sydthekyd

So I just found out that the medical tourism agencies actually will help you wherever you want to go; they don't only have a limited number of clinics to which they will take you! Not sure if this was known info And, contrary to what I've seen posted on this forum, I don't think they take a cut of what you pay for surgery because I've contacted the same clinic with and without a touring agency and was quoted the same price. Obviously this is only 1 test case but I think it's worth looking into. I have a few Korean and foreigner friends in Korea who have said bringing a native person with you to appointments can really help reduce the prices of procedures- even just regular medical visits.

Hopefully that helps someone (but also do your research because I could be completely wrong)!

 

So part of the reason I wasn't really into VIP (aside from not wanting rib cartilage) was that they suggested mid-face augmentation, lipolysis and genioplasty. Of course, if I were to do an in-person consultation, the recommendation could be different but they seemed a little too eager to recommend a bunch of procedures I wasn't interested in (a chin implant is not medically related to the nose as far as I know although I am aware that they are looking at overall balance but I emailed regarding nose specifically). However, I got a one-size-fits-all feeling from them just because I am black. That may sound strange but hear me out: To elaborate, they also sent an image of a black patient's before and after in their emails (which I appreciate for comfort reasons) but I got the feeling that they basically believe that "since you are black you will need this". Not to mention the patient's picture who they shared with me didn't share any commonalities with my face...why show me this when we look nothing alike? My "mid-face" isn't sunken at all like the image they showed me. I could also have totally misinterpreted their intentions and be completely wrong but regardless, I wasn't interested in rib cartilage. I do think they have good results though! I'm just happy with my face and wanted to edit my nose.

Also, after writing this I scrolled back up to look at the image you shared and I see that even in the screenshot of the IG post, they also gave the girl a midface augmentation and genioplasty lol

 

Thanks for the tip! Do they usually offer free revisions? Not that I would go back to the same place...

Haha thanks! I feel like I usually just write in stream of consciousness but hopefully this helps people out!

 

Hey! I will definitely message you about how I felt GNG is but you should still check them out for your own! I obviously haven't gone yet but it's my understanding that you can do consults in like 1-2 days, depending on how many places you visit, if you schedule far enough in advance so you shouldn't worry about that too much. Like right now I have 5 consultations scheduled in 1 day. Also, when you email/kakao/message the clinics, they should be able to tell you how long you would have to stay for stitch removal and all that aftercare stuff so you can totally plan that in advance.

And yes, working full time can suck if you don't have a lot of vacation saved up . I basically did weekend vacations this year so far so I didn't use up any of my personal days. For my longer trips, I try to plan dates that include national holidays so I can use the holiday as a "free" vacation day lol.

So, some saving strategies I am currently using include budgeting out your fixed costs like rent, food, bills or whatever that you know you absolutely have to pay each month. You really have to stick to it. Try to make a commitment, based on your timeline of when you want to get surgery, for how much you put aside each paycheck and do it. The clinics seem really flexible about scheduling, especially if you give them enough time like I said earlier so you shouldn't put too much pressure to have your funds ASAP. I just put my money in a savings account as soon as I'm paid so I don't touch any of it since I buy stuff I don't need all the time lol. Anyway, right before your next check, if you have any money left over, just put that into your savings account too. Remember the conversion rates too. Right now for USA, 1000 krw is only 89 cents. So a 6,000,000 krw surgery is $5,342 PLUS you get that 8-9% tax refund on your surgery bringing the price down to ~$4914. And this isn't even including the fact that you can usually bargain the price at your consultation.

So those are just some basic tips for full-time jobs. I just try to limit how much I spend on stuff I don't need for a while. Also do not recommend European-luxury shopping in Asia because they hike up the prices. But since you're planning to be there for a while, you should check out those conversion rates like I said, since you'll have to save more! If you have any other question, hopefully I can help!

