Asian Nose Job 3

[noitsyou]

wishingstar said: ↑

I'm in the same boat as you, kkim! I'd like to stick to autologous materials for my bridge, but rib would be too high (and too invasive) for me.

I'm considering diced cartilage, dermis graft (or auto dermis?), and possibly even ear cartilage for the bridge.

Let's keep each other posted on how research goes!

Click to expand...

Diced cartilage wrapped in fascia? I don't think you'll be able to get the exact shape you want. Since it doesn't give the same degree in control as carving cartilage or silicone. However, no risk of warping/little to no absorption makes it more attractive than rib.

It kind of reminds me of getting injectable fillers where the doctor pinches your bridge a lot to mold it haha.

 

[meimei5105]

bleuya said: ↑

I've been kind of lurking for a while and wanted to kind of share my experience so far to give back to this community and anyone who is thinking about getting a nose job!

I live in NYC and thought about getting my primary rhinoplasty in Korea or Taiwan, but ultimately because of post-care, I decided to stay within the states. Price wasn't an issue for me, and I was looking for a raised bridge, a more defined tip and less nostril flare. These are the plastic surgeons I saw, and my experiences with them...

A little info about me: Female in early 30s, low asian nose bridge with slightly flat and bulbous tip seeking primary rhinoplasty. It's OK, not terrible. My alars are slightly flared and I am also considering alarplasty but from consults so far, it seems my nose flare will be reduced once an implant is in. (Anyone able to confirm this???)

Edmund Kwan
The consultation with him was short and my very first. About less than 10 mins, and all the reviews are right--he is curt. I spent most of the time talking to his office manager. I wasn't able to see any of his other work beyond the ones on his website, and those nose jobs were the ones that lured me in to go see him. But with all his horror stories, none of it has anything bad to say about his rhinoplasties. Second consultations with him are $250 and it goes toward the surgery.
His recommendation: Open rhino, 3mm silastic (pretty sure it's just silicone) bridge, and septal cartilage for nose tip
Price: $5000
Conclusion: Originally I was considering a 2nd consult since I really liked his B&A pics and he didn't have to open a hole in my ear for my tip. For me, a doctor doesn't have to have great bedside manner--he just needs to have skill... and he better listens to what I want. But ultimately I didn't like his slimey office manager and spoke to someone online who had their eyes done with him, gave him positive reviews. But she said she didn't feel comfortable with him, and he didn't explain all the risks. In hindsight, she would have picked another doctor. That sealed it for me--Dr. Kwan was out of the running.

John Kang
His office manager says he's well booked, and Dr. Kang seems to be a nice person. However he kept talking about how I should be asking about his aesthetics rather than the practical questions (like what material he would be using), and he wasn't able to tell, draw, clarify, or use hand signals to tell me what my surgery post-op would most closely resemble. His nose jobs seem very conservative from his portfolio, and he's all about natural. He did state something interesting and I'm not sure if it's true... according to Dr. Kang, cartilage harvested from the ear has a natural curve, which makes it ideal for a slightly upturned nose tip. He also put a pen in my nose (INSIDE A NOSTRIL!!!) and then started using the pen on a girlfriend who came along with me on the consult. He did, however, have a very opulent office.
His recommendation: Closed rhino, 3mm (maybe, if it had to be quantified by him) silicone bridge, ear cartilage for tip and make my nose 10% bigger to proportion out my cheekbones.
Price: $4000+ and negotiable according to his office manager. He recommended no alarplasty because he felt the skin from the sides would be pulled up by the tiplasty.
Conclusion: I think his work is conservative and he only has an office in Flushing. I do have pretty high cheekbones ^^;; but I definitely don't want my nose bigger--maybe he used the wrong choice of words vs higher. I imagine anyone who was really successful and great at what they did would have an office in Manhattan too. (I'm not trying to be elitist here--I used to live in Flushing!)

Eric Choe (Chae-In)
He's an amazing consultant. He's incredibly patient in a sea of quantity over quality doctors and my consult with him lasted over 30 mins. Dr. Choe explained and went into depth about the procedures, and also stopped me at the very end before I ended the meeting to tell me about the risks of surgery--the only doctor to do so. His office manager runs a tight ship and he only does surgery two days out of the week (which slightly worries me). In addition, Dr. Choe has a ton of good reviews online for his eyelid surgeries but none on nose jobs. I have to be honest, I didn't love his portfolio... but his staff assured me the best ones weren't in there because of privacy reasons, which I believe.
His recommendation: Open rhino, 3-4mm (if he had to give a number) silicone bridge, and mentioned I would be a candidate for alarplasty when I mentioned it.
Price: $5300 and $500 non-refundable deposit for surgery date
Conclusion: I really, really liked him and he was completely booked for the next 2 months when I initially consulted with him. He also mentioned he would refuse to operate on my eyes if I asked him to, he thought they were perfect.

