just led to me to deciding on getting DES. I will note that I am relatively proficient in Korean. However, I did tell them I was a foreigner (which they probably would’ve known anyways as I’m sure I made some minor grammatical mistakes), so I’m not too sure how much sway I had. Here are the clinics I consulted/plan on consulting: Wannabe Dr. Jin Premium Nose Clinic Cocoline Premier Item 1mm Luho (Previously known as Yonsei First) Marble Illumi WANNABE - Kakao Consult (in English) Like everyone says, Wannabe was very prompt in their replies to me and had perfect English. They recommended me to get the incision method and ptosis correction with an in out line, as I mentioned I wanted a very natural line. Thanks to them, I realized how badly I needed the ptosis correction. They also said I should get short nose correction, hump removal (I didn’t even know I had a hump?! I looked at the photo again, and it’s VERY VERY slight), alarplasty and an increased nose bridge. They recommended silicone, but said using cartilage was possible, but that they would need to see me in person. Initially, I had no intentions of going for silicone, as I noticed they tended to require a revisional rhino after, so hearing that made me reassured. They quoted me around 6 mil won for both rhino and my eyes. However, someone in the Kakao group I’m in noted that those were the exact quotes they had given them, so I assume they just have a baseline price and then adjust it when you actually have a face to face consultation. DR. JIN - Email Consult (in English) Dr. Jin was on my list for a while; he has bunch of credentials and I liked how he personally replied to me. He was also speedy in his reply and suggested using septal and rib cartilage for a higher nose bridge, mild alarplasty, and refining my tip with possible fat removal and cartilage reduction. I asked how high my nose bridge could be without being too unnatural, and he said that making it too high wouldn’t be harmonious with my face but that he can make it relatively high with rib. He quoted me 10k USD (yes, USD) which was mind boggling. I also began to read some negative reviews and that made me cross him off the list. COCOLINE - Facebook Consult (ENG) They were hard to reach. They read my FB messages relatively fast (I couldn’t find their Kakao) but replied HOURS later, but it could be due to the fact that I messaged them in English. They quoted me 5 mil won for my nose, and straight up said I would need to use silicone for my nose only. They recommended surgery for my nose tip and alarplasty as well as my nose bridge. So far, all clinics said the same thing, except Wannabe added both the short nose correction + hump removal. I am hesitant and will probably still visit them after for a face to face consultation as they are famous in Korea for their noses. I was very surprised that they suggested silicone as they are known for their autologous cartilage rhinos, but my nose is VERY flat lol. NAMU PS - Kakao Straight up ignored me LMAO. They didn’t read my messages, and honestly I’m not too miffed because I only reached out since other people in the Kakao reached out. PREMIER - Kakao (KRN) Another clinic I saw on the app; it seems to be pretty famous for eyes. They are having a summer event where the incision method is only around 890 thousand won (!?!!) which made me realize just how much more they charge for foreigners. They were very speedy in their replies, but I noticed after messaging them that they have an English website and offer consultations through Whatsapp (which I don’t have). I was curious how they would quote me after having a conversation with them in Korean and then telling them I was a foreigner. I asked if it would be possible to get a natural in out line (I mentioned Red Velvet’s Irene LMAO), as when I use double eyelid tape, the line gets very thick and makes me look weird. I asked if the line I get with double eyelid tape is the only line possible with my eyes, or if the line I want is possible. I also asked if I could participate in their events/promotions even though I was a foreigner. They basically said it’s hard for them to answer my questions completely accurately through just photos, and asked if I could come in for an in person consultation. They said I could participate in their promotional events as I hold dual citizenship in Korea (so I guess that’s the criteria), and without any events, typical base price for the incision method would be close to 1 million won but that the price would depend on what the doctor ultimately says as well as the level of difficulty of the surgery. They were very kind and polite and even told me to contact them again when I arrive in Korea, which made them place way higher on my list! ITEM - Kakao (KRN/ENG) I'll be honest, I got quite lazy and just copy pasted what I Kakao-ed Premier in Korean but I stated that I'm slightly more comfortable in English, so we had a mostly English conversation but there was some Korean, as an FYI. They said my eyes were big! (A lie. But it made me feel good LMAO) They were very prompt and kind in their replies to me. They recommended the incisional method and said it was too hard to tell right now if I needed ptosis correction. For nose, they said if I wanted a higher nose bridge, I would need to use silicone (T___T) and would reduce my bone base (Osteotomy) as I have a wide base (I have to look up what this means.. LOL). They also said they would use my septum cartilage to make my columella and tip, but stated that if I didn't have enough cartilage, I would need to use donor. They also were concerned about reducing my alars too much, for breathing functions. They said that I wouldn't be able to participate in promotional events unless I could speak Korean, so I guess I'll have to find out if I do a face to face. I'm very hesitant because so far it seems as though silicone is inevitable, and while I did like how specific they were in telling me what specific procedures they suggested, it seems as though all the rhinoplasty inquiries I have asked about have given me different suggestions -- generally a higher nose bridge and a slimmer tip are the consensus, but there are little different things all clinics so far have suggested. They quoted me 1.85 million won for incisional DES (no ptosis or anything), and rhinoplasty overall would cost 4.6 million won. So far, I am primarily interested in Premier and Wannabe. I think I'll have to make a face to face consultation with Cocoline before I finalize my thoughts. I also think I might be able to get some leverage with a F2F, since I was able to communicate fine with Premier in all Korean. I am still continuing to decide whether I want to do silicone or rib as they both have their pros and cons, and I might ask if I could do just tip plasty + alar instead. I am not interested in Item as I do not like how they suggested that I may need a donor, when I'm already very hesitant against silicone.

