phoebebuffey

Last night a troll created 12+ accounts and began posting and re-posting photos of me and another PF member, writing over our photos. I / my surgeries were described as "botched" / "ugly" / "pig faced" and "she looks like she has down syndrome."

Besides the obvious anger and embarrassment I felt, I was so sad too. First of all - my younger sister has down syndrome. To use her features that I love so much as an insult was heartbreaking, and just served to remind me that there are still people in this world who use "retarded" and "down syndrome" as insults.

I created my account on PF to begin my research into rhinoplasty in South Korea. Even though people said PF was going downhill as clinics hire marketers or random people to shill themselves, I found it helpful. I could see through most fake posts with a little investigation, and PF lead me to Helen (who convinced me to reach out to Namu), Kakao, and two girls who I ended up staying with in Korea. I decided to document my surgery process here because I knew a lot of people weren't comfortable posting their photos online, and I felt okay doing so. I thought writing in depth on the surgery process / aftercare / and posting regular updates of progress to show how HEALED RESULTS actually look would be helpful to people, no matter where they decided to go.

I have never tried to convince people that they *need* to consult at Namu. In fact I wrote about the cycle of popularity of clinics and said that Namu seems popular right now because they're new and a few people wrote about good experiences there. In hindsight, I should not have listed my clinic / doctors at all, because it just opens a firestorm of accusations about being fake or getting cheap surgeries in exchange for reviews. As I stated in a previous post, I did not get deep discounts. I paid a 1 million KRW deposit (~$900) + 16.5 million for my surgeries (~$14,567) + 330,000 for my lip filler (~$291). I was told by other people that I was ripped off or that I overpaid.

After spending a lot of time crying last night and trying to report all the accounts that kept popping up, I tried to pinpoint why I felt so hurt. The photos they used were directly after surgery, and my nose does look very piggy and upturned - I even wrote that in posts on here. Maybe it was the fact that they called me ugly, because I don't think that's something anyone can get "used" to hearing. But most of all I think it was just embarrassment... I was embarrassed people I know and have talked to (and yes, strangers too) would see photos with "pig nosed" and "ugly" all over them, setting me up for ridicule.

I've decided to take a break from social media altogether. PF, Kakao, even my personal Instagram/Twitter. (If you followed me on my PS Instagram, I'm sorry - I removed all followers who I didn't know.) Let this be a warning for people not to share their photos on PF. I do feel that if the admin/mod team had a better handle on the situation it wouldn't be so risky, but when all of this happened there were no admins online to help and the one mod who was online doesn't have access to this board. And, they refuse to delete my post (this post) even after I asked them to multiple times.

I know it's easy to make comments about other people's appearances, especially online. But we're all human, and I think anyone who comes to a plastic surgery board for information knows what it feels like to be insecure about something.

 

DO YOUR RESEARCH

I'm a big believer in self-education. I get a little annoyed when I see posts like "please tell me where to go for rhinoplasty, this is the kind of nose I want." First of all, we all have different assumptions of adjectives (dramatic / natural mean different things to different people) ... we don't know what you look like ... and we don't know the things most important to you (doctors bedside manners, price, aftercare, etc). All people will be able to tell you is what they've read on PF/Kakao ("a girl went to Jewelry and liked/disliked her results") or their own personal experience. And personal experience is valuable, but you need to look into so much more than that.

The best thing you can do is a ton of research. People do so much research on a new car, or on what handbag to buy... so why wouldn't you want to vet your own research on surgery to your face?? Don't trust someone else to do it for you.

I started a Google Doc and gave each clinic its own page. Under each clinic I linked to posts I had found on PurseForum, SoYoung, RealSelf, or other relevant sites. Then I listed necessary info: website, contact information, address. The pro's and con's. Information on specific doctors and their specialties. As I spoke to clinics I could make notes on this document... the price estimate for surgeries, things I liked/didn't like, the doctor's, the aftercare.

Don't just research the clinic - also research the procedures you're looking to get. Before leaving I knew almost every detail of my ideal rhinoplasty: I didn't want a silicone implant; I wanted some kind of osteotomy or bone shaving to make my bridge thinner; tip plasty; alar reduction. I knew the techniques I wanted and what would be suitable and realistic for my nose. When I met with the doctor he commented that I seemed well-educated about my surgery and what I wanted. (As a total teacher's pet, this made me smile.) The things I didn't know were things I didn't realize: I had a slight hump on my bridge I had never noticed before that he shaved down, and besides tip plasty, I could also do short nose correction to have less nostril show from the front. Still, I was educated enough to know what these procedures were; if he had suggested something unnecessary I would have known to question it.

Don't blindly agree to what doctors/clinics suggest because "they know best." Ultimately it's your body/face and you need to be educated and an advocate for yourself and your surgeries.

Because I decided to choose my clinic before meeting them face to face, I prepared a huge list of questions... questions for the doctor, the anesthesiologist, the translator. I felt more comfortable making my decision after having these questions answered - but if you're able to meet face to face before deciding on a clinic, I will always suggest that. You can find my list of questions below.


For the doctor:

• What percent of your practice is devoted to rhinoplasty?
• What is your protocol in the cast of unexpected surgery complications?
• What is your experience with noses like mine?
• Do you feel you can create the type of nose I want?
• What is your policy on revisions?

Rhinoplasty
On implants:

• Do you think my bridge height needs to be raised, or should my bone just be narrowed with osteotomy?
• If my bridge height needs to be raised, what implant will you use? If silicone, is it ultra soft?
• What is the risk of extrusion or infection? How often do you see this in your patients? I’m very worried about this because I won’t easily be able to come back to have it fixed.

On alar reduction:

• How will the alars be reduced? On the outside of each nostril, or inside next to the columella?
• What are the potentials of scarring?

On bulbous tip correction:

• How will you correct the tip of my nose?

