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My Non-Incisional DES Experience - Shinseung


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Hello!

A month ago I had non-incisional DES at Shinseung, my first experience with plastic surgery. Naturally, I was concerned about the process and getting the results I was looking for especially since it was my first time in Korea and I hadn't done anything like this before. Overall the entire experience exceeded my expectations and I'm glad I went with this clinic. I wanted to share my entire experience from the beginning on the off chance it helps someone interested in getting DES as well.

Reason for DES
I've always had a love/hate relationship with my eyes. I liked the natural size and shape of them but my tapered small double eyelids had excess skin that would cover the crease and eye. As most Asians experience, my crease height would change randomly every morning. The majority of the time my left eye crease was smaller than the right:
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The drooping eyelids made me look displeased unless I lifted my eyebrows to lift the skin in order to look friendlier and more approachable:
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At my consultation with Elizabeth at MVP, she told me she noticed that I do that and that could've been the cause of my frequent headaches. Seems like she was right because I haven't had a headache since the surgery.
It was also annoying to see my make up being covered or distorted especially when I smiled:
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I had tried to wear eyelid glue and tape in the past but it wouldn't hold up all day, felt uncomfortable, looked unnatural close up, and stretched the skin and caused more droopiness. Although I liked my old eyes, I felt more confident with the appearance eyelid tape gave me which is why I decided I'd have double eyelid surgery someday.

Research and preparation
This was going to be my first experience with plastic surgery and wanted it to be hopefully my last which is why I tried to do plenty of research prior to this vacation. To find a clinic, I checked blogs, videos, and this forum which was most helpful. Obviously everything on the internet has to be taken with a grain of salt but this forum was a great tool to weed out the sketchy clinics. I decided to consult with only 3 clinics since this is a fairly easy procedure and the doctors are skilled. I wanted to have an idea of what I wanted rather than just relying on the doctor's recommendations. I decided with non-incisonal method as this is my first time and in case it looked bad it's reversible. Although I wanted guaranteed permanent results, my mom who has had her non-incisional eyelids for over 20 years felt confident I should go that route as well and that I could always get incisional later in life. On a notepad I prepared a list of the clinics' addresses, appointment times, questions to cover during the consultation, and a description of the eyes I wanted (medium/high crease, natural (not bulging/surprised/sausage-like), almond shape/not too round, parallel (can taper more in inner corners).

Consultations
I consulted with the following 3 in this order:
1) Dream (Dr. Park) - My Korean friend's recommendation. Apparently highly rated on Korean forums.
2) MVP (Dr. Seo) - Highly recommended on this forum for natural looking DES.
3) Shinseung (Dr. Shin) - Highly recommended on this forum for epi reversal. My reason for this choice was if he's good performing more intricate procedures, he must be way more than qualified to do a basic procedure.

Dream and MVP (Ellen) first consulted with me via KakaoTalk by looking at my photos. Dream suggested non-incisional with ptosis correction and quoted me a price way higher than when I was actually at their clinic. Ellen right off the bat said I look sweet and shouldn't be having any operations and then quoted me for incisional method. I asked about non-incisional pricing and other concerns which she did not reply to. She later replied to confirm the consultation date but when I came to the appointment, she didn't actually schedule me in because I didn't reply to her after she had already confirmed. I rebooked for 2 days later, prior to the consultation at Shinseung. I don't want to blame Ellen because English isn't her primary language and the communication barrier can be difficult. Just wanted to say it's important to try to communicate clearly to avoid misunderstandings. This fumble didn't impact my decision making either.

Here's what went down at each clinic:
1) Dream - first consulted with a Korean speaking lady and translator who explained the procedure and poked my eyelids. She said ptosis correction is no longer recommended because I have strong eye muscles however medial epicanthoplasty is recommended because my eyes are far apart (I disagree and think it would look weird on me). Next I saw Dr. Park who poked my eyelids again then emphasized medial epi is necessary if I want long term parallel eyelid results due to my eyes being tapered and having a sharp curve into the inner corners. It would lessen the curvature and alleviate the pressure on the sutures. Regardless, I passed on the epi since I like my inner eye shape the way it is. Afterwards I consulted with the Korean speaking lady and translator again to set a surgery date and get a price quotation. They also quoted for possible revisional DES surgeries in the chance that it fails in the next 10 years. I had to pay a deposit fee (which was given back to me after I punctually cancelled the appointment after deciding on Shinseung). The waiting time in between the consultations was long; this clinic seemed busiest of the 3.