Title: Best time to visit Korea. When planning for plastic surgery, we often focus on achieving the main objective of getting ourselves to Korea and finding the best clinic and doctor for our price range, however there may be several things we overlook which contribute to a smooth plastic surgery journey. One such overlooked factor is the time (in the year) of the trip. For example, there were several instances in which visitors have arrived at Korea and experienced inconvenience in the waiting room due to a high influx of locals, or stayed in their rooms due to the heat which prevented them from taking deswelling walks, or experienced a service interruption because of a local holiday. Since these factors indirectly affect the success of plastic surgery, I believe it’s important to consider the timing of your visit. Variables I have compiled several hypothesized variables which I believe will impact the plastic surgery experience. Temperature. Months that are warmer will be less conducive to healing because the heat is only therapeutic for sore muscles and chronic pain, and not the inflammation and injury resulting from plastic surgery. Additionally, there is the general grime that comes with walking around in a major metropolitan city in the humid summer. Colder temperatures will be better for deswelling and walking. Local holidays. Most business close down for at least one day for major Korean holidays. To ensure a more streamlined plastic surgery experience, one should avoid visiting during Korean holidays. Plastic surgeries also have promotions around the holiday season so this leads to an influx of local customers, which decreases the amount of individual attention one may receive from their surgeon and consultant and increases the likelihood of mix-ups and dropped communication. Ideally, to get the most attention, care, and continuous service, it would be better to go during a time that is not so popular. High school/university students. Apparently, it is very popular for Korean high school/ university students to get plastic surgery during the weeks after their university entrance exam and during their summer vacations. This also leads to an influx of local customers, resulting in the same problems in the above point (Local holidays). Yellow dust. Yellow dust (also known as Asian dust) is a yearly weather event occurring in April in which the winds originating from Mongolia sweep over China, Kazakhstan, North and South Korea. This is a problem because the wind picks up pollutants on its way to South Korea and poses a respiratory risk if there is extensive exposure to it. Based on common sense, I don’t think it would be beneficial or convenient to visit Korea when there are major issues with its air quality. Chart I created a chart (see attached document) which integrates the four variables to determine the best time to visit Korea for plastic surgery. For every negative variable present in the month, I added 1 to the “cons” count. A higher “cons” count indicates that it would be more inconvenient/unpleasant to visit Korea during this month. Similarly, if a month has a lower a “cons” count, it means that the visit will be smoother/more pleasant during that month. Green = Most convenient; Red = Least convenient. Chart notes: I marked temperatures of 25C and higher as inconvenient because that is the threshold that I personally find the weather to be too hot to tolerate without AC. Temperature data was sourced from average taken from average highs and lows in the city of Seoul. Source (*) The holidays marked with an asterisk denote an approximated date. Since a lot of Korean holidays are based on the Lunar calendar, the dates shift every year because the Lunar and the Roman calendar don’t match up. Please be aware that the dates given may not be the precise dates. Results According to the chart, it seems that the best months to visit are March, May, and October. The most inconvenient month to visit is January. Of course, I’m not saying that you should never visit Korea outside of the three months I mentioned, but this information is here to help you determine what events you may encounter if you do visit Korea, so you can plan accordingly. Limitations There are limitations which I have omitted from this chart. I did not consider the patterns of Chinese medical tourists, because I assume (I don't know if I’m wrong or right) the Chinese holidays share considerable overlap with the Korean holidays, so this omission should not change the pattern of results. However, they do comprise a large section of the Korean medical tourism population and may influence the quality of treatment/care you receive from your surgeons/consultants if there are any differences in holidays. If anyone has any information about this please feel free to comment. After I finished this report, I realized that rainfall and humidity also play a role in how ‘icky’ one feels especially if they’re trying to get around and deswell. However, I found that rainfall and humidity generally follows the same pattern as the temperature, so I don’t expect them to change the results of this chart. The temperature ratings were subjective as they were determined by me. If you have a high tolerance of the heat (or a low tolerance of the cold), you may want to consider adjusting or removing the temperature variable so it suits your needs. Concluding remarks I hope you consider this information when planning for your travels. Hopefully we can all hack our beauty in the most painless way possible. Sincerely, Jennifer. -- Edit history: June 25, 2019. Added Memorial Day as pointed out by the user June. Added comment about approximate dates due to Lunar calendar. Clarified writing regarding swelling and hot temperatures. December 15, 2019. Fixed some grammatical errors and changed some wording bungles.

Hi All, I have collated a list of consultation questions from my research and sharing it here for those who may find it useful. Please feel free to add on to the list. Wishing all with upcoming surgeries a smooth journey! PRE-SURGERY POINTERS Two weeks before trip Avoid alcohol for 2 weeks before surgery No smoking at least 1 week before surgery Take vitamin supplements if needed (vitamin c, vitamin a, zinc, vitamin k, vitamin b, vitamin d, magnesium, amino acids) Avoid Vitamin E (increases bleeding) or ginseng/ ginko/ garlic/ ginger/ dongquai/ omega3 fatty acids Take good care of your skin (surgery may be postponed if there is pimple) Stop taking any medication or dietary supplements 2 weeks before surgery and notify during consultation Do not take any drugs with aspirin as they may have an undesirable side effects that may affect your surgery (abnormal bleeding and bruising). You may take Tylenol as a substitute for discomfort. The following is a summary taken from the Journal of American Medical Association on eight herbs that can potentially pose harm during and after surgery. It is recommended that the following herbs be stopped before surgery in order to avoid any potential complications from their use: St. John’s Wort can significantly increase the breakdown of other routinely administered drugs during surgery, some of which are vital to the care of patients after surgery. This should be discontinued at least 5 days before surgery. Echinacea should be used with caution in patients with asthma or allergic problems and should be discontinued as far in advance of surgery as possible. Ephedra causes a potential increase in blood pressure and heart rate. This herb has also been associated with sudden death under anesthesia. This should be discontinued at least 7 days before surgery. Garlic supplements have a potential for reducing clotting function and platelet function and should be stopped 7 days prior to surgery. Ginseng has also been shown to have effects on clotting pathways and should be discontinued approximately 7 days preoperatively. Ginkgo should be discontinued 7 days prior to surgery because it can inhibit platelet clotting factors. Kava should be discontinued 7 days preoperatively because it can increase the sedative effects of anesthetics. Valerian can increase the sedative effects of anesthetics. This should not be discontinued abruptly because there is risk of physical dependency to Valerian and withdrawal symptoms may develop. This should be tapered over several weeks before surgery. Consultation Consult 3 Clinics / Day (space out start times by at least 2 hours, but spacing out by 3 hours buffer is recommended). Prepare some photos of how you want to look. Negotiate price - a) List example prices from other clinics b) State your budget is significantly lower than it actually is c) Offer to write them a review / before and after pictures for them to use on their site Always ask about the available dates for your surgery at the end of your consultation. Make sure you clearly understand the clinic’s revision policy and it is a good idea to get this in writing. You can get this by sending your consultant a mail/message where you summarize this policy and ask the consultant whether your understanding of this is complete and correct. Bring along something to take notes. MUST notify during consultation of any allergies or hypersensitive reactions towards certain medication LIST OF CONSULTATION QUESTIONS Doctor Are you certified by the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery? Were you trained specifically in the field of plastic surgery? How many years of plastic surgery training have you had? Is doctor X specialized in (procedure)? Or does he focus on other areas? Cost What is the exact breakdown of fees for this procedure? Are there any hidden fees? What is the total cost of the surgery including drugs and treatment aids needed after the surgery? What is included in my aftercare and what not? For example things like overnight stay, medications, scar cream, pumpkin juice, pressure garment, ice packs, deswelling treatment, hair treatment, etc.? Is there VAT refund? Where is the nearest downtown VAT refund point (i.e. apart from the airport refund counter)? What is the name of the VAT refund counter operator? If possible complications may occur, does the patient have to pay for the treatment? What is the cost for this treatment? If the patient decides to discontinue the surgery for any reason, does the patient still need to pay for the entire surgery? Surgery What procedures do I need to do or would you recommend me to do? Am I a good candidate for this procedure? How will you perform my procedure? Where will the procedure be performed? How many of these procedures do you perform a week? A month? What is the most popular surgical procedure you perform in your clinic? How many other medical staff will assist with this procedure? Will there be an anesthesiologist present during my surgery? What type of anesthesia method and anesthetic are used? Is some or all of the surgical equipment and instruments sterilized and used only for my surgery? What are the risks of the surgery? What are the complication occurrence rates and the surgeon’s surgery success rates of this clinic? How are complications handled? Can I see before and after pictures of the surgery? Post-Surgery What type of treatment will I need after the surgery? Will I need to take painkillers after the surgery? Does swelling or bruising occur after surgery? If so, is it treatable? How long will it take for me to return to day-to-day activities after the surgery? How long will the surgery results last for; if not permanent? If I need to consult the surgeon, can I meet him/her even months after the surgery? What is the clinic’s revision or refund policy in case there are complications or when I am not satisfied? What is exactly included & excluded in the revision policy, like revision excludes anesthetics costs? How many follow-up visits will I need? When is the next follow-up visit? When will the stitches be removed? How long does it take for the scars to disappear? Surgical Records Is any information about my surgery recorded? If so, how is it recorded? Will my surgical records or photos be shown to anyone else? Will my approval be sought before any of my records, including photos, are shown to someone else? Can I keep a copy of my surgical records? How long does the clinic store surgical records after the surgery? Where can I find my surgical records if the clinic which performed the surgery closes?

