nosey77

Hi Hellokitty, I understand your concerns, but instead of asking all these questions I suggest you read through the entire DES master thread as well as this one, many of your questions will be answered. Also it's non incisional or incisional for the Double eyelid surgery types, not inclusion etc.

As far as Dr. Kwon from Teium being "the best", that's a question that's totally subjective, nobody can claim any surgeon is the best etc, but all you can do really is read through these threads and set up appointments in person to find the best surgeon for you. As far as reading about some Chinese patients going on protest about messed up eyes that has nothing to do with Teium and I suggest you be more careful mentioning these types of things without a proper link to show proof because you may be scaring others who read this and if some have had bad experiences with other clinics that has nothing to do with Teium on the Teium DES thread. Mentioning this may mislead some readers into thinking your talking specifically about complains against Teium which doesn't seem to be what you wrote if I'm reading it correctly (instead your mentioning complaints that some chinese patients have had against other clinics, not Teium) so please be more careful what you imply or state since many readers of this thread are having the same questions and concerns as you, and while it's important to read through these threads in the end only you can make the decision after visiting with various surgeons in person to find the right fit, etc.

 

Ok Teium responded to my ?s so I figured I'd post here in case anyone can benefit.

​
1) Am I allowed to wash my face now and shower or should I keep water away from my eyes?
​You should keep water away from your eyes.
2) When can I start wearing contact lenses?
​1 month later, at least after stitch removal
3) How long until I can start to exercise or go to a sauna? at least 2 weeks later
4) Should I put scar creme on my eyes and where there's a red line from the epi or does this not help since they are both on the inside of the skin not outside?
​Don't apply scar cream on wound yet. we will explain after stitch removal.



So I'm 2 days post DES (non incisional and epi) and I'm pretty satisfied at how everything went. I was going to write a long post about the entire process but really it's all been layed out by others and I don't really have anything new to add since my experience mirrors most everyone else's who contributed with their first hand accounts of getting DES with Dr. Kwon at Teium. I'll instead add some tips for those who are thinking about getting DES at Teium. I'm a mid 30's Korean american male from the US who decided on Teium for DES after reading the entire master DES thread as well as this entire thread. The reasons for going with Teium and Dr. Kwon for DES to me seemed pretty obvious and logical

1) He's done so many and specializes in DES, (no worries about a doctor switch during surgery like at a factory clinic.)
2) His reviews are overwhelmingly positive
3) He seems to have a good aesthetic sense of what will best match your face and keep things looking natural which is important to me as a guy.

The only negatives seemed to be that if you're looking for dolly eyes or something extremely higher in crease that's parallel, some contributors to this thread complained that they didn't exactly receive what they desired but were nonetheless satisfied. Often times you can't please everyone 100 percent since everyone's expectations differ as well what is realistic according to your own face etc, which I assume he knows pretty well from doing so many DES procedures.

The only other negative seems to be the cost which is higher than other places but really it's only 1000 to 1200 more usd for me to go with Teium which seems like a no brainer. Yes, DES is rather commonplace in Seoul and there's always some place offering a discount or special sale of DES for sometimes 500-700 usd but why take that risk with no direct recommendation? To me it seems silly to at least not get a consult with Teium for DES since he is well regarded and seems to be a specialist in this very procedure.

And finally I appreciated that Teium's website went out of it's way to fully explain the DES procedure as well as his version of epi which he invented and the reasoning that often times he performs both in combination to achieve the expected results for this procedure. The multitude of before and after pics as well as the positive press he's received in such a competitive plastic surgery mecca such as Seoul pretty much is the icing on the cake for me to go with Dr. Kwon at Teium.



Anyhow as mentioned I'm now 2 days post surgery and instead of writing a even lengthier post from start to finish of the entire process which has already been documented various times by other contributors I feel it's probably more useful to list some tips and random observations to help any of you out there that's considering this.

1) Start taking some Bromelin (which is a pinnapple enzyme) a week before your scheduled surgery date and afterward to help with swelling.
2) Try to book a hotel near the clinic, I booked at Hotel Eastern which is less than a 10 minute walk away and reasonable (55-65 a night) quiet, has a refrigerator and freezer, strong wifi and is next to a 7-11 and tons of food options. They also let me rent a power adapter which was great. I also was able to book this through hotels.com so after 9 days here I already get a free night (since you get one free night after 10 bookings)
3) On the day of your surgery, bring a surgical mask, some glasses if you wear them for your vision, or sunglasses, and also a hat if you're going to feel self conscious walking back afterwards. You'll have a bunch of tape which will be easily visible in the middle of your face and so at least with the mask, hat and glasses you won't be as obvious as post ps patient, haha.
4) Make sure you get enough rest the night before your surgery, and try to keep your eyes closed and only open them when instructed to do so. Go in with a positive mood and try to concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply which will calm you down. Focus on anything but what is exactly happening to you during the surgery (such as the music in the background) to make it go by faster.


