tvxqgirl

Thanks for sharing your experience, @Fabulousrabbits ! Wishing you a good recovery

 

I see...
I personally think that cosmetic surgery and other elective procedures are part of mental wellbeing as it relates to personal image and grooming. To me, "essential" travel should be left up to the discretion of individual travellers as they would have to count the cost of travel (e.g. 14 day quarantine). I hope things change soon too.

 

I see! Wishing you good luck dearie! I would love to travel now too if I could Korea and SG are discussing "green lanes"! But I'm not sure if they'll allow it for medical tourism. Fingers crossed.

 

Ok! I'm not sure about Canada but Korea has banned arrivals from Singapore (by scrapping visa waiver). Not to mention a 14-day quarantine when arriving in Korea and a 14 day quarantine upon returning to Singapore - that's a month in quarantine if I do travel. I decided not to apply since it's so difficult to travel now...

 

I haven't tried getting a visa! I'm from Singapore and face similar problems. I think Korea doesn't actually want visitors who are not on a business/long-term visa.

 

Thanks! I will!

I injected Botox to my masseter muscles over a few years, starting from 2018 in Malaysia, I think. I grind my teeth at night, so it made a difference for me too. Over the years, I noticed that the duration between injections get longer and the amount of Botox required to be injected gets lesser. I also tried to make other changes in my lifestyle to prevent teeth grinding at night, such as reducing my stress levels. At this point now when I clench my jaw, and touch my lower cheek, I don't feel the muscle pop up anymore, so I consider this to be "atrophied".

 

Also yeah the jaw muscle reduction, I watched a video on Youtube by a korean youtuber and she talked about getting the procedure done. She said the effects only lasted her about a year... It's this video if you're interested:-

 

I think its possible to surgically reduce it, but I have no idea what the procedure looks like. What happens if the muscle is already quite atrophied from Botox? Let me know if you find more info, would love to read up on this too

 

I just discovered this thread and wanted to say thank you for sharing your PS experience with us. I feel bloody furious that trolls would do that to you. Trolls are nothing but cowards hiding behind a screen.

 

Hi @lalia2 ,I'm so sorry to hear about this. Please find strength and press on!!

You mentioned in your first post that you are unable to open your eyes fully. Have you done a MRD1 (Margin Reflex Distance) test with an ophthalmologist to determine if you have ptosis? If an MRD1 indicates upper eyelid droop of 2mm or more, you might be able to get surgery by paying through medical insurance in your home country.

 

I’ve been researching FC procedures for some time now and I think I must have read at least 500 pages worth of comments, thoughts, and reviews on this forum. Am grateful to all of you who contribute to this forum, to the lovely people who have answered my questions, including those on PM and in Kakao groups. I was also inspired by @touni27 ’s uplifting post about big cheekbones, and I think the topic about facial width/ratios hasn’t been discussed yet in the context of zygomatic reductions, and thus I wrote this topic. I want to encourage people on the forums with an idea of a structured way to think about zygomatic reduction for themselves, amidst the threads of “do it!” And “don’t do it!!” which is why I posted this. Bear in mind that there is no one perfect way to assess aesthetics NOR am I saying that zygomatic reductions are bad - just that I've come to the interim conclusion that I'm not a candidate for zygomatic reductions and wanted to share my reasoning.

First, before I get into what I wanted to talk about, I wanted to give some background:

Online consultations with Korea plastic surgery hospitals
At first, all I wanted was a square jaw reduction procedure (and hopefully have a more permanent solution to Botox for the masseter muscles), but as I sent off my photos to the Korean PS hospitals, I had a lot of them telling me that I need to reduce my zygoma too for the “best result”. I started to feel concerned about my cheekbones.

Facial ratios
When dividing the face transversely into facial fifths (please watch this video by Ilumi plastic surgery at timestamp 1:00 to timestamp 1:34 for an idea of this concept).

I divided my face into facial fifths (for eye widths, I only counted up to the whites of the eyes) in a front-facing, neutral picture. I realised I have wide-set eyes while the sides of my face are nearly symmetrical. The distance between my eyes is 36mm, my eye whites are 20mm each, the left side of my face is 17mm from the left eye but the cheekbone is slightly protruding. The right side of my face is 19mm from my right eye but is NOT protruding (I.e., it is in line with the temple). I also realised I had a longer mid face due to my large nose - this must be why I also got suggested to do double-jaw surgery.


Back to the zygoma reduction topic
As other users on this forum have pointed out, the best candidates for a zygoma reduction are those with protruding cheekbones AND a small face. The max the cheekbones can be pushed in is up to the temple.

I also considered that I’ve already done a nose job which I’m happy with and don’t have any malocclusion/TMJ issues. Also, my left cheekbone that protrudes slightly is unfortunately already the more slender side of my face. So results from a cheekbone reduction are so minimal that I think it is not worth the entire cost of doing it.

I do not know of any bone surgery that could possibly ameliorate the issue of wide-set eyes. In any case I do not think it is possible nor worth the risk - how can the skull which contains the brain be re-aligned like that? The only way I can think of is the soft-tissues way - by an epicanthoplasty, followed by a subsequent nose job to reduce the total nasal width. And then a FC to change the facial structure “smaller.” That’s not a method I am willing to consider as I have neither the funds nor the determination to go through that.


Final thoughts
I was a little crushed when I realised that I might never have a heart-shaped face based on my pre-existing structure. Of course, I’m still pending a CT scan and actual consultations with the Korean surgeons. I admit the limitations of online consultations. Now what I’m considering is a square jaw reduction with facial liposuction/Accusculpt. Hope this post would be a catalyst/add-on to the thought process* for those who are considering FC procedures.