Hi all, I have been thinking about plastic surgery since October 2019 and been researching for a few months now. Originally, my plan was to go in May 2020 but things changed and now I have 3.5 weeks left before my trip. By the way, I dont get any discount for writing this because my trip not even start yet and I haven't talked to any clinic in person yet, so, plz don't. Today, I decided to write this post to begin sharing my journey and hopefully it can help some people. I know there are fake reviews everywhere, thats why I decided to start this topic early and will update frequently. This is also my one and only review on the Internet. I am in a few Kakaotalk group chats and I use my Kakao ID as my display name here, so feel free to add me in Kakaotalk if you want. Also looking for PS buddies as I will be travel alone and may be we can support each other through the tough healing process. In October, when I got so hype about the idea of getting PS, I watched shit load of PS reviews on Youtube and as a result I ended up to contact a medical tour agency through email. They replied me, suggested 4 big names that I believe everyone knows : Banobagi, ID, View, Cinderella. None of them ended up in my shortlist though and main reasons are: big factory type of hospitals, rumors of shadow doctors, botches stories or just being expensive. After few days of researches I decided not to go with a medical tour agency or any agent because: I ve been to SK twice, it is easy to travel around with subway system, many clinics got English translators/consultants, and simply I can get cheaper quote if i go direct to clinics plus going with agent will limited your choice. Later on, I went on Purse Forum, Kakao, Realself etc.. and online consulted with over 30 clinics. I changed my mind a lot in the first month of researching because everyday I will discover more reviews (both fake and real lol) and more clinics. I think talking with people on Kakao and seeing their real results day by day had the most impact on my shortlisted clinics. Also get a lot of tips to prepare for consults, surgeries and recover from people there so I suggest if you dont have Kakaotalk yet, install it and join some of these group chats. A bit about me, I never have any PS before so this will be my first trip. I have a slight hump on my nose, bulbous tip and my alar a bit wide. My eyelids are thin line and not even, left side drop a bit over my lashes. Face wise, I dont have super big cheekbone but my lower jaw is a bit square, nerves seem to be low, also have double chin and lot of fat on my face. I was supposed to lose some weight before the trip in May but now I have only 3 weeks so chin lipo is a must. What kind of procedures Im looking at and aesthetic style: - Eyes: double eyelids, dolly and outline style, want permenant result, dont want epi but lower cantho and may be lateral if dr said ok. - Nose: prefer no silicone, natural style with a slight curve on the bridge, dont want osteotomy if possible but might need hump removal. - FC: dont want zygoma, want natural result, no pointy chin, prefer less aggressive method if possible, chin lipo. Now let's get to the main point of today - my shortlisted clinics, their specialities and quotes. 1- The Face Dental (10% VAT not included): Speclised in Double Jaw, V-line, Genio, Zygoma. Aesthetic style: Natural Reasons I consider TFD : 1.Haven't heard of any botch from dr Lee yet. 2. Price for V-line is very reasonable. 3. Dr. Lee is high skilled and ethical at the same time = safe. 4. 1 doctor : 1 in house anesthesiologist = safe. Online quotes: 4.4 - 6.6mil V-line, 2mil dissolvable pin, 2mil chin lipo and muscles reduction. Note: He doesnt do eyes and nose, only face contour. He runs his own Kakao chat and you can consult with him directly there. Some of his media platforms and his website might be run by a lady name Olivia and don't go through her, she is a bit not clear about the price since she will take commision. 2- Wannabe ( 10% VAT not included): Specialised: not sure Aesthetic style: Natural Reasons I consider : 1. Havent seen any botch. 2. Price in general is reasonable. 3. Small clinic, seems to be popular among locals Online quotes: - Mini V-line 6mil, Full V-line 6.5mil - Primary DES start from 2.1mil, Ptosis 0.6mil, Lateral Cantho 1mil, Loweing Cantho 1.3mil - Primary Rhino 3.3mil, currently has promotion for 2.65mil on Instagram - Accusculpting per area 1.5mil Note: Alice is the English consultant, she is quite nice. Claimed that they use Resorbable screw for all V-line. 3- Braun: Specialised in FC ( Dr. Kim Tae Gyu) and Rhino/revision rhino (Dr. Kim Gui Rak) Aesthetic style: I dont know Reasons I consider: 1. Real review - One person on Kakao had a revision rhino there after a big infection from previous rhino, result came out nicely. 2. Their FC techniques. Online quotes: - DES incision 3.5mil, Epi Cantho 1.5mil - Primary Rhino 7mil - Jaw reduction 6.5mil, zyg 6.2mil, mandiblar angle 6.5mil or 17mill full FC or 11mil V-line - Accusculpt laser 3mil Note: quotes are very expensive but they offered me 50% off if reservation in Oct since these quotes are from Oct. 4- Item Specialised in Eyes (Dr. Kim Jin Sung for dolly, Dr Jung for natural) Aesthetic style: depends on dr. Reasons I consider: 1. Real review - been watching someone review since consult day till now which is 3 months post op, result is on point, dr gave what she wanted. 2. B&A look a bit photoshop but look like they fix many asymetrical eyes, and my eyes are not even. Online quotes: - Incision des + ptosis + epi + lateral cantho = 4.8mil - Rhino bridge + tip + alar = 6.3mil - Jaw reduction 4.6mil - Chin implant 2.6mil, Thread lift 3.2mil Note: I didnt ask for V-line quote, only long curve mandiblar cut. Sally is the English consultant and she wont break down the price, everything price wise jsut have to discuss in f2f consult. 5- Premier: Specialised in Eyes (Dr Jang), Nose (Dr. Choi) Aesthetic style: dramatic Reasons I consider: 1. Keep hearing about dr Jang work and love their B&A eyes. 2. Found 1 patient had same nose like me and her result is what i want too . Online quotes: - someone got quote 5.5mil for primary rhino from f2f consult Note: They don't have English consultant so cannot consult online, therefore, no quote. You have to bring your own translator for f2f consult. Clinic is known among locals. 6- Naturalism: Specialised in Eyes (Dr.Go), Nose (Dr. Kim) Aesthetic style : Probably natural Reason I consider: 1. People in Kakao keep talking about it and how hard to get an appointment so I assume they are worth a try. 2. I like their natural nose style as Premier is too dramatic when Wannabe is too little change from front profile, I feel Naturalism can balance between the two. Online quotes: - the same person got quote in Premier I mentioned above came here and get 4.5mil quoted for her primary rhino Note: Same as Premier, they dont have an English consultant. I am trying to organise my consultation booking at the moment, my translator is helping with appointments at Premier and Naturalism. Flight tickets and accomodation booked and paid. Currently I am focusing on making my own questions list for consultation plus collecting photos to show doctors. I will try to update this topic after all the consultations. Thanks.