On functionality:

• Are there any risks to the functionality of my nose? Breathing, structure, collapsed nostrils, thin skin, etc.

Other worries:

• What are the challenges of rhinoplasty on a nose like mine?
• What are my responsibilities to have a successful rhinoplasty and healing?

Facial lipo

• What are the differences between facial lipo and acculift? What would you recommend for me?
• Can the look I want be achieved via liposuction?
• Is there any possibility of nerve damage to my face, or other health issues?
• How long will swelling last?
• Do you think I can achieve the results I want without a thread lift?

Forehead reduction

• Are there any risks to forehead reduction?
• Is it possible to get hair loss?
• Is this a common procedure for you to perform?

Arm liposuction

• Are there any risks to liposuction?
• How does liposuction cause “bumps” or “unevenness” in fat or skin? Is this preventable?

For the anesthesiologist:

• Do you have a full time anesthesiologist? Will they be there for my entire surgery?
• What type of anesthesia will rhinoplasty, facial lipo, forehead reduction, and arm lipo be performed under?

For the translator:

• Will you be there before and after my surgery?
• Can I meet the doctor before the surgery to make sure we’re on the same page?
• What is the aftercare for these procedures? Are there any de-swelling treatments?
• Does the clinic provide transportation to/from surgery?

phoebebuffeydiarypost

 

I relied a lot on PurseForum while doing my research, so when I learned there are a lot of fake reviews and promoters on here, I was disappointed. Getting plastic surgery - especially across the world, so far from home - is a huge deal. Many people can't afford to make multiple trips for consultations and then surgery, so doing research ahead of time is how they choose their clinic. While you do research, it's important to be skeptical and thorough.

Being overly positive about a clinic or saying something like "I LOVED my experience there and I know you will too!" isn't good. It's important to note that no one at any clinic can guarantee that you will get the results you want. If anyone does this: run. You have the best chance for a successful surgery if you go to a doctor who has experience and success in the surgeries you want; if they have operated on people with features similar to yours; if they understand your vision for your surgery; and if the clinic provides a safe environment for surgery and aftercare.


FAKE REVIEWS

Some clinics create fake accounts and post on PurseForum to encourage people to come to their clinics. Others use misleading marketing materials... like photoshopped pictures and glamorized videos.

When vetting people's reviews, there are some basic questions you can ask yourself. When was their account created? Do they have past posts on other topics / clinics? Are they active on PF, or on Kakao? Does anyone know them "IRL"? (Did they meet up with anyone in Korea or stay with other PF-ers in Korea?) Are they 100% positive in their review on a clinic?


CYCLE OF POPULARITY

Through the Kakao group for Eyes & Nose surgeries, I learned about the 'cycle' of popularity for clinics. Here's how it works: one clinic is posted about a lot, or gets a lot of publicity all of a sudden from one reviewer (real or fake). Then more people begin asking for information, as there isn't a backlog of it on PF. More people go to consults and then post. People get surgeries and then post. For a while, only good information is available on them on PF/Kakao. Then there's a bad review and things spiral from there, ending with people hesitant to go there because of bad reviews.

Here's the thing: there's going to be bad reviews for every clinic. No one can have a 100% success rate. Look at negative reviews and decide if the factors are a dealbreaker for you (if the review contains information showing the doctor was negligent or put patients in danger, for example).

In late summer I talked to one girl who had gone to GNG in the spring, before the negative posts about them. She was happy with her nose, but said she could have gotten the same result (or another "good" result) from a different clinic. Similarly, people still go to GNG to this day and get a "good" result - but others are hesitant to because of negative posts about being botched there.

Bigger clinics will have more negativity because they operate on more patients - it's just statistics. Patients who aren't happy with their results are a part of plastic surgery. Maybe the nose they asked for ended up not suiting their face, or a doctor couldn't get close enough to what they wanted because of their "before" nose's attributes. All I'm saying is: be picky, but be realistic. Every clinic is going to have good and bad cases.


IS NAMU PERFECT?

Right now Namu seems like a popular clinic. Helen was one of the first people to post about them in the summer, and her enthusiastic review and results encouraged more people to try out Namu for consults and surgery. I'll admit, she was why I reached out to the translators.

Ultimately, I can only talk about my own experience at Namu, and it was a positive one. I felt that the doctors, nurses, and translators were attentive; I felt safe before and after my surgery; I liked the amount of aftercare I received. Of course there were small issues that popped up (which I tried to document, like miscommunication about when stitches would be removed, for example), but these were minor in the long run.

A few days after getting my nose cast off I freaked out. I thought my nose was horrible (piggy! upturned! so wide and swollen!) and regretted choosing Namu and even having surgery at all. If I had written a post or review here during that time period, it would be me ranting about being botched or unhappy. Luckily, I left those emotional diaries on my laptop and waited (as everyone told me to!) and wound up being happy with my results, even if they're not my "final results" yet.

What I'm trying to say is: there is no such thing as a "perfect clinic." And while I liked Namu, I am not saying you have to or should go there. I'm simply sharing why I chose Namu, the surgery / aftercare experience, and how I feel about (and after) having surgery. If you feel the same way about another clinic - well, great! You found the one you should go to.


TRUSTING A CLINIC

I understand that choosing a clinic and doctor is scary. It feels easier to choose a clinic other people are going to, because you think, "They wouldn't recommend a clinic that messed up THEIR surgery!" And that's true. But I want to encourage everyone to do a lot of research solo as well as talking to people on PF or Kakao. Don't just go to a clinic because it seems popular, because plenty of people have had luck with lesser-known clinics as well. Ultimately, there are SO MANY clinics that you can't visit (or even talk) to them all, but you can start with a wide net and then naturally filter some out until you end up with a short list.

In my next post, I'm going to write about researching clinics!


phoebebuffeydiarypost

 

Thank you!