Other random things to note

1) Dr. Kwon's english is very good and his personality if I had to describe it in one word would be Regal. haha. He's pretty calm yet confident and I could tell he's a perfectionist, he was easy to talk to and you can tell he's an expert who knows exactly what he's doing. I appreciated his attention to detail and his gentle methods during the surgery which didnt seem rushed and I felt no pain whatsoever so I was thrilled at that.

2) Alice's english was also very good and she was very cheerful and helpful, she made the process easier for me.

3) I was amazed at how quickly I was set up to begin the surgery once I entered the surgery room and lay down. They are a well oiled machine and his team of nurses prepped me so fast (putting layers on me, prepping my face, inserting the iv into my arm and putting on the pulse monitor on my finger, etc) I was a bit taken aback but realize now that was for the best since if it would have lingered longer I would have started to let my thoughts race too much and get anxious.

4) As mentioned, once the drugs get into your body from the IV you're going to feel very out of sorts as random images and colors will appear and it's all very bizarre. My only suggestion is to remember to breathe deeply and slowly to relax yourself, try to focus on the music in the background or anything positive so you won't try to picture what exactly is happening to you during the surgery.

5) Although I didn't feel any pain, there are instances when you feel them applying pressure to the inner corners of your eyes and feel them pressing against your nose and skull and it made me fee like a robot if that makes any sense. I felt like some sort of robot getting maintenance or repairs haha. It was just surreal to be feeling the obvious physical pressure and also realize when they were threading the stitches yet feel no actual pain. As mentioned I think it's logical to only open your eyes when asked to and try to focus on anything else (such as the music in the background) then on what exactly is happening or how much longer the surgery will last, etc.

5) After the surgery I had a bit of a pressure headache in the middle of my face from the swelling but took a long nap and afterwards I was fine. I stopped taking the aspirin and pain meds but am still taking the antibiotics to ward off any possible infection.

So that's pretty much it, just waiting for my stitch removal in 4 days. Having read through this entire thread helped so much since it put me at ease and I knew what to expect each step of the way. I'll update this thread once I recover further. I'm not going to post pics sorry, I 'm already a bit embarrassed about having PS done since I'm a guy anyhow even though it's not a big deal these days since a lot of males have gotten procedures done but don't want my pics up on this forum as a personal choice. However if any of you have any questions feel free to reply to this thread. Again I'm thankful to all the useful information on this thread which definitely eased any tensions I had about going through with this.


​

 

Hi everyone, I'm one day post op from my DES (non incisional) and epi done at Teium with Dr. Kwon. Everything is great so far, no complaints. I'll have a lengthy write up on the entire process later today when I have more energy, but was wondering if anyone who's had this done could be kind enough to answer any of my questions?

Since I got my bandages removed today,

1) Am I allowed to wash my face now and shower or should I keep water away from my eyes?
2) When can I start wearing contact lenses?
3) How long until I can start to exercise or go to a sauna?
4) Should I put scar creme on my eyes and where there's a red line from the epi or does this not help since they are both on the inside of the skin not outside?

 

Ok so I'm going to Korea next month for most likely, non incisional DES and epi, figured I'd post some conclusions after reading the entire master des thread which goes to almost 70 pages as well as the entire Teium thread which is also very long haha. I realize this is a long read but I guarantee this will save you some time hopefully or at least give a good point to start in regards to des or plastic surgery in South Korea in general.

1) For newbies or lurkers, please try to read both the master des thread and the master Teium thread on this forum, that way you'll be able to either post a more specific, relevant ? in regards to your concerns or may not even need to ask anything. There are so many random questions in both threads that could easily be answered by simply doing some research and reading the entire thread. I realize this is time consuming but this is your face we're talking about and you can't expect every single, "So, I'm looking for des, where should I go?", general inquiry to receive an abundance of thoughtful replies and responses.

Now with that out of the way, some conclusions I've come to after doing hours of research (reading) on this site.

1) Foreigners routinely get ripped off or overcharged. Sad but true. Des in Seoul for natives is such a common thing and with so many clinics performing it, a native Korean can get it done for 300-500 (equivalent to US dollars) at times, going up to 1,000 usd seemingly no more than 2k. Whereas foreigners seem to have to pay 3-4 million won which is anywhere between 2500-3500 in us dollars, etc. Obviously one must first recognize what they need, (ptosis correction, epi, incisional, partial incisional, or non) as well as epi or lateral etc etc)
Bottom line you should not be paying more than 4million won AT MOST for DES even if you get the trio (ptosis, epi, and incisional).