2) MVP - the 2nd time I came here for my rescheduled appointment, I was seen almost immediately. I consulted with Elizabeth who was extremely kind, understanding, and compassionate. She shared her own personal experiences and gave honest recommendations. Dr. Seo poked and measured my eyelids briefly. We agreed to a 9mm crease height but he recommended a smaller crease for lasting non-incisional results, then left. I continued to speak with Elizabeth for ~40 minutes and she never rushed me to leave. The price quotation was about the same as Dream (and Shinseung) and the surgery package included a free IV vitamin drip and daily laser therapy (I was staying 1.5 hours from Gangnam so this wasn't selling me). When the subject of my uneven eyes came up, she went back to speak with the doctor and returned to say he recommends ptosis correction which contradicted Dr. Park's recommendation and my own since I believed the differing amount of excess skin on each eye caused the uneven droopiness. Then Elizabeth said it may help prevent me from overly using my eyebrow muscles and reduce my headaches. At this point I became very uncertain of what I should do. Alleviating headaches was important to me but I wasn't sold on the fact that ptosis correction would do that and it could be a waste of money. I also worried that Dr. Seo would make my eyes so natural that I would barely see a noticeable difference, something I've seen in pictures on this forum. On the otherhand, there's comfort in knowing he wouldn't do a botched job. MVP also takes a deposit for setting a surgery date. Since it wasn't so busy in the next couple days, Elizabath kindly let me know I could just contact her later that night if I decide to book with them.

3) Shinseung - honestly I was sufficiently swayed by the last 2 clinics and the fact that this clinic may not even be English speaking made me feel indifferent as I waited for the appointment. This clinic is modest in comparison to the last 2. None of the staff are fluent English speakers aside from Dr. Shin, however they were all extremely nice and accommodating and nonetheless I could still communicate with them. I thought my decision was going to be difficult after visiting MVP but after consulting with Dr. Shin, I decided immediately he was the surgeon I wanted. He was not just charismatic and good humored, he also addressed my concerns from the previous consultations with certainty and his recommendations equated with mine. He agreed medial epi wouldn't be a suitable look for me and ptosis correction is unnecessary. He said my ptosis is mild and would be corrected when the droopy skin is lifted from the DES, as I suspected. I was still concerned about the longevity of the sutures without epi as Dr. Park recommended, but he seemed confident in his skills, and my gut feeling trusted him. I made the appointment for the following day and paid a 10% deposit fee. The receptionist iterated fasting was unnecessary.

[continued below]
 
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Surgery
Prior to the actual surgery, I was told to sign forms and read post-op instructions. Pre-op pictures were taken. Dr. Shin saw me at his office where he answered further questions and determined the final shape/size (10mm) of my eyelid. I washed my face and soon after was led into the surgery room. There were multiple nurses already there. This is when I started to feel really nervous because I realized I had never been on an operating table before LOL. The heated table and blankets were comforting at least. While lying down I conveniently didn't see the IV needle going into my arm from that angle. It wasn't painful as the nurse got it in the first try. I assume they withdrew blood from me because I was told earlier they would need to test for infectious diseases. Soon after, Dr. Shin came in and drew the outline on my eyelids. I didn't get to see what it looked like and next I was told I would feel sleepy. The IV sedation was administered. I've been under general anesthesia before where you're unconscious but this was my first time under conscious sedation. I felt warm, had happy thoughts, and saw pretty colors; it was great hehe. It didn't last long (maybe 5-10 minutes? my perception could've been skewed) and I was back to being awake for the actual surgery. I didn't see the local anesthetic needle so I guess they used that when I was sedated (thank god, I'm not afraid of needles but needles around the eyes is scary stuff). I could feel Dr. Shin pulling and tugging on my eyelids with zero pain. And then it was done! He asked me to open my eyes to see the final result but they were very swollen and the local anesthetic made it impossible to. Everyone who looked at me had an apprehensive "you look like ****" look on their face. I was offered a painkiller injection but I wasn't in any pain so I declined. I was taken to a private room where I was asked to put an ice pack on my eyes. 10-15 min later I was brought back to the reception area where they scheduled to see me a week later just to check up on the results. I was given a goody bag with 2 gel ice/heat packs, antibiotic ointment to use for 7 days, gauze for bleeding (I didn't have any bleeding), and Tylenol to take 3x a day for 3 days. I was in the operating room for around 40 minutes and a total of 2 hours at the clinic.