Totally understand - we're all different and have different wants out of consultants, doctors, clinics, etc. A 'perfect fit' for one person won't work for another... good thing there are so many in Seoul! ; )

 

Just jumping in to say Vivi's primary rhino was at View - she talked a little about it on her thread:
https://beautyhacker.com/forums/topic/1000505-finally-decided-on-my-rhinoplasty-clinic-surgeon-my-experience-so-far/

 

Take photos of yourself (head on, 45' angles, profiles) and reach out to plastic surgery clinics on Kakao/WhatsApp/Line/via email. They will give recommendations for surgery types (v-line, two jaw, genioplasty, etc) as well as cost, healing time, and other details.

Search this forum for v-line surgeries, or any other surgery you're looking into. Use the search feature and plug "v-line" or "facial contouring" into it to see all topics that include it in its subject. That way you'll get info from people who've asked questions that would be applicable to you, and reviews/diaries of people who have gone through the surgery.

When looking into clinics, start with a wide net. I reached out to over 20 clinics and eventually whittled it down to 6... then 2... then 1. Don't go off of before and after pictures by clinics as they're usually photoshopped... be healthily suspicious of people who have amazing before/afters and experiences on here... basically, just do diligent research. Join some Kakao groups for plastic surgery or facial contouring and gain insight from members there, too.

Good luck!

 

I don't know what your money situation is like - if your parents support you / will be paying for your school, rent, etc... but it's all relative. Put away as much as you can each month - anything extra after you've paid your essentials.

Stop buying non-essential items - extra makeup, clothes, etc. Stop going out to eat. When hanging out with friends, try to plan activities around free things: baking, watching movies at home, going hiking. (When it feels like it sucks and is restrictive, remember why you're doing it and that it's temporary!)

Get a job, or a second job. Sell clothes or furniture (Craigslist, phone selling apps, Buffalo Exchange). Offer to take people's donations (stuff they would've taken to Goodwill) and sell it or hold a garage sale.

For every birthday / holiday either request money, or gift cards / things that are necessities (shampoo, grocery gift card, gasoline gift card) that you would've spent your 'essential' money on that month.

Set goals - the goal you want to have saved up, and a realistic monthly savings goal. It's okay if the monthly goal is small, if that's all you can save at the moment. It won't always be that amount... eventually you can get a new job, or an additional job, or a higher paying job. As for the goal you want to save up, you'll need to factor in a few things:

• Cost of flight
• Cost of hotel / AirBNB
• Cost of surgery
• Cost of food / water / transport / etc

Make the goal more than you think you'll need, because there will always be unexpected expenses.

It's going to take time, but that's okay. Focus on doing your research right now into the surgery / clinics.

(:

 

MONEY MATTERS (CHOOSING A CLINIC BASED ON COST? BARGAINING? SAVING UP?)

I wanted to talk about something EVERYONE who looks into plastic surgery will have to face: money! It can influence which clinic you choose or the surgeries you choose to do; bargaining for medical procedures is something new to a lot of westerners; and saving up is something most people face.

MONEY & SURGERIES

I feel like cheap surgeries - or paying as little as possible for surgeries - is glamorized. I totally get the "how much did you pay?" question, because it helps people see if they're being ripped off or how much of a discount they should try for. But I would caution anyone from choosing a clinic or meeting with a clinic just because they fit in with their budget. There are so many more important factors: the doctors, the clinic set up (do they have a full time anesthesiologist?), the aftercare, etc.

I did not get a 'cheap deal' on my surgeries. I didn't go into the process with a modeling deal, so when I compared the cost of my surgeries with other people a few were like, "Wow, that's a lot [of money]." But in the end I was okay with paying slightly over what I originally thought I would because I felt comfortable with my clinic and the surgeries I was getting.

Ultimately, you have to decide the amount you're willing to pay, as well as what you're comfortable with. You can always find a cheaper surgery, a cheaper clinic, a cheaper doctor. A more expensive clinic doesn't necessarily mean better doctors or better surgery results. The best advice I can give is to find the best doctor FOR YOU, your features, your surgeries - and then bargain from there... as much as you feel comfortable with / is necessary.

BARGAINING

There are a few ways you can get a deal/discount on surgery. First is bargaining, and I'll be honest: I am not good at bargaining. When I shopped in Korea, I didn't even bargain at Ewha/Hongdae because the items already seemed so well-priced. And even when it came to surgery, I was hesitant to bargain or bargain too hard. You can get some bargaining awkwardness out of the way if you do it over Kakao, but most clinics will tell you you won't be able to lock in a final price until you do a face to face consult, because the doctor will need to see and assess your case in person.

Second is if you go through a service like Misooda, because on their website they have some surgery promos listed. (Although you could try to take the advertised promo and go directly to the clinic to see if they'll match the deal or cut you a better one.) *I don't know if these promos are actually better than estimates given by clinics, but it's worth looking into. A lot of the promos are on v line / breast implants. Definitely do research into the clinics and don't just take a promo based on price, whether it's on Misooda or directly from a clinic.

Third is if you do a modeling deal, which basically means they will take/use your before and after photos on their website / for advertisements. Big influencers get surgeries for free this way - you can see examples of this from Doc Finder Korea and people like Sonia/Celia Leslie, Jennydear, Jessyluxe, Sacheu... Other people (non-influencers haha) can get huge deals (~half off) with modeling deals.

When I arrived in Korea and had my in-person consultation, I confirmed I wanted to do forehead reduction, even with scarring and the potential need for hair transplant in 1-2 years. Claire asked if I would then be willing to let them use ONLY my forehead before and after photos. I said yes, because I really didn't care about my photos being used since I was planning on posting here / on Kakao anyway. I'm not sure if they'll actually end up using the photos, since they weren't able to get photos of it fully healed... or if they'll even want to use them, but they do have the option. This gave me a 40% discount on just my forehead reduction surgery. So, if you're looking for additional discounts, you can always ask if they'd be willing to give you any for use of your photos.

