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As mentioned in my thread at Purseforum on "My facelift experience with Dr. Joo Heon Lee at April 31", I have had a speedy recovery and a good result after my operation September 21, 2016

I am going to share my second facial touch up experience with you now.

I am happy with my younger and prettier face but I still went back to Korea to have my follow up session, six weeks after the surgery, as advised by Dr. Lee.

On November 7th early morning, I arrived Seoul with my close friend who booked a facelift consultation with Dr. Lee. Tired but excited, we looked forward to having his advice and touch up procedure.

We arrived April 31 clinic early and received a warm welcome by the front desk and Brian, the Chief English Translator. I felt like coming home. They were happy to see me, younger and prettier.

My friend, who was with me for a facelift consultation in Taiwan a year ago, feels much more comfortable with the professional and hygienic environment of April 31. She was anxious to meet Dr. Lee.

I greeted Dr. Lee with a big hug, showing my appreciation and happiness. Dr. Lee examined my face carefully and was pleased with the post operation result.

He pointed out that a second fat graft on a few areas will improve the result further. The areas would be, the temple, the cheek and the jawl areas. That would make the facial contour smoother and sharper. He also recommended using PRP treatment to improve further the scar and skin texture. I have full confidence in him so I followed his advice.

As for my friend, an hour of consultation with Dr. Lee later, she felt confident with his professional and detailed analysis. She decided to have the same surgery (face lift with fat graft and neck lift) as I had the next day. She was grateful that Dr. Lee can fit her into his tight schedule.

The surgery of my friend went well. Her recovery was a little slower as she was not as young as I am. However, she does looked good and young now. She is happy with the result and she may write her experience soon in this forum.

My touch up procedure was scheduled on November 9. It took around one and a half hour. After the touch up, I found myself looking better with smoother and sharper facial contour. There were no discomfort, some swelling and no bruising. I went out for a "crazy shopping" in the afternoon!!!

I would say that Dr. Lee is an excellent facial sculptor with aesthetic sense and superb technique. I know that facelift, not done well, will give you "robot-like look" with long recovery time and visible scars. Fat grafting procedure can create a lumpy skin and a blotted look. All my friends share my pleasure of having been rejuvenated.

After the PRP treatment, my skin texture now (3 weeks later) is getting better. It shows a glow even without applying foundation or BB cream. No one believe that my operation was only two months plus ago.

Thanks to Dr. Lee for rejuvenating both my Look and my Life. It explains why I am writing here to share my experience with all of you!!

First, I want to redefine the term of facelift to face-contouring. Just "lifting" the facial skin is not good enough. Fat graft touch up is needed in most cases to give you a sharper and cleaner feature, the contouring.

Second, I want to remove the fear and misconception about facelift surgery. You should find the right surgeon and will have speedy recovery with good natural result.

I am extremely happy with the result of Dr. Lee who said that my face would further improve in the next few months.

I will be going back to April 31 for a follow up session in a year time. Looking forward to seeing again Dr. Lee!!

 

I suggest you can consider a consultation with Dr. Joo Heon Lee at April 31
I have done my facelift by Dr. Lee on Sept 21. The result is amazing. Even my husband who is a plastic surgeon in Hong Kong is pleased with his super technique
I am going to April 31 to have my second fat graft touch up today.
My close friend will come with me and will probably do the surgery if Dr. Lee finds her fit
You can read my thread with heading " My facelift experience with Dr. Joo Heon Lee at April 31"

 

Time flies. I am counting my days to go for my face lift follow up and 2nd fat graft touch up with Dr. Lee on Nov 7.
Bruising and swelling are practically all gone. My skin looks more glossy and feels more supple. I am grateful for Dr. Lee superb handy work and all the scars are invisible. I am happy and become more confident of my appearance.
Still some fat will be needed to smooth out some depression areas on my cheeks (To avoid looking unnatural, I have requested Dr. Lee not to inject too much fat during my face lift operation). And I will leave it to Dr. Lee capable hands for my fat graft touch up
At the same time, one of my close friends will come with me for a face lift consultation with Dr. Lee. She is amazed with my good result and may consider to do the surgery immediately after the consultation if Dr. Lee schedule and her condition are allowed.
Also, I have booked a consultation with Dr. Kim at April 31 on Nov 8 for my nose revision, just want to look even better
I will share the experience of our "beauty" journey soon

 

Hihi, amazingly I could not see any obvious scar

 

Hihi, regarding lip lift, you may consider having a consultation with Dr. Joo Heon Lee at April 31. At the clinic, I have seen the result of his patient who came for follow up 5 days after her lip lift. It looks natural without obvious scar. I learned that he has done lots of research and invented his own technique in doing lip lift.