Consultations on this list: DA Plastic Surgery (Eyes + Nose) ++) Updates from Luho, Marble DA PS (DREAM AESTHETICS) (Eng) I will start off by saying they took a long time to get back to me (2 days), and I think this could be because I contacted them when it was the weekend. However, they were VERY thorough. They drew on my photo and gave me two options with the drawings of roughly how high I could augment my nose: either super high or pretty natural. It would be an open rhinoplasty with silicone for the nose bridge and they gave me options: rib/ear+septal for the tip, with rib resulting in a very high nose and ear being in between the natural + high option. However, I had to ask them what they thought about my eyes for them to answer again, and they recommended ptosis + lateral canthoplasty + incision method. They said if I weren’t doing my nose, they would’ve also recommended epicanthoplasty, but said that the higher nose bridge would help with my eyes being more further apart for my face. I also asked in the chances that I plan on doing my nose and eyes separately, what surgery I should do first (ie different clinics), and they recommended me to do my nose first, wait 2 weeks, then do my eyes. They said they’ll have to do an in person consultation to see if osteotomy is needed. For nose, they suggested: nose bridge + tip augmentation, alar reduction, nose extension and said it would be around 2-3 million won, and if I use rib, it would be 5-6 million won. Eyes would be around 2 million won. However, other clinics as well as people that I've asked all suggested doing my eyes first. I think they told me I should do my nose first because I implied that I may be considering doing my eyes elsewhere. This made me take them off. LUHO UPDATE Guys, I really like this place LOL. Of course, ultimately it will lead to an in person consultation for me to finalize my decision, but I feel pretty confident that I will go here for my eyes. They told me to do my eyes first, wait 3 weeks, then to do my nose. They also said laser deswelling treatment, etc, are free and included. MARBLE UPDATE Their global Kakao responded later than the Korean one, but I felt bad if I ignored them, so we still talked. They suggested incisional DES, but did not mention anything about ptosis correction. They also suggested bridge augmentation + tip plasty (silicone + ear/septal cartilage) and osteotomy. However, they also said they were interested in having me model and were kind of pushy about it -- suggesting that I agree now (before I even fly out!! i told them id be interested in going to Korea December or early next year), and that the final discount for being their model would range from 30-100% off, which is so large and honestly ridiculous. They also said that the total price would be 12 million won, which is INSANE considering that their Korean team quoted me 8 million. I mentioned this to them, and they said that the discrepancy in price is due to the fact that they would include translating service, pick up (depending on which surgery you're doing), and deswelling treatment. Even so, I think the price difference is crazy and honestly I'm not too sure if I would really need a translating service, though if I do, I feel like it would be better to just hire one myself. They did not break down the price for me. OVERALL THOUGHTS I will like to mention some facts I picked up along the way -- I tried to watch smaller Youtubers who have a lower chance of getting sponsored for their surgery. Two of them went to Premier, and I only knew this because I managed to catch the surgeon's name on an award she received in the background LMAO. Premier seems very famous for their eyes, and Korean people recommend Premier if you want a more dolly look and you can do natural adhesion -- Dr. Jang is quite famous for this. Unfortunately, those are both not things I want, so I had to cross them off the list LOL. Every blog, post, video, I've watched so far seem to all mention how kind Luho is overall, especially Dr. Park, who is known for their eyes. He seems to be quite skilled in the incisional method, and I liked how they allow foreigners to participate in events. Overall, people seem pretty satisfied with ITEM as well, and I think I'll check out Dr. Kim's B/As more to see -- I do like that it's popular amongst both Koreans and foreigners. Lastly, I plan on reaching out to Naturalism for a Kakao consultation. Their nose doctor is quite famous, and I think most people here have heard of them, but I don't think I've read many reviews of getting a consultation or even doing the surgery, so I'll definitely update. I've come to the conclusion that silicone is basically inevitable. I am young, and chances of reabsorption and warping is higher if you are younger and you use rib, so I think if I go to a doctor who is specialized in noses, I think I can minimize dissatisfaction with silicone as I think most people are dissatisfied due to it being lower than they expected. However, I am not ruling out rib entirely and of course, my final opinion will come down to what the doctors all say. CLINICS I PLAN ON CONSULTING F2F - Wannabe - ITEM - Naturalism - Luho - Cocoline Overall, if Naturalism's consultation goes well, I think I might end up choosing Luho and Naturalism for my eyes and nose respectively!