*Edited 12:20am for the phrase 'the thought process'

 

Based on what I researched there is no way to really surgically remove the jaw masseter muscle. The max is around 1 year of its inactivation and thereafter it would probably be activated again. I don't think it's possible to surgically remove the masseter muscle completely due to its various functions in chewing, facial expressions, etc.

 

what makes me feel the worst is really the sense of helplessness and uncertainty - of not being able to make any plans without various fears, like 1) catching the virus, 2) even if I book, being unable to cancel my flights/accommodation/14 day self-paid quarantine thereby jeopardizing my financial health, 3) not knowing when the various governments will lift the travel restrictions and so on. it's a situation that's completely out of my hands and that makes me feel helpless and frustrated. not sure if any of you guys feel the same way! i've been 6 weeks in lockdown and i have 2 more weeks to go.

 

Dear @sodapops, please hang in there! Sending you my love and good wishes.

 

I would do this too, and ask the surgeon why post-op 1 month looks better than post-op 9 months. If it has to do with thick skin as they suggested in their response, then why did they not highlight this to you as a potential side effect at the consultation?

 

I'm sorry to hear about your negative experience.
Just an idea - feel free to discard if its not useful for you: I wonder if Namu has more than one rhinoplasty surgeon? Would it be possible to go back to Namu, but to a different doctor, and one who fits your aesthetic? I know Pony (the makeup youtuber) did this when she was unhappy with her eyes post-surgery. She didn't state what hospital she went to but she said that she went to a big hospital.

 

In 2015 when I did my surgery I stayed at Kimchee Gangnam Guesthouse in a single room! I chose it cos I wanted to save money (still a student then), the room had an ensuite toilet with a handheld shower, a very small fridge, and a small TV. It's a very small room, with limited space for luggage, but for me it was ok for what I paid. The only thing is that it's not very conveniently located from what I remember. The common area was ok too.

 

Actually I didn't notice any noticeable facial asymmetry from the pictures. I think noticeable facial asymmetry are things like deviated septums, misaligned bite etc., which could sometimes also be functional.

Most humans, even the beautiful ones, have some facial asymmetry. BTS member V who was named the most handsome has an eyelid crease on only one eye.

 

Thanks for your comments! Sending you good wishes xx

 

I also wanted to add that on my last visit to Korea in 2019, I also got an "outline injection" near the chin area, which was recommended by the dermatologist at the ToxnFill clinic in Myeongdong. The doctor showed me the box before she injected, but I couldn't read it as it's in Korean. I think it's some sort of lipolysis injection and I noticed a slimmer front appearance after that. Our soft tissue and skin covers our bones, so even if you reduce the bones via facial contouring, to get a desired result, I think it is also important to look at how our faces are constructed, facial fat, etc. There are "petit" procedures you might want to consider which are less invasive than facial contouring.

 

I got botox over a few years for wide masseter muscles. I grind my teeth at night but I only got occassional headaches, also I wore protective retainers over my teeth post-braces which also protected my teeth from the grinding. So the botox was really more for aesthetic reasons. Botox resulted in a noticeable difference in my lower face width.

I am currently at the stage where I barely inject Botox anymore because when I clench my teeth, I no longer get a noticeable "pop-up" of muscle. I am currently looking into facial contouring! Namely square jaw reduction and a facial lipo/accusculpt for a more mature look. I have a masculine jawline under the ears, and I want to also reduce the front appearance a bit. That's just my thoughts for now hehe.

 

Oh dear... does that mean the only way is through mediation and that is dependent on the clinic's willingness? I am shocked! What if someone dies during a liposuction or any other kind of elective surgery, will the doctor not get barred from practice if medical malpractice or negligence is found?

In my country (Singapore) what I understand is that we can make complaints to the professional body governing doctors, and a panel will look through it. For serious cases, they'll form a disciplinary committee comprised of doctors and specialists who will determine the outcome of the case, and the professional body has the authority to "disbar" doctors.

I shall await your blog/thread dearie! Press on.

 

I think there are several considerations whether to use the donated dermis or your own rib. First is safety, then absorption. In my opinion I would prefer the donated dermis, as it's been fully processed already and in a case where the shape is not satisfying and a revision is desired, my guess is that it would be easier to revise from donated dermis as compared to what is harvested from one's own body. But this is a guess, and I think it also depends on other factors like the thickness of the nose skin, how high of a nose bridge you want, etc.

But I wonder whether the body might also have a rare reaction to donated dermis? People with rare allergies, e.g. people allergic to titanium, etc. I just read part of @MissOrange 's thread last night where this was mentioned. I have no idea and my nose job was so long ago so I'm rusty with nose jobs.

If only they could construct the bridge with ear cartilage instead! The thought of it is much less scary and as a person with multiple cartilage piercings it's not something I'll be afraid of. Sadly they can only use ear cartilage to build the nasal tip as I believe ear cartilage is too soft to form the bridge.

Was yours a dissolvable HA filler or those permanent filler? If it was a dissolvable filler, how many times did you inject the filler? I think these are important things to let the surgeon know as it could increase the difficulty of the rhinoplasty.

For me, natural. As earlier mentioned I already had a somewhat "high" nose bridge for Asians and adding 1-2mm via bridgeplasty wasn't worth the cost for me. When dividing my face tranversely into facial fifths, my eye whites are 20mm each while the space between my eyes are 36mm (based on a neutral photograph). I knew that I couldn't really go for those straight and narrow noses from my naturally wide nose anyway because it just wouldn't fit my facial proportions.

 

Update us hehe!!

 

Hi! Yes, I woke up near the tail-end of the surgery. I didn't feel any pain at all, but I was definitely awake and I am certain I heard Dr. Suh speaking, as well as the nurses telling me to stay still.

I wasn't alarmed because I read that some people in the forums have also had this experience? K Couture for example.