 

Hihi, can somebody also share their consultation and or surgery experience in facelift and fat graft in Korea or other Asian countries?

 

This is now my 21st post operation day .

Swellings and bruising has became less and barely noticeable. I have taken my pre-operation and post-operation photos (once every week) for record. My side profile looks as if some 'photo retouching' has been made. My feature are definitely sharper and cleaner.
My husband's nurses were glad that I have achieved what I want. As medical professionals, they are amazed with the fine technique of Dr. Lee. They can hardly see the incision scars which are all hidden well inside my hairline (I have short hair style). The cuts around and in front of my ears blended well. My husband, who is a Plastic Surgeon himself, was also pleased with the result. He said an un-refine surgery can distort the ear lobe area but it didn't occur in mine.

To be honest, I was uncertain about the result of fat grafting that was to be done at the same time. I don't want to look artificial, like some of the Korean pop singers and TV artists, who have 'bloated looks'. I did asked Dr. Lee not to inject too much fat into my face. Now I found that my worries were unnecessary. The fat graft blended well with my facial features and I look younger and more lively. I felt that Dr. Lee's judgement is exactly right for me, and I am sure, his aesthetic sense is good for us Asians.

I was advised by Dr. Lee that a second fat graft may be necessary within 2 months from my operation date. It is because the injected fat normally will be reabsorbed by 20% to 30%. To make my look even better, I have already booked Dr. Lee for this second fat grafting in early November. I love to meet all those April 31 staff again, the lady anaesthetist, all the nurses and the English interpreter Brian who have taken good care of me in my pre and post operation period. I want to express my sincere thanks to each and everyone that took care of me.

 

Regarding the cost, it is not that I don't want to share. As the extent of an operation is different for individual and therefore quotation may vary. There are some factors that may affect the quotation that include the complexity and difficulty of the operation (which can only be judged by the surgeon) and also if it is a redo/revision case, a premium will be added. Equally important, the quotation of an experienced surgeon vs inexperienced one will be higher but then I think it is normal and fair.
We should be careful in choosing the right surgeon for your operation. Plastic surgery is not the same kind of simple thing that we look for in the supermarket. We are looking for safety and satisfied result. Any redo/revision should be avoided.
For an accurate quotation, you can have it after your consultation with the surgeon. By then, you can ask questions and hear the explanation from doctor for a fair judgement
If you want a price range for the surgery, I would suggest you to contact April 31 directly

 

HiHi, so far I have not noticed any side effects for my facelift and fat graft that you have asked. Today, I met some friends who do not know I have done a facelift surgery a few weeks ago. They just asked me what have I done to make my sagging skin removed and they don't even notice there is still some swelling and bruising near the incision areas. My friends said I look younger and prettier.

Regarding the fat graft, I will go back to April 31 to have my 2nd fat graft touch up by Dr Lee in early November.

Also, I am very satisfied with my eyelid surgeries result. With the removal of excessive skin and fat "reallocation", my eyes look brighter but natural.

 

Anti-aging must be one of the goals for those who is beauty conscious.
To delay ageing of my face, I have tried various methods at different stages including the intake of supplements, injection of Botox and fillers, applying radio frequency treatment "Thermage" and ultra-sound treatment "Ulthera", adopting 'Acculift" minor surgery as well as PDO (thread lifting).
Many people said that I look younger than my physical age (mid50's) but still my skin has sagged, especially around my jaw and the corners of my mouth. My neck suffered as well!
I started thinking about "Facelift" as the ultimate solution to my problem, about a year ago.

Finally, after consultation and explanation by Dr. Joo Heon Lee, I had a facelift (with fat grafting) and neck lift on Sept 21 at the "April 31 Plastic Surgery Clinic" by him in Korea.