I'm glad you asked this because I also had some smaller clinics tell me they would use IV Sedation and I was like huh? Because I had only ever see posts about general anesthesia. I poked around the internet (most Real Self q&a area) and it seems that, at least in the US, surgeons prefer GA because it completely knocks out the patient so the patient can't move. With sedation, the patient is technically still awake, although out of it, but if they suddenly snap back to and panic, they can move around and that can be dangerous. For GA, it seems a big reason that you need a dedicated anesthesiologist is because, as said before, GA completely knocks you out. This includes your ability to breathe, so with GA you have to be intubated/have a "protected airway." Under sedation, you're still able to breathe under your own power. Since the nurses and doctors will be focused on your surgery, you probably wouldn't want them also distracted by watching breathing monitors and such as well. In addition, an anesthesiologist is trained to identify if you have an allergy and can correct it on the fly. You can ask the clinic if they have an in-house anesthesiologist, even if they are smaller or don't have one listed on their website. For example, I asked Dr Jin from Premium Nose if he has an in-house anesthesiologist and he told me they have a full time anesthesiologist on standby (meaning the person does anesthesia full time, but isn't employed only by their clinic). Even with IV Sedation, you can ask your doctor who will be administering it. Another point, I think that most of the smaller clinics probably use IV Sedation because I imagine that anesthesiologists are expensive (both in house and full time on standby). I'm can't say for sure about Korea, but I have a couple friends that are anesthesiologists in America. One is a doctor and one is a nurse. They get paid A LOT more than their not anesthesia trained counterparts, BUT they also had to do a lot more schooling and training as well. The anesthesia programs are very competitive to get into as well and you have to be kinda a top doctor or nurse to get in (from what they've told me). Also, in case this adds an additional question: is a doctor or a nurse better? For plastic surgeries, either is fine. My doctor friend said the main difference is that the doctor version is trained to do more complex causes on the fly, for example accident victims that need immediate surgery in an ER situation. Also doctors can do research. Neither of these situations apply to surgeries we would be undergoing.

I am hoping to share my primary DES and rhinoplasty (nose tip) experience, and hope that all queries can be consolidated here to serve as future reference for others. Please add your query as a reply to this thread, and I will address them as best / as soon as I can. Eye Research & Shortlist I consulted about 35 clinics online (via KKT), and shortlisted 3 for face-to-face consultation. Please note that I shortlisted the following clinics for f2f consultations based on the following criteria: Doctors’ aesthetics sense for DES - high dramatic parallel crease style Doctors' specialty - must include eyes, and not primarily rhino or facial contouring or breast augmentation Doctors' stitching style - should be neat and consistent (i.e. no messy lines, sausage lids, hooded eyes etc) Doctor should ideally be from Korea's top 3 universities (Seoul National University, Yonsei University or Korea University) Plastic Surgery Board-certified (or if suspended, only non-renewal of fees accepted) (to check if a doctor is certified, please refer to my other post https://beautyhacker.com/topic/1012254-checking-if-a-doctor-is-certified-by-the-korean-association-of-plastic-surgeons/) Need not be on VAT refund list Sources that I based my research on include: KKT group chats (please only join the moderated chats and not those set up by clinic promoters), Beauty Hacker, Plastic Surgery apps for B/A photos (Babitalk (Korean), Gangnam Unnie (Korean and requires Korean phone number), Soyoung (Chinese)), Purseforum 1) Mate Plastic Surgery 메이트성형외과 Dr Kim Geun-Sik 김근식 Plastic Surgery Board-Certified Clinic not yet on VAT refund list (staff said that they are in the process of applying to be on the list) (Former Top Class – left in Aug 2019; Cinderella, Izien, Grand) Korea University graduate Nearest subway: Sinnonhyeon Website: http://mateps.co.kr/ 2) PR Plastic Surgery 피알성형외과 Dr. Rho Kyoung Hwan 노경환 Plastic Surgery Board license suspended, did not pay renewal fees Clinic not on VAT refund list (Former Jewellery, Banobagi) Nearest subway: Sinsa Korea University graduate Website: http://www.prprs.co.kr 3) Item 아이템 성형외과 Dr. Lee Jun Woo 이준우 Plastic Surgery Board-Certified Clinic on VAT refund list (Former BK) Nearest subway: Sinsa Website: http://www.itemclinic.com/ Consultation Experience *Please note that i have indicated an indicative price as price varies from person to person. For a list of sample consultation questions to ask, please refer to my other post. (https://beautyhacker.com/topic/1015406-pre-surgery-pointers-list-of-consultation-questions/). Please note that for Mate and PR, I went with a translator from Gangnam Medical Centre. She charges 30,000 KRW per hour, minimum 2 hours. I find her to be very professional and impartial. If anyone would like her contact, I have listed it below: Name: JJ (tell her you were recommended by Lee) Email: [email protected] 1) Mate Plastic Surgery - Dr Kim Geun-Sik 1st discussion with consultant: 10 minutes Waiting time to see doctor: 5 minutes Consultation with doctor: 25 minutes 2nd discussion with consultant: 15 minutes Recommended procedures & price: $2.2 - $2.7 mil (including tax) for Incisional DES + Epi canthoplasty + Lateral canthoplasty My personal take on consultant: Consultant was professional (read not friendly) and not pushy. She speaks only very basic English. My personal take on doctor I was specifically looking for Dr Kim and messaged TopClass but they said he was leaving in end Jul and did not share where he was leaving to. I searched the Korean apps and found out that he was starting his own clinic. Managed to book a slot right before I left for Korea as his clinic only opened in 3rd week Aug. Doctor seemed shy but confident. He did not seem to have a fixed aesthetics sense that he favoured. In my opinion, he also did not over-recommend unnecessary procedures. 2) PR Plastic Surgery - Dr Rho Kyoung Hwan 1st discussion with consultant: 15 minutes Waiting time to see doctor: 30 minutes Consultation with doctor: 15 minutes 2nd discussion with consultant: 15 minutes Recommended procedures & price: $4 - $4.5 mil (including tax) for Incisional DES + Epi canthoplasty + Upper canthoplasty + Ptosis (and you have to give them permission to use your pictures for marketing purposes) My personal take on consultant: Consultant seemed insincere and started quoting at $6.2 mil before lowering it down to $4.2 mil. My personal take on doctor Doctor was very friendly and spoke intermediate English. Doctor seemed confident. 