Oh and I usually do google flights. Scott's Cheap Flights is a good bet too BUT I recommend downloading an app called 'Hopper'. It predicts how much flights will cost for the dates you choose and will tell you the best time to buy a ticket. I also have a credit card that gives discounts on flights when you use points. Just another option.

Good luck at your interview!

 

sydthekyd

thanks! Going in August

 

Hi everyone!

INTRO
I'm pretty new here but thought I'd start a blog-like post documenting my journey through researching, choosing clinics, getting surgery as well as aftercare. It's early but I'm really excited so ignore this post until you need it! I'm still figuring things out (and will come back to edit if necessary) but as of now I'm just a regular-degular girl with no sponsorship or reason to fluff up my reviews. If anyone knows the repercussions of being honest, please let me know. Definitely want to respect the clinics but also want to contribute truth for those who will be getting surgeries. Flying to another country to do surgeries, I'd want to know every possible honest detail.

*While this post is for everyone's benefit regardless of ethnicity, I wanted to add that I'm including "African", "African-American", and "black" so other black girls can easily search for this post. I've noticed there aren't very many examples of black girls going to Korea/Asia for PS (only YouTubers I can think of are Leslie twins, Megan Bowen, PinkSugar something and one Afro-British girl whose name escapes me) and it's a little scary not knowing for sure if Korean surgeries will work for us due to lack of successful examples/representation (yes, I am well aware that PS in Asia is going to cater to Asians; I'm just trying to help other people out here too).*

ABOUT ME
To be as vague as possible for privacy reasons: Not a YouTuber or any other type of social media person. My IG follow count is low AF. I was born and raised in America and I'm ethnically half black half Native American but for the sake of discussion, I'm black-passing. I'm early 20's with a well-paying job in tech (if anyone is curious about how people pay for this stuff). I have a button nose. I think it's fine but I want a few tweaks, not an entirely new nose. Like, I want a smaller version of what I have if that makes sense. I will upload a 'before' picture eventually when it's relevant to do so.

LOGISTICS
It is now June 27, 2018. I bought my *shockingly* cheap ($531 round trip) ticket to South Korea from America for 3 weeks in August- September. So I have ~2 months to get my **** together. I'm going with my boyfriend. Like I said, I have a well-paying job so I've been saving my own money for a few months now. If anyone wants tips on saving, I can go over that. Esp. if you're still in college and paying for yourself. I've been emailing and Kakao-ing clinics for the past couple weeks and have set up a few consultations so far. So basically as soon as I land, I will be doing face-to-face consultations. Then I gave myself a week to have fun, go clubbing, do tourist things and hopefully will have my surgery scheduled the 2nd week I'm there, then a week to heal + do low-key tourist things. Currently planning to get an Airbnb in Gangnam since it'll be close to whichever clinic I choose. Should also mention I have family in Korea on military base and a few girl-friends from university who either live or have boyfriends there. I'm planning to get around using Kakao-Taxi app, subway, and just good old-fashioned walking. Going to pay for surgery in cash. I can read Korean and know basic sentence-structure but am planning to rely on English tbh.

CLINICS + PRICES
Some clinics asked me to send pics and they gave me their recommendations. So I've managed to narrow down that I want hump removal, slight bridge augmentation (with a sloped bridge, not a huge straight one), tip plasty for bulbous nose, and maybe alar reduction.

What I did was I read through Purse Forum and watched YouTube videos. I made a list of the clinics to absolutely not go to because I'm not trying to die. Then I made a list of every clinic I could think of that at least had an English website. My bf can speak Chinese but I didn't feel like going through the hassle of having him translate stuff for me to a completely non-English speaking staff ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .
ALSO, I did contact a touring agency (not docfinder). What they do is you tell them what you want, send in pics, then they send your pics to clinics that they choose. I don't know how they choose the clinics but after a few days, you will get an email with clinic recommendations and price quotes. I had to ask the company to give me clinic names because those were hidden at first. Once they gave me the names, I emailed the clinics separately with different pics of myself and the prices were the same. Be sure to do research on what locals vs foreigners pay so you can figure out what's good for you. I decided not to go with the tourist agency since the clinics I contacted have English translators and I have my bf who can help me out for free. But if you are going alone, have the $$$ and are nervous about logistics, do a touring agency but seriously consider the pros and cons.