I get that this angers many non koreans as why this exists. Well you could argue that they have to spend more money marketing to foreigners etc but in reality this is simply the Korean way. I'm a Korean american and although I don't see this as outright racism in intent, it is pretty unfortunate and shady. If I go to a Korean bbq place where I live in LA, I get free banchan and other sides that non koreans do not get. Does this mean they hate the non koreans? No, but I get better service, bottom line. This Korean favoritism extends to their world of PS, where there are so many non koreans coming to get PS that they're taking advantage of this and charging more. Native Koreans simply seem to give favoritism to their own, and although there's been so much more tourism in the last 50 years and South Korea has risen so fast from a 3rd to 1st world economy/society, their history has been somewhat xenophobic and thus they're more likely to not give second thought to taking advantage of foreign money when it comes to PS. It's hard to me to understand this since I was born in the US so I only understand the American way of fairness and multicultural acceptance (at least in theory) but that's just how it goes. Also, if you consider for native koreans, plastic surgery (esp DES) has been going on for so many decades now that their price points have remained pretty cheap. All this hyper focus on korean popular culture and plastic surgery in the last 20 years or so (which ironically is assisted by the major entertainment conglomerates which run all the dramas and pop shows who themselves sometimes own or invest in these clinics) has brought so much medical tourism (specifically for PS) to Seoul and thus they're taking advantage of it. It's interesting to see that the investment in training and perfecting plastic surgery and exporting their pop culture (in the form of celebrities in dramas and korean media/movies and kpop) has in turn, brought forth more tourism for the country from medical ps visitors who arrive specifically due to this influence.

So what can you do about the foreigner tax? Not much, unless you have a Korean speaking friend that can help you. Hiring a translator can add to the cost obviously since they get their cut. Forget these BS services like docfinder or other things that I've read about that have shady dealings with certain doctors to "feed" them clients, you don't need them. Most clinics have someone that can speak decent enough english and you're better off just doing your research, finding the clinics you want to do consults with and trusting your gut as well as bargaining down and of course, paying in cash.

So, where can you go for Des? A lot of places obviously, but overall, it seems like a no brainer to at least consider Teium.

Teium Pros
1) Overall seems to be the most well regarded clinic for des bc Dr. Kwon has expertise in des.
2) No possibility of doctor switching like at the big clinics bc he's the only one
3) Has done so many Des procedures, specializes only in that.
4) Most people seem to be satisfied (as long as they don't want extreme dolly eyes)
5) He speaks good enough english (so no worry about hiring a translator or
6) He seems to be good at recommending what would look best for those that are clueless of what would look best. Bedside manner from all the reviews portray him as a confident, gentle and kind man who isn't intimidating and speaks good enough english. Seems to be willing to give the patient what they want and come to a compromise if he feels something isn't possible or best for your face.
7) website is very informative and needs to be viewed by anyone looking into des even if you don't see yourself going with Teium.
http://english.teuimps.co.kr/eng/main/main.php


Teium Cons
1) one of the most expensive for des, they don't lower their price much and the girl who does that is pretty firm and hard to bargain down.
2) seems to specialize in the natural look and incapable of something more on the dramatic side.
3) seems to recommend his unique version of magic epi to everyone, since he believes that this is needed in conjunction to des to finalize a natural look.
4) Prob not a destination for those that want dolly eyes or a really high crease
5) the magic epi aftermath will be swollen and recovery time for it to be non-noticeable without makeup could take 3 months or more.
6) some forum posters who went with Dr. Kwon at Teium are worried that the crease simply isnt noticeable enough after it finally settles in 5-6 months afterward.

After reading the entire des and Teium master threads I've come away impressed that overall, most of his des patients are pretty satisfied, and many of them are ecstatic at his results. Practice makes perfect and thus he's pretty much a no brainer if you don't mind the more natural results as well as paying more. In the end, if I have to pay 1000 us dollars more for des than at a different clinic where Korean natives go I'm totally fine with that. I recognize that des is less risky than something like a rhinoplasty so I'm pretty content realizing that Dr Kwon is probably the no brainer choice for something safe that will not be a failure. Although you can easily find des for half the price or even less in Seoul if you're not a native korean it just seems like too much of a crapshoot to know who else is almost or just as good. After reading so much on here (thanks to all those who contributed, it seems like the logical conclusion is to simply go to Dr. Kwon at Teium.


The only other clinic I'm considering for a consult is Girin because I've seen a lot of first hand testimonials on realself as well as a few glowing reviews on the master des thread. I love the fact that they state on their website that foreigners won't get charged more (yes I'm korean but my korean sucks and they can tell I'm not a native even though I look Korean) as well as their unique way of des that supposedly has less recovery time and no scarring. Because of my des situation (non incisional) I feel like going into Girin for a consult even though I have my mind made up on Teium is a no brainer, since perhaps I don't really need epi and thus wont have to wear concealer for 3 months after the surgery on my inner eyes etc.