3) Item Plastic Surgery - Dr Lee Jun Woo 1st discussion with consultant: 15 minutes Waiting time to see doctor: 30 minutes Consultation with doctor: 10 minutes 2nd discussion with consultant: 10 minutes Recommended procedures & price: $3.5 - $4 mil (including tax) for Incisional DES ($1.7 mil) + Upper canthoplasty ($950k) + Upper fat grafting ($950k) (price for cash payment) My personal take on consultant: Consultant’s English is good. She is also friendly and prompt in replies. Although I eventually did not select them, she followed up to offer assistance during my stay at any time - I found this to be a very nice gesture and thanked her for her kind hospitality. My personal take on doctor Doctor was very friendly and spoke good English. Doctor seemed confident. Choice I personally based my choice more on my research (I tried to sieve out real reviews rather than planted reviews) than f2f consultations. In my view, even if the doctor is friendly or confident during the consultation, there is no correlation to the doctor's surgical skills. I also highly suggest researching on doctors rather than clinics. I personally do not place much emphasis on clinics' reputation unless clinics' past reputation suggest unhygienic/unethical practices. Clinics do not train the doctors. If anything, the doctors' past experience, educational background and accreditation would be more relevant. I eventually chose Dr Kim (from Mate) for the following reasons: Based on my research, both Dr Rho (PR) and Dr Kim (Mate) specialised in dramatic high parallel crease. Dr Lee's specialty was more of overall transformation rather than eyes. While all three doctors seemed confident that they could achieve the parallel look I wanted, and shared that epi would be required to achieve the desired crease, Dr. Kim (Mate) was the only one that pointed out that epi would be risky for me given that there is already a large amount of pink at the inner corner of my eye to begin with. Dr Rho (PR) was the only doctor that recommended ptosis. He also initially suggested doing Lateral / Lower canthoplasty but the consultant dropped it from the quotes (after realising the other procedures already added up to $6.2 mil). Dr Lee (Item) had an ideal crease height (which leaned towards being conservative) based on proportion, which I respected but I really wanted a more dramatic transformation. Also, mixed reviews of Item clinic swayed my decision. During the consultation, Dr Kim (Mate) seemed to be more meticulous in designing the crease height and balance with my other facial features Surgery Morning of Surgery Wake up early & wash your face Make sure you are not wearing any accessories or nail polish Bring your contact lens case to store your contact lens (if applicable) NO breakfast (not even a small biscuit or a cup of water) Wear comfortable clothes (button down shirt) and bring cover-ups like caps or sunglasses to protect your eyes after surgery Prepare your appointment card including fees for the operation in advance so that you are on time for the surgery. Go over to clinic early to check in Bring socks - The surgery room can be a bit cold and socks can keep you warm thus calming you down before the surgery. Make sure that in the contract you sign with the clinic before your surgery, it is clearly stated what the full name is of the doctor that is operating on you. The clinic is legally obliged to put this in the contract. This is to avoid a clinic using another doctor for your surgery. Pre-Surgery Process Change into your surgery clothes. Take everything off except for your underwear. Tie your hair back Wash hands first, then your entire face. Make sure it’s completely cleaned. Wait in patient waiting room Consultant brief you about the risk, liability, warranty (in my case, for the 1st year it's free revision, and in the 2nd year it's free revision but you have to pay anesthesia and consultation fees). Sign the waiver of liability form. Go into another room to take a photo of you pre-surgery Doctor comes in and analyses you for the second time (the first time should be at your consultation). He will make small notations on your face and discuss the shape again. This process for me took about an hour. Go into surgery (mine took about 2 hours). Rest in recovery room (I requested to leave immediately since I was super hungry; almost 24 hours since my last meal). The consultant helped me book a taxi and on my way back, she called the driver to check if I reached my Airbnb (the driver took the call on speaker mode). Recovery Day 0 / 1: I was tearing non-stop for the 1st 24 hours and most were tears with diluted blood. There was also a fair bit of bruising at my undereye area (which I religiously used Auriderm and found it to work like a charm). I did not ice much but should get down to being more diligent on icing my eyes. The recovery process has taught me the importance of patience; and the reassurances from the KKT chats were really helpful. Day 2: My eyes still seem very swollen after 40 hours. Will be following up with the doctor later in the day and hopefully, I can return to the clinic to remove the stitches on Day 5. Day 3: The swelling in my eyes has gone down a bit but still significantly swollen. Day 4: Much more bruising at the under area of my eye to my cheeks area but excited for stitch removal tomorrow. Day 5: Stitches are finally off. Stitch removal did not hurt at all. Hopefully my crease height doesn't drop too much from now on. Day 12: Eyes are still significantly swollen - I haven't been icing the past few days and when I visited Hanabi for a nose consult, the doctor said my eyes are still swollen because I did incisional and asked for high crease. I shall be patient and start working on icing and applying the ointment to bring down the swelling. Week 2: Eyes are still swollen and I noticed some small cysts. I went to the pharmacist and he prescribed me antibiotics. He said could be an infection since I did not take the antibiotics right after my surgery that I was prescribed. Week 3: My left eye is still significantly more swollen (even more swollen than Week 2). I contacted clinic and they requested for me to go down to see Dr Kim. Dr Kim said that I had an infection (I didn't tell him that I didn't take the antibiotics earlier prescribed) and asked the nurses to give me two shots of different antibiotics. The swelling subsided after but the left eye remains more swollen than the right as of writing. Week 4: The swelling on both eyes has gone down significantly, although the swelling on my left eye (which was earlier infected) is still slightly more than the right. I am liking the crease height now and I hope it only falls slightly more and not significantly more. Nose I separately decided to proceed with nose tip surgery. Both doctors (my DES doctor Dr Kim and Dr Chang from Hanabi) recommended slight hump reduction on my nose bridge and to adjust the nose tip using ear cartilage for a more refined nose tip. I eventually went with Dr Kim as I did not quite identify with Hanabi's recommendation of raising my nose tip significantly. Price quotation wise, Hanabi's quote was in the range of $5-5.5 mil and Mate's quote was in the range of $1.5-$1.8 mil (hump reduction was free but I opted out of it as I felt it would make my nose bridge appear flatter from the front profile) Day 0: Had a rough night with slight fever and vomitting, and a runny nose with blood trickling down. Woke up with a blocked nose from the dried blood. Day 1: Had cleanup for the dried blood done at the clinic. To return to the clinic on Day 6 for removal of external stitches for nose. (Day 8 for ear stitches removal and Day 10 for removal of internal stitches for nose). I managed to get my hair washed and blow-dried at the salon for 10,000 KRW. Day 2: The fever has gone down and hopefully there is no infection. Day 3: I did not have much bruising but I noticed some swelling on my left cheek. Day 4: I woke up to even more swelling on my left cheek and some swelling on my right cheek. I am still having a low-grade fever that gets better after I take my medicine but comes back again every few hours. Will get it checked when I return to the clinic on Day 6. Day 7: Splint and stitches removed. My nose and the area around it became really oily for the next few days after. Day 12: Left Korea despite there being a slight infection for one of the inner stitch site within the nose. To continue leaving the 3M steri-strip on for another week. Also, the bruising behind my ear was really bad at around Day 10 but has now changed to a yellow/green colour. Week 4: The bulk of the swelling went down by Week 2 and I could resume my daily activities without looking strange or odd. There is faint scarring which I hope it will fade eventually but nothing obvious unless I point it out to others. I have shared my before and after on the KKT group chats. Please do not re-upload or circulate my photos without my permission. Thank you! Here's wishing all with upcoming surgeries all the best.