ANYWAY I just copy and pasted my Google doc here. RED is no-go, BLUE is maybe, GREEN is hell yes consultation. These are my personal opinions based on my budget, vibe from consultant(pushing something I didn't ask for), etc..:
VIP [emailed]

• -rhinoplasty (narrow bridge, tip definition)​
• • 100% Rib cartilage Rhinoplasty: US$11,000
  • Mid-face augmentation (rib cartilage): US$3,000
  OR
  • Combination Rhinoplasty: US$7,000
  • Mid-face augmentation (silicone): US$2,500
  
  Great results but do not want rib cartilage because invasive and fear of warping. They REALLY pushed rib cartilage. The consultant didn't even give me the 2nd option after "OR" until I asked if there was possibly any other way. So research rib cartilage in this forum! Just seems too invasive to me.

Banobagi [emailed]

• • The average price for Overall Reduction Rhinoplasty costs 6,050,000 KRW~7,150,000 KRW.
    The average price for Alar reduction is 1,320,000 KRW if Rhinoplasty is done together.
    I like the style of noses, no horrible reviews although some questionable, and price is upper end of budget.
    
    
  • Dream- nice but expensive $8,000 USD
    Open rhinoplasty with lower lateral
    cartilage reduction, lateral
    osteotomy, septal graft extension,
    and alarplasty
• • JK- not impressed by noses on site. $6,750 USD
    *Rhinoplasty (procedures included:
    nasal bridge + tip + alar reduction):
    
    
  • Wonjin skeptical. Apparently death here due to shadow doctors
    
    
  • Grace- not super impressed by noses. $6,765 USD
    Nose bridge augmentation(silicone)
    + Tip plasty(ear cartilage) + Lateral
    osteotomy + Alar reduction
• Pitangui [Facebook messaged]
  • $3,500 for alar reduction, tip, hump removal, bridge augmentation
  • Not enough reviews, can barely find pics, can't find any good reviews
• ID price inquiry on Kakao, no response for days
  
  
• BK [Kakao]
  • $3,200 alar reduction, tip, hump removal, bridge augmentation
• GNG [emailed]
  • $6,000USD (hoping to negotiate)
  • Consultant is nice online, no pressure
  • Doctors are ENT specialists as well so functionality + aesthetics
    
  • Complimentary IV nutritional drips (2)
• View [messaged online then they emailed me]
  • They have a "model" promo going on right now on their English site. It's just using your photos.
    Eyebag fat repositioning 1.8 million KRW BEFORE discount
    Basic Rhinoplasty with bridge and tip 4.5-5.5 million KRW BEFORE discount
    
  • Applied to be a model and was accepted. Would get a 30% discount (pretty sure you could just haggle this without having to be a model) but you have to put down $500 deposit before consultation red flag but that discount...Idk these prices are so good I'm torn
• MVP [emailed]
  • Starts 4.5 for all included (consisted of Bulbous Nose Tip Correction (Septal Cartilage), Alarplasty (Reduction), Hump Reduction (Lateral-Osteotomy),Deviated Nose Correction (Lateral-Osteotomy)
  • Great price for everything I want
  • Consultant exceptionally nice, no pressure
    
  • Also has laser treatments for bf's acne scarring so possible discount for doing several procedures together
• DAPRS [Kakao]
  • Starts 4.5 mil won
    
  • Absolutely love the noses
• Emailed JW no response
  
• Mega messaged no response
  
• Grand- brain damaged a patient

I currently have consultations booked with the green clinics: DAPRS, MVP, and GNG. Will continue researching and will retroactively add stuff to this post. I would like to mention that most of the clinics explicitly told me that you get discounts for doing more treatments together but I'm happy with my face, I just want tweaks to my nose- so I'm not planning on doing that as of now. Also, I made sure I sent my pics to clinics so they could see that I'm obviously not Asian or Caucasian so no surprises lol. Probably seems silly but you just never know. Sorry if there are hella typos.