Anyhow, I realize this post was way too long but hopefully it gives some of you some insight and help for those considering des.

 

http://global.girinlife.com/en/html/photos/photos01.php?ptype=list&code=before_after&category=73


Has anyone had any direct experience with them? I've seen a lot of great results on realself in regards to DES, etc. I'm trying to decide between Girin and Teium for non incisional Des and epi. They seem to be a smaller clinic with only 2 doctors which I like (non factory, no chance of switching doctors on you) and they state that they don't overcharge foreigners which is great. Someone posted a glowing review of them in the DES master thread recently.

 

I've gotten rhinoplasty over a year ago in seoul (item clinic) which I was very pleased with and still am to this day. It's been over a year and everything is great. I wanted to get the double eyelid surgery (as I have a slight double eyelid but its saggin and barely noticeable) but since I now live in los angeles, ca, I've noticed so many plastic surgery clinics right here in koreatown which is huge. I saw Regan for example just today driving down western ave, I'm assuming it's the same as the one in Seoul. Obviously prices will be a bit higher in the US since costs for all things medical are more expensive, but if I'm saving 1k on the plane ticket it might be a wash, which in that case I'd rather just do it here since that would be much easier obviously. The question I have is if any of you have either had double eyelid surgery in a korean place in los angeles or nearby o.c. or if you've heard of anyone getting this done with good results? I'm still tempted to just go back to korea again this spring/summer because they do so many of these surgeries there that they the plastic surgeons there are probably much better at it due to sheer practice. But the koreatown here is so huge and competitive that there has to be a comparable skilled korean plastic surgeon who concentrates on double eyelid surgery with the same level of expertise?

Thanks in advance to any replies!

 

For anyone considering eyebrow tattoos and live near LA or close enough to travel to.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cc-permanent-makeup-los-angeles

http://www.ccpermanentmakeup.com/

Amazing reviews, and my girlfriends eyebrows turned out amazing.

 

Bromelin and arnica montana are over the counter supplement type things you can buy at any gnc, vitamin shoppe, etc totally safe and aid you in preventing swelling. I had 4 consults in the U.S. before deciding to go to seoul korea and each of the consults in the US suggested those 2, I think they're pretty safe. You can wiki both if you are curious but bromelin is from pinneaples for example. Walking around after the surgery just gets your blood flowing and sitting or laying around still all day will make blot clotting more likely. No strenuous exercise of course but I was advised to walk around outside a lot after surgery.

 

I paid in cash, yeah scary to bring 4k in usd to korea in an envelope but you get a discount when paying in cash, the english speaking consultant took me to a bank next door to exchange to korean won which must be done at some point but they can help you with that if you decide to get surgery with them.

 

Well the factory clinics could switch the surgeon on you, (you wouldnt know haha) which was my biggest fear really, to fly all the way out there and do a face to face consult with a doctor whose style I felt comfortable with in terms of our communication and then to have some inexperienced newbie, fresh out of medical school surgeon do my nose instead as I'm knocked out bc I'm just a foreigner who won't hurt their bottom line etc). That's why even after experiencing the hurried consults with the surgeon talking to me while a patient was out was the lessor of two evils (big clinic/vs small) bc I really feared the switching of the surgeon more than my surgery taking a bit longer if they had to do a consult while I was under. There's a decent chance that happened but in the end I have faith that they realize what they're doing (and have an internal clock and strict perameters on how long they can leave you there) and if the consult went too long they would have to tell them they need to get back in surgery and reschedule them for later, etc.

 

This is actually quite common in korea in general. Once you go to seoul and get consultations at any of the major clinics you'll be surprised to know that often times they are leaving a surgery to consult. Yes not very ideal and seemingly scary but thats just how it is in korea, its a very fast paced, volume ps surgery type of thing. Doesnt mean they are not good (if anything they have to be great to stay in business due to all the competition and they've all had a lot of practice) and this would raise more eyebrows or create an uproar in the us but unfortuneatly there just isnt enough time sometimes for the surgeons to focus only on consults all day long, esp if its a smaller clinic that only has a handful of surgeons. Im not trying to defend item clinic but when I went to my consults (went to 5 other clinics along with item), 3 of the other places also had a surgeon consult me in the middle of a surgery. Def not ideal as it probably made you feel even more rushed but that's the reality of the situation.

 

I really hope this post will help everyone on here. Long story short, I have just returned to the US after getting primary rhinoplasty in Korea. I started researching in dec and flew out to korea late jan, I'm 2 weeks post op. I found this forum as one of the most active in discussing PS clinics in seoul and started researching here. Because of the overwhelming amount of info on here, getting PS surgery can seem very intimidating and downright confusing. Here are some bottom line things to keep in mind about the entire process.