Recovery
Before the surgery, I prepared by cleaning the Airbnb entirely, washing my hair, and bringing out the micellar water and dry shampoo because I wanted to avoid irritating my eyes as much as possible post surgery. I did not prepare a special diet because the salty Korean food is too delicious to avoid (but it is recommended). Post-op, I began to feel 2-3 level pain on the taxi ride home. The first 4 days, my eyes felt extremely dry and blurry. It was uncomfortable walking outside in the chance I bump into things or trip. I highly recommend not driving or working the first few days. Other than that, the healing process was a lot easier than I expected. I would rate the pain as a 2 for the first week and 0-1 for subsequent weeks. Icing helped a lot by numbing the eyes entirely. The receptionist highly emphasized to practice angling my chin down into my neck and looking up as much as possible to shape my eyelid as it heals. Post-op instructions recommended keeping the eyes from contacting water for 2 days, soap for 1 week, eye make up for 2 weeks and that it's better to avoid those things as long as possible. Being the narc that I am, I avoided contact with water for 1.5 weeks, eye make up for 3 weeks, and soap washing for 3 weeks to wash the eye make up off. I would recommend avoiding eye make up as much as possible. Although it doesn't irritate the surgical site, it creates unnecessary tugging when you try to remove it. Other instructions are common sense like don't rub your eyes, don't make too many facial expressions, avoid crying, don't use retinol cream on your eyelids, etc.

On the follow up appointment, Dr. Shin seemed very content with the outcome and there were no complications. He said it takes 5-6 months to heal completely and from 1-4 months I should have 20% swelling left. I asked him about the duration of the DES and what suturing method was used (I probably should've asked prior to the surgery but I was persuaded enough LOL). In an assured matter he replied it could last forever and he used a double buried suture method with 6 points. He added that although 6 points isn't as strong as 3 points, it gives a more natural appearance. Afterwards, the receptionist offered complementary 30 minute laser treatment to accelerate healing (debatable if it actually works but it's a perk).

Post-op photos
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Afterthoughts
Although I can't speak on the longevity of my new eyelids, they turned out better than I expected. I believe the longevity is determined by the skill of the doctor and how well you take care of your eyes. Non-incisional DES durability is a fickle topic but I'm giving Dr. Shin the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn't perform this procedure unless the results are long lasting. My eyelids healed quickly and the results are even and natural. I had realistic expectations and did not expect them to be this proportional. If you're planning on consulting for DES, I recommend putting Dr. Shin at Shinseung on that list. :biggrin:
 
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I agree that medial epi is not necessary.
However, ptosis correction would depend on the cause. If the cause of the ptosis is due to the weakening of the elevator muscles, then in time to come, your eyelids will droop due to further weakening of the elevator muscles.

That being said, your double eyelids surgery turned out really good.
 
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I can attest to OP's recommendation of Shinseung. I booked a consultation with them in early Jan, and when I did the online consultation, their clinic was the only one that connected me directly to Dr. Shin. I feel like they really care about their patients and doesn't try to make you pay extra by saying you need epi etc. I am most likely going to get my DES at shinseung.
 
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I too just visited Shinseung... for DES and to correct my Pytosis. I must say that this is a very professional clinic with great staff that delivers an exceptional service. I consulted with Dr Shin and his insights, observations and recommendations were very thorough. An aspect of his service that gave me great comfort. Honestly, the end to end experience has been a great one. Hassle-free with TOP quality execution.

This experience says a lot about the confidence of Dr Shin’s expertise... which made me feel more confident as well.
 
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  • 1 month later...
Hi LilyWind, may I know what surgery did you consult at Shinseung and have you done the surgery?
 
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Hey there! Thanks so much for posting this lengthy review. I’m currently speaking with Dream and Cinderella (MVP isn’t returning my Kakao messages). They’re both quoting me at 1.8 million KRW for non-incisional DES. Do you think this is a reasonable price? I’m a bit confused because I’ve seen people post on forums that quote a price that’s much much lower.
 
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If you had ptosis correction AND DES now, would that mean your eyes would theoretically last longer since genetics of ptosis/weak eye muscle were “fixed”?
 
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How did they connect you directly to Dr Shin? I tried messaging them on kakao, and english is obviously not their first language. They replied really slow with only 1 sentence and didnt answer any of my questions. I had crossed them off my list but am now considering them again because of the good reviews I am seeing on Dr Shin. Thanks!
 
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They will most likely lower the price a bit in f2f consultation. Both those clinics are relatively bigger than other clinics though, so they will obviously have a higher price, especially for foreigners. 1.8m won is above average for non inc des but you could probably negotiate a better price in real life consult
 
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Awesome! Thanks so much. I'm looking at Dream and Cinderella because they were the ones that popped up so often in my search for clinics. Are there any smaller ones that you might suggest? I was also looking into MINE clinic, but I'm unsure of their reputation.
 
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  • 8 months later...
Have shinseung replied you in the end?
I am considering shinseung, ive, mvp and dream
 
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  • 4 weeks later...
Hello, I know this is a very late reply to your post, but I was wondering how you went with negotiating the price in the f2f consultation. I've been quoted the same and I'm terrible at bargaining so any tips on how to haggle would be very much appreciated :smile:
 
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