Hi all, Feel free to add on to the list below. Hopefully this will come in useful for those planning for their upcoming surgeries. Cheers. To check if a doctor is certified, please refer to my other post https://beautyhacker.com/topic/1012254-checking-if-a-doctor-is-certified-by-the-korean-association-of-plastic-surgeons/) For a list of pre-surgery pointers and sample consultation questions to ask, please refer to my other post. (https://beautyhacker.com/topic/1015406-pre-surgery-pointers-list-of-consultation-questions/). Packing List Notebook and pen to write notes during consultation Medical history / Drug allergies to inform clinic Button tops or loose fitting tops Electrical adapter Cotton bud / Q-tips (to apply medicine, dig nose, remove food particles for those with stitches inside mouth) Antibacterial wet wipes Lip balm (for rhino and FC as lips will get dry from breathing through the mouth) Pain relief medication Tissue paper (for running nose/teary eyes post-surgery & bleeding) Camouflage items (hoodie, sunglasses, face masks, caps) Vitamin K cream (e.g. Auriderm) (for bruising) Scar healing & reduction gel (e.g. Kelocote, Dermatix) Simple dressing set Arnica (e.g. Sineech) (for bruising) Bromelain (for swelling) Collagen powder (promotes healing) Vitamin C (promotes healing) Protein powder (if you have to be on a liquid diet) Dry shampoo Recovery Tips General Avoid spicy and high sodium food Sleep with head elevated 45 degrees for several days to minimize swelling Apply antibiotic ointment (if prescribed) to the incision site as directed Use ice packs (~10 mins on 10 mins off) for the first 3 days after surgery as often as you can to reduce swelling and bruising Do not take aspirin or any aspirin based pain medication unless approved by your surgeon Do not use scar reduction cream/gel on the incision site until the wound has fully healed No alcohol for 3 weeks as it causes fluid retention Do not smoke, as smoking delays healing and increases the risk of complications Limit your activity right after surgery (for the first 3 days) to reduce post-operative swelling and bleeding. Start walking as soon as possible from the 4th day onwards, this helps to reduce swelling and lowers the chance of blood clots Avoid activities that raise your blood pressure, including bending, lifting and rigorous sports Before you attempt to pull any dead skin, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. Eye surgery-specific You can take showers from the neck down any time after your surgery. Don’t take full showers until your surgeon tells you it’s safe to do so. This is usually after stitches are out (~5 to 7 days). You may gently wash below your eyes with wipes or a soft washcloth. You can use dry shampoo for your hair. Once you can take full showers, you can wash your eyelids and shampoo your hair with mild products, such as baby shampoo. Wait at least 2 weeks before wearing contact lenses Do not apply any irritants or make-up on your eyelids or incision line for 2 weeks after the surgery Your physician may recommend Natural Tears (OTC eye drops) or OTC ophthalmic ointment or antibiotic eye drops as part of your post-op treatment. Don’t pull on your eyelids while using the eye drops. Nose surgery-specific You can take showers from the neck down any time after your surgery. Don’t take full showers until your surgeon tells you it’s safe to do so. This is usually after the nose splint and stitches are out (~7 to 10 days). For the first month after rhinoplasty, you should not rest your glasses on the bridge of your nose. Either wear contact lenses or suspend the glasses with the use of a small tape from your forehead. Bruising around your nose in your cheeks and lower eyelids is very common after this type of surgery. Numbness over your nose is also quite normal. You will slowly regain sensation over the top of your nose. But you can expect the tip to be slightly numb and “stiff” feeling for up to three months after surgery. Breathing through your nose will slowly improve after we clean your nose out at your first clinic visit. Go to bed on time. Yawning may cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours. FC surgery-specific Post-Surgery 1. Keeping your head lifted up and above your chest (for at least a week) will speed up the healing process. 2. Use the ice pack for at least 3-4 days and after the 4th day, change to a hot pack. Be sure to treat both sides of the face equally. Any bruises or swelling will lessen in a week and heal after 3 weeks, so you do not have to worry. 3. After the surgery, you must abstain from food for one day. You may drink 6 hours after the surgery, and eat after 48 hours. For those with jaw or cheekbone surgery, you may eat rice porridge after going on a liquid diet (such as juice, milk, rice gruel) for a day. *Spicy or salty food: You may eat after 2 weeks; tough and chewy food after one month 4. When blood comes out of the mouth, spit it out. If you think you have swallowed too much blood or too much blood is coming out, then please contact the doctor. 5. Gargling with the disinfectant that we prescribe is very important. If you do not want any wounds or infection, you must gargle at least 10 times per day. First, gargle your mouth with water a couple of times then use the disinfectant last. Until the seam in your mouth is completely gone, you must gargle for at least 2 weeks. You may use a toothbrush 1 week after the surgery. At first, use a smooth children’s toothbrush to brush your teeth (do not brush your gums). 6. Keep the bandage around your head for at least one day. Wearing the bandage will help reduce the swelling faster. You may wash your face or hair after taking off the bandage and you may go to the sauna or the hot springs after 2 weeks. After the surgery, if the bandage is too tight or your neck feels uncomfortable, please tell the doctor. · You can wash your hair after 3 days, you can take a shower after 5 days · Fitness workouts (sports, health centers) after one month 7. In order to prevent infections, you must take the prescribed medicine. 8. No matter how perfect the surgery came out, if you do not diligently take precautions after the surgery, problems may arise or your face shape may change. Therefore, caring for your face after the surgery is just as important as the surgery itself. We ask for your participation in the process, as well. Diet Even though you can open your mouth a small amount, you still will not be able to chew for approximately 6-8 weeks. You therefore will be on what we term as a swallowing diet. This means anything that you can swallow without chewing. Anything blended or liquid is acceptable. You may also have any foods that are soft enough or small enough to be mashed between your tongue and teeth without chewing. These things may include any liquids, soups, scrambled eggs, applesauce, pie, cake, ice-cream, yogurt, pasta that is well chopped and small and soft, as well as meat which is ground up fine. High-calorie, high-protein meals are the best with plenty of liquids. This may require eating a small meal 5-6 times a day rather than three large meals. Use a cup or glass when eating. Pull the lower lip forward on either side and just pour the contents of the cup into your mouth. Straws are okay to use, but you may find this difficult at first. The reason it is difficult is because your lips may be swollen and with decreased feeling in the upper or lower lip creating a vacuum necessary to use a straw may be difficult. If you can use a straw, it is okay. Take in smaller amounts and eat more frequently, it may be necessary for you to eat 5-6 times a day in order to satisfy your body requirements. Try not to miss any meals. A small, plastic syringe with a piece of rubber tubing or catheter at the tip can be helpful in the feeding process. You may use one of these at the hospital and this may be helpful when you go home from the hospital. These syringes and rubber tubing may be picked up at any pharmacy or drug store and may be quite useful Try to get something fresh every day. A malt or a shake with fresh fruit and a vitamin supplement blended in it is ideal. (e.g. juices, smoothies, puddings, yogurt, etc.) Start drinking from a cup as soon as you’re physically able to. Your upwards trek back to having full energy begins the day you can throw your syringes in the garbage. Eat solid food as soon as your surgeon gives you the go-ahead. It’ll be a slow, tedious and frustrating process, but you need to go through with it in order to build your jaw muscles back up and learn how to chew properly once again. Hygiene Brush and rinse using a small amount of toothpaste and mouthwash. Oral hygiene is the single