Steve Lee
He shares his office in Flushing and doesn't have an office manager, just a receptionist which is a little surprising. The pictures he showed me were also of someone who was black--not asian. Dr. Lee spent his time consulting with me, and showed me something interesting. He uses these BLUE pre-molded silicone implants, while most of the other surgeons I consulted would carve or customize one on the spot.
His recommendation: Open rhino, 3mm BLUE! pre-molded silicone bridge, ear cartiledge for tiplasty, and optional alarplasty.
Price: $9,750
Conclusion: He was the MOST expensive out of the bunch, and split all the aspects of a rhinoplasty into extra prices. I kind of think a rhinoplasty should include a bridge, tiplasty and alarplasty--it's not like cutting the side of your nose is that much more of an extra step... I think he charged $2,000 extra for an alarplasty. I also know ethnic noses share certain attributes, but I would feel more comfortable with a plastic surgeon who was more familiar with asians.

Shinji Lee
Gorgeous office and Dr. Lee performs surgery with her husband, who is white. I guess she takes care of the asian patients while her husband takes care of the white ones, but it did seem kind of nice to have two doctors' perspective at the same time. While waiting for my consult with Dr. Shinji Lee, I actually met another girl who had rhinoplasty done with her. She was Chinese, and it was a week post-op. I got a look at when the cast got taken off, and her nose looked pretty--even though it was still pretty swollen. Altho I have no idea what her nose looked like previous to that. Dr. Lee was honest and while wasn't the most friendly but I liked her. She shared some interesting info about Goretex having a higher infection rate than silicone for future injectables. However, she didn't have a B&A portfolio at all and wasn't very specific the procedure.
Recommendation: Open rhino, no height info given silicone bridge, ear cartilage for tiplasty and she said NO to alarplasty
Price: $5,000
Conclusion: Apparently she's really well known in the korean community (according to korean friends & moms), and I've been told she does terrible work. (I didn't know this before the consult.) Korean-friend says Dr. Lee has ruined her rep in the korean community and is now heavily advertising to chinese people. Her own eyes and her office manager's bad eyelid surgery did nothing to convince me otherwise... sorry, sounds judge-y but true. Her office manager did love me and offered me a discount. I thought about going with Dr. Lee since I was able to see her work in person, but the Chinese girl never got back to me for a coffee date to show me her non-swollen results.

FINALLY...

After all these consults, some time had passed and I decided to wait and go with Dr. Eric Choe since I felt more comfortable with his post-op care. It also was nice that he listened since many doctors don't--I've had terrible medical experiences before with doctors who refuse to listen. I still have a few concerns since I don't know anyone who's had rhinoplasty with him, but I'm hoping for positive results.

I'm booked to do my rhinoplasty with him within the next month and I hope this post has helped anyone who is looking to do their rhinoplasty within the United States.

I hope to share the experiences of my results post-op in the near future too--wish me luck!

Click to expand...

thanks for sharing. i know it's been a while but see if you're still active on pf and care to share the result.

ps - I too consulted with Kwan and didn't like it.

 

[strawberrymint8]

Can someone give me the insight on which one is better -- using ear cartilage for the tip or septum? whats the pro and cons of each method? i've heard that using septum it'll weaken the nose structure? is it true?

 

[moreen]

strawberrymint8 said: ↑

Can someone give me the insight on which one is better -- using ear cartilage for the tip or septum? whats the pro and cons of each method? i've heard that using septum it'll weaken the nose structure? is it true?

Click to expand...

no lah where got will weaken....i think same as cartilage. My doctor tell me septum cartilage is abit like apendix, don't have any purpose being inside nose.

 

[wishingstar]

strawberrymint8 said: ↑

Can someone give me the insight on which one is better -- using ear cartilage for the tip or septum? whats the pro and cons of each method? i've heard that using septum it'll weaken the nose structure? is it true?

Click to expand...

I THINK ear cartilage gives you more tip augmentation than septal (but has the downside of another wound vs septal which is harvested from the nose).

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, though, and hope this helps

 

[kkim120]

wishingstar said: ↑

I'm in the same boat as you, kkim! I'd like to stick to autologous materials for my bridge, but rib would be too high (and too invasive) for me.