Over Kakao I was able to get a list of estimates from Linda with a range of prices (ex: 4-6 million KRW for rhinoplasty), and a "max" amount the cost would be for all the surgeries. When I went in for my face to face consult, the final price ended up being more than this "max" amount because I wound up doing additional surgeries and it seemed like some of the estimates were off. So lets move on to...

HOW MUCH DID I PAY?

What everyone wants to know. I originally thought the maximum amount I would pay would be $15,000 total - and I wound up spending more.

First I sent a deposit of $900 to secure my surgery date. So I figured that when I was there, I'd pay $14,100 max. I wound up paying 16.5 million krw, or ~$14,667 for my main set of surgeries (and then I paid separately 330,000 krw or ~$293 for lip fillers on my last day). Why the discrepancy? I had planned on doing:

• Forehead reduction
• Rhinoplasty
• Facial lipo
• Arm lipo

I wound up doing all of the above AND:

• TRC and fat grafting
• Chin filler
• Buccal fat pad removal

In my in-person consult, I met with Claire, not Linda. She tried to stick to my original estimate as closely as she could. Essentially she added buccal fat pad removal at no cost to my acculift procedure because she felt that without buccal fat pad removal I wouldn't get the results I was looking for. I did have to pay for TRC and chin filler, but since I was getting arm liposuction anyway, she added in fat grafting for my undereyes for free - otherwise the TRC wouldn't be effective / look its best. I appreciated this attention to detail.

HOW TO SAVE UP MONEY FOR SURGERY / KOREA

Here are some tips I have for saving money:

1. Pick up a second job. I worked two jobs for six months, 12 hour days five days a week + Saturday's. It was hard, especially around months 4, 5, 6... I was constantly tired. BUT I was able to save up a few thousand dollars from a second, minimum wage job.
2. Stop going out to eat. I couldn't cut this out completely, so I would allow myself to go out 1x/week, Saturday's after work. It was insane how much money I saved.
3. Zero unnecessary spending. I wrote out all my essentials: gas, groceries, make up / shampoo / etc maybe once every few months... and I stuck to only buying these things.
4. Collect items to sell on Craigslist, selling apps, or Buffalo Exchange. Clothes, furniture, etc. I had suitcases of stuff filled that I left in my car too long and didn't have time to sell... crap! Next time.
5. For every birthday / holiday either request money, or gift cards / things that are necessities (shampoo, grocery gift card, gasoline gift card) that you would've spent your 'essential' money on that month.

Ultimately, I was able to put about half my monthly pay (from my regular job) into my savings account, as well as 100% of my second jobs pay.

When looking for flights, download the Hopper app. I found my flight from LAX > South Korea for under $500! Also, save money on housing in Korea by getting an AirBNB with housemates. I stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment with two other girls. (And I will say: the experience would have been so much harder without company.)

When saving up money, set goals: the goal you want to have saved up, and a realistic monthly savings goal. It's okay if the monthly goal is small, if that's all you can save at the moment. It won't always be that amount... eventually you can get a new job, or an additional job, or a higher paying job. As for the goal you want to save up, you'll need to factor in a few things:

• Cost of flight
• Cost of hotel / AirBNB
• Cost of surgery
• Cost of food / water / transport / etc

Make the goal more than you think you'll need, because there will always be unexpected expenses.

Hope this is helpful with your money questions! Let me know if you think of anything else that would be useful to know.

phoebebuffeydiarypost

 

This has been said in the Kakao group but: each person's definition of "dramatic" is different. So what you think if "dramatic" may be outrageous to one person, or "not" to another.

Start by finding the style of nose you like. Look for people on this forum who have gotten this type of nose and record what clinic they went to. Look at different clinics and their before/afters for a general sense of style of rhinoplasty, and record the clinics you like.

I created a Google Doc for myself, and for each clinic I listed:

• Website, social media, contact information
• Links to reviews on PurseForum, SoYoung, or RealSelf / screenshots of Babitalk
• Doctor(s) from the clinic that I liked
• Pros/cons

Talk to as many people as you can. Reply to threads and reach out on Kakao to people who have gone to clinics you're interested in. Talk to the clinics you're interested in. Here are some questions I asked the clinics I had shortlisted:

1. What percentage of your practice is devoted to rhinoplasty?
2. What is your experience with noses like mine?
3. Do you feel you can create the type of nose I want on me?
4. What is your policy on revisions?
5. What is the risk of extrusion or infection? How often do you see this in your patients?
6. How will alars be reduced? (On the outside of each nostril, or inside next to the columella?)
7. What are the potentials of scarring?
8. How will you correct my tip?
9. Are there any risks to the functionality of my nose? (Breathing, structure, collapsed nostrils, thin skin, etc.)
10. What are the challenges of rhinoplasty on a nose like mine?

People won't do your research for you. No one else knows the exact kind of nose you want, or what your "before" nose looks like. The best thing you can do to get the nose you want is to do an abundance of research - and not just looking into clinics people recommend.

You can start by searching this forum for topics that include the word "dramatic" / "dramatic nose" / "dramatic rhinoplasty" - and see if any include pictures that you think look like your ideal.

Also: be realistic with the type of nose you can get with your current nose, and what type of nose will suit your face.

 

You should post this in the Plastic Surgery forum for more results! This forum is for people looking to have plastic surgery in Asia.

 

The facial / skin treatments were given as a free service because I did multiple surgeries with them, and included in my aftercare.

As for chin filler, I'm not sure on the exact price as I paid a lump sum for my original set of surgeries. I think it was around 1.5 million krw? I needed 2 cc's for my chin - I have a big face!

For lip filler I paid separately, because I hadn't originally planned to get it. Normally restylane is 500,000-550,000 krw but because I had done so many surgeries earlier in my trip they discounted it to 330,000 - the price of Korean brand fillers.