I probably won't post anything significant until I actually get to Korea lol~

 

I recently started seriously looking for clinics so started by going through medical tourism. Posting prices found by Seoul Cosmetic Company. Not very helpful since no clinic names and I've come to the conclusion most FC problems can be solved by just losing weight for free but included those prices anyway.

Clinic 1:
- Nose surgery with alar reduction, tip refinement, and elevated bridge + possible hump reduction. Silicon or goretex for rhino. 6,050,000 KRW (rhino + hump reduction) +1,320,000 (alar reduction) = 7,370,000 KRW
-V-Line treatment removing fat from jaw is 2,750,000 KRW
- Fat grafting undereye and cheek or lower blepharoplasty is 2,000,000 KRW per area (meaning both eyes, or cheek, or wherever) Also note they said fat grafting only lasts 2~3 years "but surgery will relocate fat under eyes and this treatment will last much longer."

Clinic 2:
-Open rhino with lower lateral cartilage reduction, lateral osteotomy, septal graft extension, and alarplasty for 8,800,000 KRW
-Acculift on jaw lin: fat removal and lifting/tightening laser: 2,300,000 KRW
-Chin implant (which I didn't ask for lol): 4,700,000 KRW
-Fat grafting under eyes at 1,000,000

Clinic 3:
-Rhino including nasal bridge + tip+ alar reduction: 6,750,000 KRW
-VASER facial lipo for jawline: 4,500,000 KRW

Clinic 4:
- didn't provide a price for anything, just explained what they think should be done

Clinic 5:
-V-line including accusculpt laser lipo on cheek (so basically just lose weight lol) + thread lift (no thanks): 4,070,000 KRW
-Nose surgery (nose bridge augmentation w/ silicone, tip plasty w/ ear cartilage, lateral osteotomy, alar reduction): 6,765,000 KRW
-Tip of lower jaw domestic filler (Danae): 440,000 KRW

Surprisingly none of the clinics are ridiculously priced, I think. I'll keep looking on the forum to see what people recommend. Also I have no idea what clinics these are and this is before any negotiating. Hoping to be able to find a clinic with reasonable prices by end of 2018 at the latest.
I may just do it myself tbh but if anyone can tell me if these prices are steep, I'd appreciate it!

 

Thanks to the both of you! And yes, it would still be a good vacation. I just know I'd be kind of bummed to not have it done because I'd essentially have to wait another year haha

Any tips on bargaining? Like what leverage would I have in asking for a cheaper price? For example, if you're getting alar reduction and you don't have a wide nose, would you pay less than someone who does have a wide nose? I did read on this forum that paying cash can save money...

 

Hello everyone!

I'm interested in rhinoplasty and v-line surgery.
Since medical tourism seems to be the devil according to this site (lol), I guess I'll try to sort this all out myself.
I'll be bringing my bf who speaks Korean so not concerned about translator.

Did anyone have success booking a flight to Korea THEN visiting clinics? Or did you make an appointment for consultation/surgery online THEN buy your flight to Korea? (Coming from Seattle).

What if I get to Korea, start visiting the clinics that I've researched online, and none of them work for me? I will have just wasted time and $$$ flying to Korea. So how do you guys confidently book these things?

How long between a consultation and surgery does it usually take? Do they do same-day surgery or what? I have a job and need to know how much time to take off.

Sorry, I'm just not understanding how this works for most people and I've been researching but for some reason no one has mentioned how they did this. It just seems like everyone has unlimited time or they're just leaving out that bit of information.

Also I'm African American and a little afraid that may add on to an increase in price. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid.

Literally anyone with a grain of info feel free to message me as well.
kakao: sydthekyd