I'm considering diced cartilage, dermis graft (or auto dermis?), and possibly even ear cartilage for the bridge.

Let's keep each other posted on how research goes!

Click to expand...

I think auto dermis would be wayyy too expensive for me. The consultants I've been emailing keep suggesting silicone, that it's a safer procedure... But in the long run, it'll probably require a revision!

Have you received a quote for auto dermis?

And when will you be going to Korea? Come with me in Decemberrrrrr!!!

 

[wishingstar]

Oooh I didn't realize auto dermis is expensive! How much did you get quoted for it?

I'll keep you posted on what I get quoted! I'm in Korea already and am doing consultations this week...will ket ya know how they go.

 

[ddalgi]

Hey ladies/guys-

I've been on a huge "tour" like a mad woman with the most popular Asian nose surgeons in the States.

I figured I'd give a few a try before going over seas (although, I was totally biased about it because I formed an opinion already that Korea had the best surgeons for noses...).

I went to Dr. Charles Lee and had a consultation with him. I was promptly greeted by the girls up front and had no wait time, even though his office had a few ladies there- so, it was good to know that they do honor their appointment times.

Dr. Lee was very welcoming and warm. He gave a small intro about his background and what/how he practices at his office, which was reassuring for me. I hate it when surgeons are cut and dry. Anyhow, he asked me about myself- what I do, my hobbies, how I was enjoying Cali.- the typical stuff. After, we then discussed what I was aiming for on my nose. I told him I wanted tip refinement and bridge augmentation but, not too much where it looked like a pitched tent. He touched my nose and mapped out my face and agreed to the points I wanted to correct. I liked how he took the time to observe and actually feel my nose before making any points of it. He said I wouldn't need much of a bridge augmentation since I had an already "good bridge" and nose shape so, I felt a bit better about that.

The whole consultation lasted for a little over an hour. I didn't realize how time just flew by but I felt confident that Dr. Lee understood my concerns and would address them.

Also, I've had a few friends who have gotten their noses and alar done by him- all the ones who had alar done with Dr. Lee loved it and the ones that had their noses done only 2 weren't as happy but, it was more of a psychological thing for them.

I think with Dr. Lee; if you want that aggressive "white person nose" you should express it but, also be realistic. If you were born with a very flat nose- sorry but, you're never going to get a high, pointed nose- and I think the ones that weren't happy fully was because of this.

With that said, I do feel Dr. Lee does phenomenal work on those that need change but, not to the point where it changes your entire nose like Dr. Wang in Dalian.

As far as pricing goes, it's about average so, I'm pleased with that.

Overall, I give Dr. Lee and his staff 4 stars. I can't give him 5 because grabbing a surgery date would have taken a couple months in advance; luckily, I'm just shopping around for now.


My next stop was in NYC with Dr. Edmund Kwan.
Right off the bat, I had good vibes from his office. The front desk was very nice, accommodating and extremely professional.

I had zero wait time and a few ladies were already waiting before I arrived . I had come in a bit early but, I was called in anyways so, I was happy about that. Definitely book an appointment so you dont have to wait like the others.

Dr. Kwan was very welcoming and was down to earth. He even complimented me! Such a charming man. We shared a few words about eachother and then started the consult. He was very detailed oriented by measuring my entire face in per portion to my nose and felt around my bridge, tip and even inspected my alar/nostrils (which felt really awkward and weird...like having someone pick your nose...). He then asked me what I wanted to correct and achieve. He agreed but said he would prefer me not to get alar reduction because they were already fit for my face and that fixing the tip will "make it look perportionate" to my face. He pulled my tip up a little with this metal instrument thing and I was wowed by how much of a difference it made and loved the way it looked.

I asked Dr. Kwan about paranasal and maxilla implants and he gave me a 50/50 answer on it but I felt that he wasnt fully for these implants- especially the maxilla. To sum it up, he stated that the majority of people that get it done will want to remove it in under a year because it messes up your smile, it's painful, throws off the balance of the face or all the above.

I felt that Dr. Kwan was way more knowledgeable than Dr. Lee and I liked how he was hands one in visually showing me instead of just talking about it.

As far as price goes, he is expensive but, I can see why. I viewed more B&As and all the noses looked natural with subtle changes- which I can appreciate since I don't want a dramatic change.

I think I spent almost 2 hours with him. Again, time just zipped by.

Overall, I give Dr. Kwan and his staff 4.5 stars. Again, getting a date for surgery seems pretty hard.