 

Thanks! I definitely agree about chin filler. I haven't been comfortable with the thought of implants in my body, but I'm debating a small chin implant after the filler wears away... we'll see.

So I had a slight hump on my nose that I had never noticed before, and he shaved it down in a way that removed the hump and created a slight slope to elongate my nose. For the eyes, they first did TRC by going in under my lower lashline from the inside of my eyelid... sounds disgusting, I know. Then they added fat back.

I will say that there was no pain for either surgery. My eyes swelled up and bruised badly - not sure if it was the rhino, the TRC, or the forehead reduction. They were completely dark purple almost to my eyebrow and underneath my eye as well. I'm over 2 weeks post op and I still have light bruising, unfortunately. I wasn't able to open my eyes fully for the first few days either. This wasn't painful, or even uncomfortable... I didn't notice it except in pictures.

My nose was uncomfortable only because I had to mouth-breathe. I didn't feel any pain from my rhino until they took out the final stitches... then it felt like they were tweezing nose hairs!

 

They included dermatology (milia, laser lipo, facial) in my surgery cost. I paid for chin filler with my surgeries, I believe it was discounted - and then I paid extra on my last day in Korea for lip filler.

 

YAAAAS girl can't wait to see your updated healing pics

 

So excited for you! Keep us posted on your surgery and aftercare experience.

Dr. Baek in their dermatology unit is great. He did my laser treatment, milia removal, and chin/lip fillers.

 

I was super worried about the surgery mainly because of anesthesia. Because I was doing arm lipo and a bunch of facial surgeries, they had to start the sedation with me laying on my stomach, then wake me up and have me roll over. This FREAKED ME OUT !! I didn't want to 'wake up' in the middle of surgery. I actually began to cry right before going under because I was so scared of waking up in the middle or remembering what happened.

But as it turns out, I don't even remember falling asleep. One minute I was on my stomach looking at the clock, the next I was waking up to them bandaging my forehead. Apparently they woke me up in the middle of my surgery and I rolled over myself with no help, but I don't remember at all.

Something I will say is: because I was nervous about anesthesia I wanted to go somewhere where they had a full time anesthesiologist, rather than someone they hire to come in for surgery days. Also, I went under with a double sleep sedation, rather than general anesthesia. But it's all about what will make you feel more comfortable!

 

Just posted a 2 week update, see above! You can see my forehead reduction photos both under the forehead reduction section and the rhinoplasty section (14 day update photo).

The scar is from temple to temple, and just under my hairline. As I said, Dr. Kirk was able to save my baby hairs so my hairline looks very natural. The scar is visible up close, but with my haircut (a blunt bob, no bangs), it's not visible. I will put a little make up on it when I go to work, and I'm applying scar gel to it still. I'll update on the healing process / scar visibility as time goes on!

 

TWO WEEK UPDATE ON ALL SURGERIES

It’s 5:30am but I’m super jet lagged so I’ve been up since 3am so I figured - why not post now!

I had my surgeries Saturday, November 17 and left two weeks later (December 1) and arrived home in California last night.



Forehead reduction

This is a surgery I’m VERY happy with. It was a more serious surgery than I realized, but I’m so glad I got it. I foolishly thought that forehead reduction was simple… just lowering the hairline. But not only do you have a long scar just under your hair line - there’s a risk of temporary hair loss (due to trauma to the area) and numbness from pulling the scalp down.

Over the past two weeks the numbness in my upper forehead (between my brows) has gone away, but still feels a little ‘tight’ when I lift my brows. Dr. Kirk was able to save all my baby hairs so I won’t need a hair transplant in a year or two, something Claire originally suggested to help mask the scar / fill in my hairline. I actually didn’t get bangs to cover the scar; it’s a small, wavy line just under my hairline but when I have my hair down it’s almost unnoticeable. Once I go back to work I’ll just cover the area with some make up.

TRC and fat graft under eyes

The skin under my eyes is definitely smoother than before, the darkness less pronounced… but I think I’ll have to wait and see the verdict on this one. I’ve heard that a lot of fat grafts don’t “take” to the area they’re placed and I’m curious to see how it will look 1-2 months post-op / how long the fat graft stays in place.

Rhinoplasty (bridge shaving; tip plasty; short nose correction; alar reduction)

I was freaking out about my nose until about… two days ago. I wrote a ton of things on my own computer - just about how horrible I was feeling - but didn’t want to post any because I’m still SO swollen. The Eyes & Nose group on Kakao has been such a help… the members really put my mind at ease about the swelling and being unhappy with my nose at the minute. A lot of girls messaged me and provided pictures of their de-swelling, and one girl reached out with a video of a girl who had a similar issue to mine (upturned nostrils) that settled within 8 months.

I will say: I like my nose a lot more than I did two days ago. My nose will not be “goals” for a lot of people - and that’s totally okay. My ‘before’ nose was wide and bulbous, and I knew I would never have a ski slope nose… and I didn’t want one. I have large features (large head, large eyes, large mouth, etc etc) so a small nose just wasn’t realistic. I wanted a similar ‘after’ nose, just one more flattering / in proportion to my face. I can already tell now that this nose will do that - even more so as the swelling continues to go down. (And if I get a lip lift… see ‘lip filler’ below.) My nose's tip is very swollen and wide still.

Chin filler and lip filler helped balance out my face as it is currently and I’m excited to see what it looks like at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months…




Acculift and buccal fat pad removal

I know that a lot of people don’t think you should have fat in your face removed - and I totally get it. It’s not for everyone. But because I’ve always had a VERY round face with pronounced jowls, I felt I needed facial lipo.

As I wrote in my first post, Claire suggested acculift over manual facial lipo as it’s gentler and doesn’t run the risk of as much sagging skin. She also suggested buccal fat pad removal as my cheeks were so large that just acculift wouldn’t made a big difference.