most important thing you can do to minimize possible infections. After each meal, brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush (child-size works well). Stand over the sink with your head tilted down and use a circular motion and angle the brush at 45 degrees toward the gum line. Use Peridex or a mouthwash without alcohol such as Biotene instead of toothpaste. Brush to the best of your ability and take your time. You may not be able to brush the inside of your teeth. Rinse your mouth with a solution of warm salt water (1 teaspoon salt in one 8 oz glass of warm water). Oral rinsing should be done after every meal. A moistened Q-tip or cotton swab may be used to wipe over the gums and tooth surfaces when brushing is impossible. You may follow brushing with a mild fluoride mouthwash to leave your breath and tongue feeling refreshed. Avoid the use of products such as lemon glycerin swabs and commercial mouthwashes containing alcohol (these products can have a drying or irritating effect on the mucous membranes in the mouth). Use a Waterpik ONLY if ordered by your surgeon. If any skin incisions were made, clean them with 50% peroxide-water solution, remove scabs and apply Neosporin. At times, your breath may be indicative of the fact that you are not allowed to brush your teeth or floss during the first several weeks of recovery. To aid in freshening your breath, try gurgling with warm salt water a few times each day. Soon enough, you’ll be given the go-ahead to brush and floss again. Activities Take it easy the first week. You may resume most of your normal routine after the first week as tolerated. Avoid activities that might cause an injury to the face (athletic like football, basketball, racquetball, weight lifting, etc.). Aerobic exercises may be started after two weeks. For the first 3-4 days following surgery please limit your activity. It is important that you not confine yourself to bed. Try to spend most of the day sitting in a comfortable chair and taking short walks around the house. You should limit your visiting time to 1-2 hours. Although you may feel well, you have had a major procedure and your body needs to recover. Uninterrupted rest is very important in your healing period. Do not participate in sports or strenuous activities, or return to work until permitted by your surgeon. Driving any motorized machinery or vehicle or signing any legal documents while taking pain medications is not recommended. The pain medications may cause alterations of visual perception and impair judgment. Medications Antibiotics use only the first 4-6 days following surgery. Use pain medications only as needed. Anti-nausea use as instructed and notify doctor if relief is not quickly obtained. Acute pain management should always start with over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). If your surgeon approves these medications for you, you should take them as directed on the pill bottles, or by your surgeon. If you take the first pill before the anaesthetic has worn off, you will be able to manage any discomfort better. Precede each pain pill with a small amount of food, and chances for nausea will be reduced. The effects of pain medications vary widely among individuals. For severe pain, you may take your prescription opioid (narcotic). Do not take more opioid pills, or more often, than prescribed by your surgeon. If prescribed, Vicodin / Norco may be taken every 4-6 hours for pain. DO NOT USE TYLENOL. If you notice that the pain medication is not providing comfort for long enough, alternate the Vicodin / Norco and Ibuprofen throughout the day (ex: take 1 Vicodin, then 2 hours later, take ibuprofen…2 hours later another Vicodin / Norco). If your pain is chronic (i.e. consistent and throbbing), you may have an infection and should schedule a visit with your surgeon just to be safe. On the other hand, if your pain comes in small bouts, it’s likely your nerves reawakening or your teeth being pulled by the elastics. In this case, just be patient and the pain will subside in due time. If you were prescribed pain medication, that may help as well. Nausea/Vomiting DON’T PANIC. Use medications as instructed. For mild vomiting or any empty stomach feeling lay in a face down position to allow fluids to drain out of mouth and nose. Notify the doctor of any nausea problems. Swelling The swelling will not become apparent until 1-2 days following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operation. However, the swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs. Two baggies filled with ice, or ice packs should be applied to the side of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on continuously while you are awake. After 48 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery. Thirty-six hours following surgery, the application of gentle moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the swelling and stiffness. Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows for the first week. Exercises Most often following these type of procedures, teeth must be kept together with wires or elastics after surgery. This allows the jaw bones to be held still while healing. Most of the time small bone screws and plates are used to hold the bone segments together during the healing period. With the use of these screws and plates, the jaws can still move slightly during the post-operative period. It must be remembered that the bones are not healed and are simply held together by screws and plates. Therefore, a gradual progression of movement and use of the jaws is encouraged, keeping in mind that complete healing does not take place for approximately two to three months after surgery. Immediately following surgery: Since surgery causes soreness in the muscles and bones of your jaw, movement will be difficult initially. We do not recommend any specific exercises during the first week to ten days after surgery. 10-14 days following surgery: Stand in front of a mirror and attempt to open and close your mouth. At ten days you should be able to get at least 1 finger between your teeth. This will increase gradually in the next several weeks. Simply move your jaws open and closed then side to side. Moist heat to the side of your face prior to these exercises can be beneficial. Do not use your fingers to force open your jaw. 4-8 weeks after surgery: At this time you should be able to get 2 fingers between your teeth comfortably and can begin using gentle finger pressure to stretch your jaw muscles. By week 8 you should be able to get 3 fingers between your teeth. Again, stretch the muscles open and closed as well as side to side. Breathing Difficulty Following your procedure, you will develop difficulty breathing through your nose. This is a transient problem that peaks at about day 3-4. You may feel that your airway passage is being blocked by the swelling, but be assured that there is plenty of room to breathe through. Limit your activity to reduce post-operative swelling and bleeding. Dried blood in the nasal passages is best cleaned by the spraying of saline spray and gentle suction with the bulb. Repeat this process as needed until nasal passages are free of dried blood. You may use a facial humidifier or steam in the shower to help loosen nasal secretions prior to suctioning. DO NOT blow your nose following surgery for a minimum of two weeks. Use Afrin Nasal Spray as directed by your surgeon. Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows for the first week. Miscellaneous Use nose spray if needed and no more than twice a day. Use ointment on lips to reduce swelling and avoid drying and chapping. Sleep with head elevated (2 pillows) the first week then normal elevation after that. Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows or in a comfortable recliner chair for the first week following surgery. Before you attempt to pull any dead skin off of your lips, be absolutely certain that it’s not a stitch. Start using medicated lip balm immediately following your return to your own home. If you don’t, you’ll end up with flaps of dead skin that are half an inch in diameter, and I promise you they won’t feel good when they catch on your braces. Begin each day at a decent time. If you sleep most of the day, you won’t be able to sleep at night, and you’ll hate yourself for it. Get out of bed, shower, eat some breakfast and brush your teeth and you’ll enjoy each day a lot more. (This is good advice for any day of your life, but it especially applies when you’re on the verge of depression from having jaw surgery.) Go to bed on time. Yawning will cause you quite a bit of pain, so prevent it by getting the right amount of sleep during the proper hours.