WHY KOREA?
1) For me, it was because of many factors. I'm Korean so I assumed they would be more well versed with a korean face.

2) The number of rhinoplasties performed would trump most places in the US. I didn't want to go to a surgeon in the US who did most of his volume in breast implants, for example.

3) In general, it's cheaper than in the US. (korean clinics quoted me 4-6k on average whereas in the US it was 7k and up)

WHY this forum?
1) It seems to be the most active english speaking forum about Korean plastic surgery that I've found, focusing on Korean clinics.

2) Unlike personal blogs which may be sponsored by certain clinics, there is more diversity to the posts

3) Some posters have been here for years and many have posted post op pics as proof etc.

WHY you need to be skeptical on here
1) it's the internet, and with so many clinics there could be people on here that work for various clinics

2) Any positive or negative remarks/reviews could be lies

So what is the answer? How can one begin to narrow down a list of clinics to decide to do consults with? With so much confusion and possible disinformation etc, what can you do?

You need to realize that if you search long enough, any clinic can have bad reviews. Even when I was looking up the top surgeons in the US, it was easy to find a disgruntled former patient. These people are human and nobody is perfect. That being said you have to understand that some people may have unrealistic expectations. Bad reviews could be made by some other competing clinic as well, who knows?

Bottom line, read my post Step by step process of coming to seoul for rhinoplasty, which can be utilized for any surgery really.

# Use this forum as a introduction to the various clinics out there in Seoul Korea. There are over 400 as far as I know, yes that seems overwhelming. But after shortening a list of the ones you wish to consult with, (and after emailing them for an online consultation), you simply need to go to Korea and allow yourself enough time to visit these clinics to get a feel for them. Hopefully you'll be able to narrow things down to however many clinics you have time and the energy to visit and from these consults you'll be able to decide. Until then all these tools above are simply that, tools. The online consult price may change once they see you in person. The glowing reviews of a place that you read about on here may fall short once you arrive, in the end the choice is yours, this forum can only help you narrow things down, use it to make a short list of clinics you wish to visit once you get to Seoul. Hopefully after consulting with the surgeons and getting a feel for the clnic you'll be ready to make a decision based on this face to face interaction along with your research and gut feeling. Good luck!

 

Hey np, I see why it may have looked suspicious, it's good to be skeptical. As I said before, the best anyone can do is to try to narrow it down to a list of clinics to consult with face to face when you come to seoul. Give yourself enough time to visit all the clinics you are interested in. If at some point you talk to a surgeon who you feel like is the right surgeon for you then that's the point when you decide to proceed. Until they see you in person the quotes through email are just rough estimates. Anyhow this entire process seems very confusing and overwhelming but in the end if you give yourself enough time to do the consults face to face with the clnicis you've selected you'll be able to come to a decision most likely. Good luck to everyone.

 

bump

 

Uhm, no Im not working for item, geesh. read my other posts. The reason I posted the airbnb is because I STAYED THERE, read the review for that place on the airbnb site and the date, the review is from Chris *Im a guy

I understand its good to be skeptical but please do your homework and read all my posts if you're going to accuse me of something. I learned a great deal from this forum and am just trying to give back since it helped me to go and decide to do ps in the first place.

 

Btw if anyone wants to speak with the english consultant I had I'll leave her info. I have her card as if I needed to communicate with her and the doctor post op she said I could contact her and so I dont think she'll mind if I leave her info here. Please don't call needlessly and bother her though since she's a very sweet person. She's punctual, professional, gorgeous and friendly. Her english is perfect with hardly any accent as she's lived in austrailia and she was really patient and allowed me to relax, she was with me from even before the initial consult to my surgery/aftercare. I had a pleasant experience in large part to her friendliness and overall communication with me, having someone explain everything in english and her being able to answer all my ?s and concerns was priceless and I'm so glad she was there otherwise I may not have even gone with ITEM (glad I did). She works for ITEM clinic so she'll be there when you start your consult etc, so unlike if you bring your own translator it won't jack up the price.

Raina Eunbi Jeong
82-10-8901-9656

Whatsapp 82-10-8867-8408

Again, please don't contact her needlessly and bother her, I left this here for anyone wanting to set up a consult and needing an english translator etc, she can set everything up for you from an airport pick up to helping you throughout the process. Tell her Chris gave you the info and says hi.