At the moment, I can see the biggest difference in my cheeks when I look at a 45’ angle - I see a slight hollowness under my cheekbone. I’m hoping that over the next 3 months as the acculift works, I will see more definition in my face.

Lip filler

Getting lip filler was a last minute decision for me. A day after getting chin filler I realized that because my philtrum area was swollen, it appeared longer - and having a fuller top lip would help balance it out.

It was more painful than the chin filler, but I like the way it looks. It’s very subtle since I already had pretty full lips - but it balances out my face and my lips now that the top and bottom “match” more.

In the future, I’d like to get a lip lift / philtrum reduction in the US.



Chin filler

I chose to do chin filler rather than a chin implant as I’m still unsure my position on silicone implants in my body (a reason I decided against a silicone nose implant). I was able to get filler through Namu’s dermatology department - you can read more about it in my previous post with aftercare at Namu, as I got it done Thursday, November 29 (12 days post-op).

I love the chin filler. It really helps flatter my face and balance my features, especially my nose as it heals. I’m seriously considering getting a silicone implant, or saving up enough to get this filler 2x a year...

*see photos of rhinoplasty, you can see the chin filler in my before / after of 14 days.

Arm lipo

I will do an update on this surgery after 1 month, when I’m done wearing my compression shirt.

But, here’s sort of a “review” of my healing process of arm liposuction. I had posted this on a different thread where someone asked if anyone had gotten lipo yet, and I realized I hadn’t talked much about it here since I’ve been more focused on rhinoplasty.

It was more strenuous than I thought it would be - the most painful of any of my surgeries.

I wouldn't say the pain is typical "pain" - but it's extremely uncomfortable. The first day, it felt as though I had worked out HARD for the first time in years. Like, Crossfit levels. For arms they made two incisions (per arm): above my elbow and on my back. My back and arms were so sore that it was uncomfortable to find a way to lay down without pain.

In the beginning they cover the stitches with bandaids and then ace wraps, until you get a compression garment. A few times my bandaids moved and I felt like the stitches on my back got caught in my shirt, it was pretty gross. Once the compression garment was on, it was better... it felt like everything was held in and helped manage swelling and pain.

For the first few days I was SO swollen. The ace wraps went from my shoulder to my elbows, and my forearms, wrists, and hands got extremely swollen. My skin felt really tight, and almost itchy. I would wake up in the middle of the night unable to sleep because of it, and I tried elevating / icing them.

I assumed lipo was an "easy" surgery, maybe because of how mainstream it seems to be, especially in the US. I would get liposuction again if I needed/wanted to "spot-treat" an area (stomach, maybe), but probably not full body lipo all at once. (Though I met a girl while I was in Korea who did get full body and seemed fine a few weeks later.)

I'm 2 weeks post-op now and my upper arms are a little numb but there's no pain in my arms/elbows. I do have some twinges of pain/soreness in my back still around the incisions.

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I got arm lipo 2 weeks ago in Seoul. It was more strenuous than I thought it would be - the most painful of any of my surgeries.

I wouldn't say the pain is typical "pain" - but it's extremely uncomfortable. The first day, it felt as though I had worked out HARD for the first time in years. Like, Crossfit levels. For arms they made two incisions (per arm): above my elbow and on my back. My back and arms were so sore that it was uncomfortable to find a way to lay down without pain.

In the beginning they cover the stitches with bandaids and then ace wraps, until you get a compression garment. A few times my bandaids moved and I felt like the stitches on my back got caught in my shirt, it was pretty gross. Once the compression garment was on, it was better... it felt like everything was held in and helped manage swelling and pain.

For the first few days I was SO swollen. The ace wraps went from my shoulder to my elbows, and my forearms, wrists, and hands got extremely swollen. My skin felt really tight, and almost itchy. I would wake up in the middle of the night unable to sleep because of it, and I tried elevating / icing them.

I assumed lipo was an "easy" surgery, maybe because of how mainstream it seems to be, especially in the US. I would get liposuction again if I needed/wanted to "spot-treat" an area (stomach, maybe), but probably not full body lipo all at once. (Though I met a girl while I was in Korea who did get full body and seemed fine a few weeks later.)

Like I said, I'm 2 weeks post-op now... my upper arms are a little numb but there's no pain in my arms/elbows. I do have some twinges of pain/soreness in my back still around the incisions.

 

Hi! I got transconjunctival blepharoplasty + fat grafting to my under eyes 2 weeks ago at Namu. Originally I was looking into doing filler, but was informed it was better (and less expensive) to do TRC + fat grafting. I ended up getting the fat graft for free since I was doing arm liposuction anyways.

I had visible bags under my eyes that were a little dark. While I was swollen (~1 week ago), my under eye was smooth. Now? I can already see a small line under my eyes in the same spot it used to be. I can already say I probably wouldn't do the surgery solo - I just sort of tacked it on in conjunction with the other surgeries I did.

I've heard very mixed things about fat grafting... that it doesn't last, etc. The few people I've known who've had fat grafting felt the results went away with their swelling.

I don't have my phone on me but I'm going to post a full 2 week post-op update tomorrow on my thread with photo comparisons of before, while swollen, and now.

 

My nose is already looking better! I'm going to post a 2 week update tomorrow with photos. (:

Are you getting rhinoplasty Monday? Can't wait to read about your experience! I will say: getting chin and lip filler REALLY helped me feel better about my nose. Since I'm so swollen, the chin and lip filler balanced out my features... my philtrum area was swollen and looked longer than usual so the lip filler helped that, and the chin filler made my face look less round (I'm still de-swelling from acculift.)

 

AFTERCARE AT NAMU

I had my surgery on Saturday, November 17, 2018. They kept me overnight because the surgery wrapped up later than expected, which I really appreciated. I was pretty out of it on Saturday and very uncomfortable, so staying in the hospital with a night nurse was good.