Other places I won't go into much detail. They were just okay. Some, I liked the B&As on their sites but they couldn't produce more at the office which turned me off a bit. I'm a stickler for B&As and it is a deciding factor. I like to guage what the surgeon is capable of and see the type of style they're into. Anyhow, for me- I wouldn't go with a surgeon that has less than 5 B&As of their "best work"... It's very misleading.

In the end, I went to many places in Cali... NY... and the only mentionable ones were Dr. Lee and Dr. Kwan.

I do notice that the ones in the States tend to only fashion for those who already had good noses to work with. The type they like to make is a natural look as well. Although I do want a natural nose, I still want that "hallyu flare" to it- you know, the pretty ones that are a bit upturned and small... and the ones in the States aren't cutting it.

I've booked a flight to Seoul in early October so, Im very excited about that!

I'll be going to:

Dream
TLPS
ITEM
REGEN
Chungdam U
O&Young
Grand
A One


While I'm there I'll be more than happy to try and grab some consults. to your clinics that you have in mind so, you can shoot me a pm with the questions you want me to ask and I'll try to squeeze them in while I'm there. I'll only be in the Seoul area so, try to limit it to just this area.

Also, my friend just got back from Japan with Verite and it's only been 3 weeks since her nose job, eyes, forehead and chin there but, she already looks gorgeous! My cousin wanted to do it here but didn't because it was too pricey... and from what I've researched too, they are very pricey.

Will be back to update soon!
If you have any questions, hit the pm~

 

[susaki]

ddalgi said: ↑

Hey ladies/guys-

I've been on a huge "tour" like a mad woman with the most popular Asian nose surgeons in the States.

I figured I'd give a few a try before going over seas (although, I was totally biased about it because I formed an opinion already that Korea had the best surgeons for noses...).

I went to Dr. Charles Lee and had a consultation with him. I was promptly greeted by the girls up front and had no wait time, even though his office had a few ladies there- so, it was good to know that they do honor their appointment times.

Dr. Lee was very welcoming and warm. He gave a small intro about his background and what/how he practices at his office, which was reassuring for me. I hate it when surgeons are cut and dry. Anyhow, he asked me about myself- what I do, my hobbies, how I was enjoying Cali.- the typical stuff. After, we then discussed what I was aiming for on my nose. I told him I wanted tip refinement and bridge augmentation but, not too much where it looked like a pitched tent. He touched my nose and mapped out my face and agreed to the points I wanted to correct. I liked how he took the time to observe and actually feel my nose before making any points of it. He said I wouldn't need much of a bridge augmentation since I had an already "good bridge" and nose shape so, I felt a bit better about that.

The whole consultation lasted for a little over an hour. I didn't realize how time just flew by but I felt confident that Dr. Lee understood my concerns and would address them.

Also, I've had a few friends who have gotten their noses and alar done by him- all the ones who had alar done with Dr. Lee loved it and the ones that had their noses done only 2 weren't as happy but, it was more of a psychological thing for them.

I think with Dr. Lee; if you want that aggressive "white person nose" you should express it but, also be realistic. If you were born with a very flat nose- sorry but, you're never going to get a high, pointed nose- and I think the ones that weren't happy fully was because of this.

With that said, I do feel Dr. Lee does phenomenal work on those that need change but, not to the point where it changes your entire nose like Dr. Wang in Dalian.

As far as pricing goes, it's about average so, I'm pleased with that.

Overall, I give Dr. Lee and his staff 4 stars. I can't give him 5 because grabbing a surgery date would have taken a couple months in advance; luckily, I'm just shopping around for now.


My next stop was in NYC with Dr. Edmund Kwan.
Right off the bat, I had good vibes from his office. The front desk was very nice, accommodating and extremely professional.

I had zero wait time and a few ladies were already waiting before I arrived . I had come in a bit early but, I was called in anyways so, I was happy about that. Definitely book an appointment so you dont have to wait like the others.

Dr. Kwan was very welcoming and was down to earth. He even complimented me! Such a charming man. We shared a few words about eachother and then started the consult. He was very detailed oriented by measuring my entire face in per portion to my nose and felt around my bridge, tip and even inspected my alar/nostrils (which felt really awkward and weird...like having someone pick your nose...). He then asked me what I wanted to correct and achieve. He agreed but said he would prefer me not to get alar reduction because they were already fit for my face and that fixing the tip will "make it look perportionate" to my face. He pulled my tip up a little with this metal instrument thing and I was wowed by how much of a difference it made and loved the way it looked.

I asked Dr. Kwan about paranasal and maxilla implants and he gave me a 50/50 answer on it but I felt that he wasnt fully for these implants- especially the maxilla. To sum it up, he stated that the majority of people that get it done will want to remove it in under a year because it messes up your smile, it's painful, throws off the balance of the face or all the above.