 

Also, the airbnb which I booked is here

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2132359...01%2F30%2F2014

43.00 a night (after air bnb fees about 50) but it was a short 5-6$ cab ride to and from the cluster of PS clinics or a 2 min walk from the subway stop in Gangnam and the owner was really nice and helpful. I'd def recommend this place if you're looking to save some money and be close to your clinic, it's in a great location (quiet but lots of restaurants and stores nearby) and you can enter and leave easily back and forth without having to really see other people if you're in hiding haha. And like I mentioned the owner was extremely nice and helpful, the place had free wifi, good heated floors, enough space and again, very close to the PS clinics that are clustered in gangnam.

PROs
-awesome location very close to the cluster of ps clinics in gangnam
- very nice owner who goes above and beyond, will give you any info you need about seoul
- no doorman or elevator as the entrance and exit are right near your studio so nobody will stare at you post surgery as you come and go
- clean and efficient studio with everything you need (free wifi/tv, heated floors, kitchen, fridge, laundry, comfy bed,
-even though its in gangnam its located in a quiet area you wont hear loud drunks throughout the night etc
- located right next to a few cool cafes and tons of restaurants a few blocks away, also a 24 hour conveinence store a few steps away
-really easy to hail a cab a few blocks away if you need to
- cost- at this price point (about 50.00 a day after airBnB fees) you wont find anything else this nice, hotels in this area will cost you double at the min.

 

Just a follow up as I had rhinoplasty here a few weeks ago. I'm very happy with the results, Dr Kim is very skilled and my primary rhino wasn't a simple case (dorsal bump shaved down, nose had to be broken and straightened out, tiplasty due to droopy tip, deviated septem, silicone implant on bridge) that's 5 things that were done lol but it came out great, looks very natural and Dr. Kim did exactly what he said he would do. I can breathe much better now and love my new nose. It was really swollen so I had an extra follow up but I was really impressed with their facility and staff and of course the doctor overall.

 

I went with ITEM clinic because the the doctor who was to do my primary rhinoplasty (Dr. Kim Jin-Sung) replied to my email and when I met him he seemed very honest and serious, just felt comfortable overall with the consult (they have their own english consultant) and I never felt rushed and didn't feel as much as a hard sales vibe as I did with other clinics. I also liked their before and after pictures on their website and the fact that they weren't a huge factory clinic etc, the doctor took his time to explain everything (he spoke good english) and it just felt like the right fit. I did a lot of online research and found a few personal recs but in the end it was the consult that sold me on going with them.

Also, the airbnb which I booked is here

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2132359?checkin=01%2F27%2F2014&checkout=01%2F30%2F2014

43.00 a night (after air bnb fees about 50) but it was a short 5-6$ cab ride to and from the cluster of PS clinics in Gangnam and the owner was really nice and helpful. I'd def recommend this place if you're looking to save some money and be close to your clinic, it's in a great location (quiet but lots of restaurants and stores nearby) and you can enter and leave easily back and forth without having to really see other people if you're in hiding haha. And like I mentioned the owner was extremely nice and helpful, the place had free wifi, good heated floors, enough space and again, very close to the PS clinics that are clustered in gangnam.

 

Hey brklyngirlnyc, not sure if you still check this site but was wondering if you could answer my ?
I'm 3 days post op from my rhinoplaty but I feel no pain so not sure if you remember the 3 pack of pills they gave you as well as the separate yellow one? Im assuming the two colored cylindrical blue/baby blue is the antibiotic, the white cylindrical pill is the opiate pain reliever and the green is also a pain med. And the yellow small round one to be taken with dinner is for swelling? Its lunar new year so I cant call them and wanted to know if you remember, since I dont need to take the pain meds but need to take the antibiotics to prevent infection, if you remember and could respond I'd really appreciate it thanks!

 

PART 2 Continued

Final things before your flight
Ok so now you're all ready to fly to seoul for your PS, final things to do
Write down the clinic as well as the address of where you're staying in korean so you can show the cabbies. If you can't find it on their website ask through email for them to send you the address in korean so you an write it down.

When you arrive, are you going to buy a temporary sim card so you can use your smartphone (if unlocked) or rent a phone? Both options exist at ICN airport.

Decide if you're going to take the limo bus/subway or cab to get to your lodging.

Ok so now you're hopefully settled in and ready to go on your consults.

Consultations
Things to remember
Bring out the email correspondence that you have as a reminder and visual proof in regards to what price range they stated, many times these clnics are so busy and see so many people that they may not remember. This will help you negotiate since they won't be able to go that much higher than what they quoted you via email etc.

Bring pictures of the nose you're hoping to achieve.

Ask ?s (make sure you have a list of ?s to ask

If you hired a translator remember that this usually will raise the price since they get a commission, and thus the overall price of the surgery is raised to compensate them. I only consulted with clinics that already had an english consultant on staff. Some of the smaller clinics might not have one though and in that case you will need to hire a translator.