The surgery went well and I have a speedy recovery. It is amazing that I do not feel much suffering after surgery. The only unpleasant period was from the anaesthetic recovery but it only lasted for half a day. There was mild but bearable pain from my wound. My fear of having a" swollen pig face" never happened. I started to go out shopping on the 2nd post operation day!

On the third day, during my following up session, I could already see my sagging gone when my dressings were removed. My face and neck features were sharper and cleaner. I was very happy to see my new face, even though there were still some swellings and bruising.

I went back to Hong Kong on Oct 2, 10 days post operation. All sutures were removed. The swellings and bruising has now become less. Thanks must be given to Dr. Lee for his fine technique. The scars on my face were well hidden and they can hardly be seen. I am very happy to hear my husband (who is himself a Plastic Surgeon) and my good friends saying that I look natural with a prettier and younger face. Now I have already resumed my normal daily life except doing vigorous exercises.

I am very pleased with the result. Thank God that I have found the right surgeon to accomplish this difficult and delicate procedure.

In fact, it was quite a long selection and thinking process before I decided to choose Dr. Lee at April 31. There are a few options that I have considered.

Option 1: Doing the procedure in the USA where facelift is much more in demand. I dropped this idea because I understand that there is an aesthetic difference between the Asian and Western face.
Option 2: Doing the procedure in Taiwan where I was referred to a plastic surgeon who applies a special "hook" technique. I had done a consultation with the surgeon last year. Again I dropped this option because I am skeptical about the effectiveness and the long lasting result of this technique. I am also uncomfortable with the clinic set up and the hygiene.
Option 3: Doing it in Korea where plastic surgery is popular. It is not an easy decision too, because there are many hundreds of plastic surgery clinics in Korea.

On my request , a well known Korean Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Choi Yeop, who did my upper and lower eyelid surgeries 2 years ago, recommended Dr. Lee of April 31. Dr. Choi said I must be careful in choosing the right surgeon. Facelift demands superior technique from a surgeon who has to avoid damaging the facial nerve. He also has to make nicely hidden scars. The tightening of the skin must look natural.

I learned from Dr. Choi that Dr. Lee is an experienced plastic surgeon who specialised in facelift. Dr. Lee always tried to improve his technique by regular cadaver dissections. He attends and contributes to facelift workshops conducted by Professor M. Stuzin in Miami, who is a world authority in facial aesthetics and ageing. They share anatomical knowledge between Asian and Western faces and the operation methods.

During the consultation with Dr. Lee, my husband was particularly comfortable with his professional analysis. There is absolutely no "hard sales talks" and no "puffing up" of his results. He told us what he can achieve and what he cannot. Dr. Lee can speak English well enough so that we don't need a translator for communication.
Overall, we found Dr. Lee pleasant, professional and gave his patient confidence. We both identified Dr. Lee to be my facelift surgeon.

It still took me a few months to decide to have the surgery. With my husband's endorsement, I finally book my surgery date with Dr. Lee.

I want to share my experience to others who may be considering the same. Hopefully my experience can help to clear their mind of queries and fear, and they will make the right choice.

 

But I think one should do his/her own research and limit the choice to a maximum of 3
We have to be careful that we need the right surgeon but not a good sales man
Is he experienced in doing your kind of surgery? Has he done lots of sales talks and make empty promise during consultations?
There is no "the best" doctor in the world but only you can find the right doctor who can manage your surgery well and you are satisfied with the result

 

For those who are interested in doing plastic surgery, you should absolutely need a face to face consultation with the surgeon. By then, you can have a better idea of the surgeon like are you comfortable with his analysis and recommendations, are you satisfied with his Q & A etc
How can a surgeon give medical advice without actually see your problems face to face???

 

My friend and I have done our upper eyelid and eye bags surgeries by Dr. Choi Yeop in Korea two years ago. He only does eye surgeries in his own clinic (Choi Yeop Plastic Surgery near Sinsa station exit No.3)
The surgeries went well and we have speedy recovery
We are happy with result

 

thx 4 ur sharing. i also have d same problem n wish someone can give me advice

 

thx for sharing