I felt that Dr. Kwan was way more knowledgeable than Dr. Lee and I liked how he was hands one in visually showing me instead of just talking about it.

As far as price goes, he is expensive but, I can see why. I viewed more B&As and all the noses looked natural with subtle changes- which I can appreciate since I don't want a dramatic change.

I think I spent almost 2 hours with him. Again, time just zipped by.

Overall, I give Dr. Kwan and his staff 4.5 stars. Again, getting a date for surgery seems pretty hard.


Other places I won't go into much detail. They were just okay. Some, I liked the B&As on their sites but they couldn't produce more at the office which turned me off a bit. I'm a stickler for B&As and it is a deciding factor. I like to guage what the surgeon is capable of and see the type of style they're into. Anyhow, for me- I wouldn't go with a surgeon that has less than 5 B&As of their "best work"... It's very misleading.

In the end, I went to many places in Cali... NY... and the only mentionable ones were Dr. Lee and Dr. Kwan.

I do notice that the ones in the States tend to only fashion for those who already had good noses to work with. The type they like to make is a natural look as well. Although I do want a natural nose, I still want that "hallyu flare" to it- you know, the pretty ones that are a bit upturned and small... and the ones in the States aren't cutting it.

I've booked a flight to Seoul in early October so, Im very excited about that!

I'll be going to:

Dream
TLPS
ITEM
REGEN
Chungdam U
O&Young
Grand
A One


While I'm there I'll be more than happy to try and grab some consults. to your clinics that you have in mind so, you can shoot me a pm with the questions you want me to ask and I'll try to squeeze them in while I'm there. I'll only be in the Seoul area so, try to limit it to just this area.

Also, my friend just got back from Japan with Verite and it's only been 3 weeks since her nose job, eyes, forehead and chin there but, she already looks gorgeous! My cousin wanted to do it here but didn't because it was too pricey... and from what I've researched too, they are very pricey.

Will be back to update soon!
If you have any questions, hit the pm~

Click to expand...

Thanks for your detailed review, please do update us your trip in oct!!! I am planning to do my nose in the end of Oct

 

[wishingstar]

Hi all! I had a consultation with Dr Park at Dream this week regarding rhinoplasty, and he actually suggested filling the bridge with diced cartilage mixed with fat - which would then be injected into the bridge. He didn't mention wrapping it in fascia... I specifically remember he said the cartilage/fat mix would be injected. He recommended this method after I mentioned I had some hesitations about using silicone and said around 70% of the volume should stay.

Has anyone ever heard of this method / ever done this before?

Curious as to all of your thoughts on this proposed method for bridge augmentation!

 

[meimei5105]

Susaki said: ↑

Thanks for your detailed review, please do update us your trip in oct!!! I am planning to do my nose in the end of Oct

Click to expand...

yeah best of luck ddalgi.

Susaki, am going on Oct. 25 tentatively. if you wish to buddy up, kakao me at kz168a

 

[height]

Hi curiious
I just curious which ps clinic did u choose for your bulbous nose without any implants? I have a similar nose like yours and also an existing silicone implant which i practically hate for it has gone crooked. I will be delightful to hear about your final results if u still receive email notice from here. Thanks in advance!

 

[height]

Anyone's going on 18 Oct for rhinoplasty ? Pls pm me at [email protected]
I'm from singapore btw.

 

[noitsyou]

wishingstar said: ↑

Hi all! I had a consultation with Dr Park at Dream this week regarding rhinoplasty, and he actually suggested filling the bridge with diced cartilage mixed with fat - which would then be injected into the bridge. He didn't mention wrapping it in fascia... I specifically remember he said the cartilage/fat mix would be injected. He recommended this method after I mentioned I had some hesitations about using silicone and said around 70% of the volume should stay.

Has anyone ever heard of this method / ever done this before?

Curious as to all of your thoughts on this proposed method for bridge augmentation!

Click to expand...

Whereabouts in the bridge is he injecting? Fat grafts are injected into subcutaneous layer of fat on your nose. Which is really thin so it's very hard to inject it there. There might be complications if the surgeon misses that layer and injects it somewhere else.

Otherwise, it seems like a method that I would personally go for. Having fillers injected into the bridge is not that painful. My doctor just put alcohol on my nose and went for it.

 

[jlalala]

For anyone who's had both done, how long do you think you have to wait after having a full face fat graft before getting your nose done? I'm stuck because I kinda wanna go to a different clinic for each...