That night I was hooked up to a heartbeat machine and she would come in every 15 minutes to record my heartbeat and test my blood pressure.

I received my antibiotics and other aftercare items (I paid for antibiotics but Claire picked them up for me - it cost 30,000 KRW). I received 10 days of antibiotics, 2 compression packs, a mouth rinse, a forehead cream, and a nose cream.


SUNDAY Nov 18, 1 day post-op

On Sunday Claire and Dr. Kirk came in on their day off to see me for a first day check up. I had my bandages changed by Dr. Kirk and he said everything looked good. From Saturday to Sunday I had two IV drips - one was a vitamin drip and I think the other was pain medicine but I’m not sure.

MONDAY Nov 19, 2 days post-op

I went in to get fitted for a compression shirt (for my arm liposuction). I sat under a laser light for 1.5 hours.

TUESDAY Nov 20, 3 days post-op

They took off my forehead bandage and I found out Dr. Kirk was able to save all my baby hairs! Claire had originally suggested a hair transplant a few years down the line but now said she doesn’t think I’ll need one. I was given de-swelling injections through a vein in my foot because my hands/arms are sooooo swollen and I have very weak veins to begin with. Then I sat under the light laser for 15 minutes.

THURSDAY Nov 22, 5 days post-op

I got my hair washed but they didn’t take my forehead stitches out. The bandage under my chin (acculift on jaw/chin) was removed. I sat under the light laser again.

SATURDAY Nov 24, 7 days post-op

My rhinoplasty cast and stitches were taken off, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was painless. The head nurse did this for me and was so gentle. The stitches on my forehead were cut but not removed. I sat under the light laser for 15 minutes.

TUESDAY Nov 27, 10 days post-op

My forehead stitches and the ones on my back were removed - but not my nose packing or the stitches above my elbows. I was a little disappointed as I was told my rhinoplasty packing would come out today. I feel a little out of the loop on some aftercare things… originally I was told my forehead stitches would be removed day 5, but they weren’t. Then I was told they’d be removed day 7, and they weren’t (just cut). I was told I was going to get a facial today but I didn’t - because the area where the stitches were removed can’t get wet.

WEDNESDAY Nov 28, 11 days post-op

Last night Claire messaged me to split up the procedures I was going to get Thursday. Originally I was going to get a facial, de-swelling treatments, dermatology treatment (I have a milia under one eye), and chin filler all on the same day. Instead, I got a facial with some de-swelling treatment today, but I’ll get more de-swelling treatments and the rest tomorrow.

I appreciate that they’re taking their time with my aftercare. The Namu dermatology center is clean and calm, very professional. I put my bag away then laid in a heated bed. First they used a cream on my bruises and put me under a laser light, then I did a facial with scaling - scraping away dead skin cells. The woman who helped me also massaged my face / nose / neck to promote draining of swelling through lymph nodes. There was a mix between hot and cold… she used a hot compress and later cold strips of cloth that she left on my skin.

THURSDAY Nov 29, 12 days post-op

After rubbing some lotion (or something) on my face and doing a few extractions, I was taken to a separate room to see Dr. Beak. First he used a laser on my skin for sunspots and dark marks - it was the most painful thing thus far (including surgery!) - but still wasn’t HORRIBLE. It zapped a little part of my skin… it felt like a rubber band snapping on my face but also being hot. He then used the laser to open a milia I’ve had under my eye forever… this wasn’t painful, but it was super uncomfortable because it was right next to my eye.

He also did my chin filler. There wasn’t a consultation for it but I trusted him to do what suited my face and I’m super happy with the results. I ended up having to go back in a few hours later because I felt it looked lopsided, which I originally thought was because I wore my compression headband on my walk home (I wasn’t supposed to). He said it was because of the way a muscle in my chin “pulled” the filler - so they provided a botox injection for my chin and it looks a lot more even now.

After getting the chin filler, the female esthetician took me back into the other room and did extractions on my skin, used a hot compress then cold strips to soothe my skin.

FRIDAY Nov 30, 13 days post-op

My last day of aftercare! I texted Claire beforehand because I felt like I wanted to get lip fillers. My philtrum has always been long, and due to swelling from surgery and the upturned look of my nose now, it seemed more pronounced.

First the nurse took out my arm stitches, then my nose silicone padding and stitches. Out of everything, the final stitches hurt the most - and they didn't really hurt, just felt like she was tweezing my nose hairs. Dr. Kirk came in and checked my results again, and asked me if I had any questions.

Then we went downstairs to the dermatology floor and they numbed my lips then put me under a de-swelling laser for 20-30 minutes. I went to see Dr. Baek and he injected my top lip with filler, and botox around the sides of my mouth.

We went back upstairs and I sat under another de-swelling laser for 30 minutes while waiting for Dr. Joung to get out of surgery. He was nice and assured me that my tip and nose would begin dropping around month 3. Because of how thick my skin is and the bulbous tip he adjusted. They're hard right now and they need to soften and then begin to fall. I was hoping to ask him a few questions but he had to go, so I asked Claire instead.

I had asked earlier if I could re-straighten my hair at Namu because I got it cut yesterday (at The Days salon in Hongdae - ask for Dean! Only 25,000 wan! I love it) and the ends were beginning to flip out. So I went back to the dermatology level and straightened my hair before leaving.

OVERALL, I liked the aftercare provided by Namu. I felt the nurses and consultants were attentive, and Dr. Kirk checked in on my progress several times. I don't know if all clinics have a dermatology center, but I was glad I was able to get facials and skin treatments from Namu as well during my healing. There were a few times when I felt communication lapsed, but I think this would be true of any busy clinic.