So after all this hopefully you will have decided on a clinic and booked a time. It's not unheard of to be able to book and have surgery the same day or the next depending on their schedule.

Surgery day- Make sure you followed all of their guidelines (no aspirin since it can thin the blood, fasting before surgery, etc) Dont go out drinking the night before obviously or anything foolish.

-Wear comfortable clothes you can slip out of, most clinics will have you change into scrubs anyhow and will also have your wash your face before.

-Relax- you're probably nervous esp if this is your first surgery or primary rhinoplasty (as it was for me) but its time to go through with it. Once you're knocked out you will wake up and shortly afterward you'll be ready to leave.

- At this point you've hopefully stocked up with enough botted water, etc, so if you're not feeling active as you recover you will have everything you need. Most places have a follow up one day after, and the first few days after surgery your face is going to be very swollen, follow your clinics after care instructions with the medications and laying upright and don't be freaked out by your face since your nose as well as the area around it will obviously be bruised and not looking it's best to say the least haha.

- Try to walk around so that blood clots dont form its no big deal to walk around with a surgical mask here you'll see many other people in the same boat if you stay in Gangnam.

- For the first few days after surgery try to stay away from eating salty or spicy foods and if possible eat a very clean or even liquid diet if you can, this will ensure your body is as comfortable as it can be without the added energy towards digestion etc.

Well that's it for now, I'm 3 days post op on my rhinoplasty and I just wanted to write this long post to help anyone out there considering PS in Korea. I started reading these forums and was frankly overwhelmed at first so much info and I started with almost zero knowledge but eventually I was able to narrow everything down to get this done, you can too. Good luck to all and if you have any ?s feel free to ask. Without this forun I would have been clueless as although there are several personal blogs out there many of them are people who were sponsored by the clinic themselves, etc. Although they might be some misinformation here (impossible for it to be 100% transparent and honest) for the most part the people on here are just trying to get information and/or help. PS is nothing to do in haste, and in the end it's a risk and all you can really do is to be informed to hopefully make the right decision for you. Good luck and hope this helps someone out there that's considering this!

 

I've just had Rhinoplasty in Seoul and have this forum to thank for giving me the information necessary to go about this. Plastic surgery seems like a scary process especially when you're traveling to a foreign country in which you may not speak the language. Here are some tips I'd like to pass as my thanks to this forum for providing me enough info to start my search.
_______________________________________________________________________
RESEARCH

1) Take the information on this forum for what it is, anyone can sign up and post here and unless they are willing to post their actual pictures you really don't know if the posts are legit or someone trying to advertise for their clinic. It could also be people who are purposely trying to discredit competitors, someone who had surgery who is upset bc of unrealistic expectations, etc etc. There are over 300, cosmetic surgery clinics in Korea, and there's a lot of competition. When I first start reading many of the posts and messages I became paranoid upon reading various things, in the end take the information for what it is, to get a general sense or feel of the different clinics.

Online Consults via email
2) Write down a list of clinics you may want an email consult with, (really you should send your pictures to as many as possible, it doesnt hurt to see their recomendations) Take pictures of your nose from different angles (copy the angles they use on the various clinics websites for example) and start emailing them to the clinics so you can get a response back. Most of the major plastic surgery clinics have a dedicated section where you can upload your pictures on their site but for me since time was an issue I simply went to each of their websites, clicked on the english translation site and then found their general email, then I made email and attached all the pics of me and told the I was looking for a rhinoplasty consult and sent that same email out to over 15 clinics. Most of them responded, some within the same day and some up to a week later. The responses ranged from very detailed (the doctor himself responding with a price quote and plan,) to the very general, (a consultant making general observations and simply telling me to come in for a face to face consult.

What you will realize when you get these responses is the various differences in what each clinic recommends and the overall pricing structure. Depending on what your price range is and what results you're looking for you'll be able to narrow your list down so when you arrive in Seoul you can consult with your top choices. Please realize that many of the larger clinics simply dont have time for the doctor to field all the emails they receive with pictures to access, and that doesn't mean that they won't do as good or the best job for you. Also, what ever price quote they give you is only an estimate, they need to see you in person since everyone looks different from their 2D image and the price they quote you may just be a range, the ability to negotiate can also bring the final price down obviously.

Booking your flight
Ok great so now you have narrowed it down to a few clnics you'd like to do consults with, what next? I'd say to book your trip (if you're only coming for rhinoplasty) for 14 days min. That gives you 1-3 days to do consults and have surgery, which is usually one follow up the day after surgery and another 7 days after. Obviously if you plan it right you could stay for only 10 days but that's really pushing it in terms of their surgery scheduling and if you decide on clinic quickly after consults.

Booking consult times
Next, through email, book your consult times and if you're doing multiple consults in the same day give yourself 3 hours in between consults. Check the addresses and make sure they are in the same area (as the PS clinics of Gangnam are all mostly in the same condensed area) So a good expectation is to be able to fit in 3 consults a day, so if you wanted to consult with 6 places for example, give yourself 2 days to do that etc.

Travel lodging
So at this point since you've booked your airfare its time to look for where you'll be staying. I would suggest staying near where your clinic is, most of the PS clinics are in Gangnam and I decided to stay at an airbnb in Gangnam as well which was a great move. The reason being,
1) There are many other people walking around Gangnam with surgical masks on post surgery so you don't feel as self conscious as you would usually be, people here are used of seeing that, nobody bothered to stare at me as I walked around to and from.
2) It's very close to the clinic for my consults/surgery/follow ups for me it was a 5-7$ cab ride each time
3) Tons of places to eat so it was easy to recover here

Now obviously the further away you stay from the clinic it will simply take you longer to get there, I didnt want to spend more on cabs to and from nor did I want to take the subway with my swollen face/surgical mask etc. But obviously many times cheaper places to stay may be further away from Gangnam.

Once you have booked your round trip airline ticket, set up some consults and found a place to stay, you need to prepare for your trip.

Preparing for your trip, things to buy

Go to a vitamin shoppe or GNC and buy Bromelain and Arnica Montana

Bromelain (Take before surgery for 3 days)
Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory enzyme that has been shown to reduce swelling, bruising, healing time and pain. If taken before your cometic procedure it may reduce the average number of days needed to complete disappearance of pain and inflammation. Bromelain is very low in toxic side effects and very safe. The dosage range is 1500 mg or 2000-3000 MCU's daily, divided and taken 3 times daily. Start Bromelain before your procedure.

Arnica Montana
Arnica may be helpful for controlling soreness and bruising after your procedure especially in the early stages of healing. Arnica is not toxic and very safe, it's recommended to begin the supplement one day after your procedure. The dosage range is 30x formula or higher, taken 3x daily.

Other things to consider
1 Sineech- reduce bruising and swelling
2 Vitamin K creme- reduce bruising
3 Kelo-Cote Scar healing and reduction gel
4 Vitamin C
5 Protein powder/bars quick meals
6 Ac adapter converter (if you bring your laptop they have the european 2 hole so you need this to plug in your electronics)

Part 2 continued below...

 

Had my Rhinoplasty surgery at ITEM clinic today, a lot easier than I thought! Basically once I got knocked out then next thing I know Im laying in bed upright in their resting room. After awhile I was ok to change and leave after talking to my consultant and getting instructions on what to do, getting the pain meds etc, they put everything in a bag and off I went. I'm back at my hotel now and no black eyes (at least not yet haha) and I feel surprisingly fine. I'll continue to update this thread after I get everything removed a week later. Dr. Kim did my surgery and he's great, his english is really good and he's a very calm, intelligent guy who seems to take his work seriously and is a perfectionalist. When I was talking to him about my nose I felt he really listened and gave his expert advice, made sure not to over promise and was very honest and realistic which is much appreciated. I didn't feel rushed during my consult the night before, plus they didn't give me any sort of hard sell pressure which I appreciated. Plus, unlike the factory clinics you don't have to worry about them switching surgeons on you lol. Anyhow so far I'm pleased with everything and as mentioned will update.

Bottom line, those of you that are considering a Rhinoplasty owe it to yourself to at least get a consult with ITEM clinic. It's in Gangnam next to all the other ones anyhow and they have english speaking consultants for those of you that don't speak Korean. So far so good!

 

Hey that looks amazing, and no bruising under your eyes, amazed at how well and fast you healed, glad it worked out for you! I'm set to do my rhinoplasty today I'll be updating in this thread. Any tips for your post surgery healing besides their after care instructions and walking around? Thanks for updating this thread, I feel comfortable with Item because I wanted to avoid the factory like ps clinics here and my quote was also 1500-2000 less than many of the others.

 

Hey thanks for responding, I really appreciate it! Your nose looks awesome alrready, you're going to look amazing since the shape of your face is already perfect! Do you mind if I ask you if you had a silicone imlant on your bridge? Wasn't sure if that is implied with bridge augmentation. Anyhow the price you paid was similar to what I was quoted, I sent my pictures through email to over 10 different places and item was one of the lower priced ones, that and not knowing much about them made me hesitant but your photos and experience make me feel more confident with going to see them for a consult. I've searched all over the web for reviews on Item and most are good with a few great first hand results that people have posted or blogged about with pictures, etc. I don't want to go to a factory clinic where I'll feel rushed and the profile of Dr. Kim's personality and serious nature seem like a good fit for what I want. Please continue to update this thread with our continued healing as thus far it looks like you made a great choice and your nose surgery looks like a success!