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I got rhinoplasty at Namu. I had an okay height for bridge, but bulbous tip, wide alars, short nose. I'm about 12 days post op right now but I'm posting updates. The biggest thing I can say is: if you can go there without making a choice first, do it. Meet both clinics, talk to the doctors, find out if they've operated on noses like yours, get before and afters from them with examples.

 

Hi all! Thank you for your responses and kind words. I was going to update today with Namu's aftercare but it turns out I'll have 2 more days of aftercare (this Thursday/Friday) so I'll post a full list of all aftercare I received after that.

Something else I wanted to share regularly was "result updates" with my progress on swelling/healing. I've been taking notes of how I feel every day/every other day so maybe I'll share a big post with all of them for those who are interested, but right now I am 10 days post-op and got my rhinoplasty cast off 3 days ago. Some things I'm seeing/feeling:

• My nose has swelled since getting my cast off... which is normal according to the internet. The cast was holding my nose in place and when it was removed the skin beneath it swelled. It's now more bulbous than it was 3 days ago.
• My tip is extremely swollen (and has been since surgery) so it's "pulling up". You can kind of see it in the photo I posted a few days ago that my tip is upturned - it's not supposed to be like this and I'm pretty sure it's swelling from the short nose correction Dr. Joung did. Because of this, my nostrils show just as much as before and give me a pig nose. I think this is important to note: my nostrils showed from the front before. Now they're still showing, but with a mix of smaller alars and a swollen bulbous tip and bridge it makes it looks "off."
• I am extremely nervous. Claire has assured me that the swelling will go down and my nostrils will show less from the front and that this is all part of the process - and the funny thing is, I was mentally preparing myself for all these things! I told myself I wouldn't like it at first, that it takes time, that swelling will last for a year after because of the thick skin on my tip. I thought I was prepared - but there really is no way to prepare yourself when you're in the moment and start to panic that you're stuck with this nose or need a revision. It's terrifying. I'm making deals with God that if he pulls through and makes my nose look okay, I won't get any more plastic surgery. THATS how desperately I want this to work out.

I'm not ready to share a front photo until the swelling looks better (that way I can say "well it looked bad HERE but look at what happened 2 weeks later...") but here is a view of nostril projection:

*They said that as my tip gets less swollen, the nostrils will round out.

And then here's a picture of JUST my bridge/tip. Again, not ready to show a full view of my nose. This is just from day 7 (the day I got my nose cast off) to day 10 (today). I just want to show how much MORE swollen it became after taking the cast off, because I was not expecting this. I'm very worried for flying, as I heard that makes it swollen again.


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WHAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN / BROUGHT

1. Exchange money at the airport, or make plans to exchange money there (Myeongdong has the best exchange rate) BEFORE surgery.

After my surgeries I wasn’t able to leave my house for two days because of my forehead surgery so I was stranded with 10,000 baht (after spending 40,000 on a SIM card and 30,000 on antibiotics I had 10,000 left). Luckily one of my housemates let me drink her water then went out and bought me some, otherwise I would have had to venture out while TOTALLY out of it.

Speaking of…

2. The night you get there or the day/night before your surgery: stock up on food and drinks. Water, juice, pumpkin juice, honey, bread, etc. Also, the snacks I packed were ALL crunchy. Pretzels, banana chips, nuts. I’m not even sure what I could’ve packed that would be soft (since many things wouldn’t be allowed on an airplane) - maybe oatmeal packs, but that just goes to show you need to buy food before your surgery. I would have bought bread, applesauce, porridge, oatmeal…

3. Make sure your Airbnb/hotel has extra pillows to help prop you up. I tried to stay sitting up during the day and fell asleep sitting up a few times, but at night I need to lay down to sleep, so I had two fluffy pillows AND a neck pillow. Sidenote: definitely bring a neck pillow!

4. For rhinoplasties, mouth breathing for a full week is super harsh on your throat. By the second day after my surgery (Monday), I woke up in the middle of the night with a really bad sore throat. I would have brought a travel humidifier if I had known how bad it would be. Instead, I tried wrapping a hand towel around my lower face and tucked it under my head to ease breathing.

5. A button up comfortable shirt and a zip up hoodie. Dumb me, I bought a few crew neck sweatshirts, some large t-shirts, and one zip up winter jacket. To surgery I ended up wearing a very loose t-shirt with a big neckline and my winter jacket, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit a crew neck sweatshirt over my head. Definitely pack a button up shirt you can lounge in (one of my housemates brought satin button up pajamas that looked really comfortable) and zip up hoodies to not only be able to put them on easier, but wear a hood if you need one when you go out in public.

6. A scarf / hat / sunglasses to cover your face/head after surgery. We stayed in Gangnam but our area didn’t have a lot of people who had plastic surgery (that was more the Apgujeong area), so be prepared that people will stare or avoid staring at you. I couldn’t wear a hat or sunglasses because of my stitches / rhino but one of my housemates picked up a beanie her first day here.

7. These things can easily be purchased here but would have been easy to pick up at the dollar store before leaving:

-PooPouri (I actually did bring this and was glad I did)
-QTips
-Vaselina (I brought Blistex chapstick but my rhino gave me severe bruising inside my lips and Claire said to buy Vaseline to smear inside my mouth so my lips skin wouldn’t split… yikes!)
-Painkillers (one of my housemates looked up the pain meds given to her and it was like a 750mg Tylenol)
-Body/baby wipes and oil blotting papers for when you can’t shower

8. An inflatable butt pillow. With how much you have to lay down after surgery (and how hard the beds are here), your tush will be in pain. I would end up sitting at the hard bar stools in our kitchen to get a break from laying in bed.

9. A wall adaptor. The outlets here have 2 circular prongs - I brought one, but luckily our Airbnb provided a box of extras!

10. Reusable bag. The plastic bags here are flimsy so it’ll be better for your arms and the environment if you bring a sturdy grocery bag, especially for lugging big bottles of water.