Primary Upper & Lower Eyelids and Rhinoplasty-- JK, Dream, April 31

[ulzzang-quest]

Hi TPFer's! It's been a while, but I'm back (on here lol)! I went to Korea in April this year for my first PS for upper/lower eyelids (blepharoplasty) and Asian rhinoplasty (bridge augmentation and tip projection). I’m now almost 5 months post op, and want to share my experiences here before I forget the details, and esp. since others' stories/info. have helped shape my own journey… A special shout out to K Couture for single handedly giving me enough technical knowledge, practical advice, confidence and support throughout this journey! Thank you so much girl, you ROCK!

So I planned my solo trip for 12 total days, and stayed by myself at an Airbnb studio in Apujeong for 11 nights. I’ve never visited the country, I don’t speak the language, I’m going alone, and getting PS… It was very exciting yet also very nerve wracking! I arrived on a Thursday afternoon, settled in to the apt., and walked around a few blocks to get a sense of direction. It is so safe, there are cameras on the streets everywhere, and everyone is all cool, calm, quiet and keeping to themselves. NYC seems like a zoo compared to there!

Friday, I had consultations with Dream Medical Group, JK Plastic Surgery, and April 31. I also had an appt. with The Line PS, but b/c of how the timing worked out, I ended up skipping them (which works for me, b/c personally I wrote them off already b/c of their marketing tactics). After the consultations, at the end of the day, I made the decision to go with April 31, and put down a deposit to confirm/schedule the surgery for that Monday. My original plan / hope was to have it scheduled for Saturday (to have maximum time for healing), but it worked out b/c then I had all weekend to prepare (eg. buy groceries and some super expensive produce!! ie. how is the guy selling veggies from the back of the truck, more expensive than Wholefood organic produce prices... but hey at least I had some time for sightseeing, shopping and jimjibang spa before undergoing the knife!)

I'm fairly confident that any of those 3 clinics would yield okay results (I did my research on the docs.' credentials), but in the end, I chose April mostly b/c Dr. Kim and Dr. Oh had the strongest credentials and YEARS of experiences out of all the surgeons I've checked (like, 19 years… so while docs. can have the same board certification for that specialty, to me, there IS a difference between a board certified doc. who has 6 years experience compared to a board certified doc. who has 19 years of experience, who also served as the president on the national Korean Rhinoplasty Association, etc…. although, I do think also Korean PS docs’ 1 year experience can’t be compared to a US doc’s experience – due to volume – Korean doc would have performed like 2 surgeries per day x 350 days/year = 700 surgeries per year, and US would be like, 1 surgery per week x 50 weeks = 50 surgeries per year… etc… so even the lower price point credentialed docs in Korea, I believe, most would be more experienced than US docs, esp for Asian specialties… practice makes perfect!). I felt most confident in Dr. Kim and Dr. Oh’s hands and in their abilities, they spent as much time as I wanted answering all questions, they understood what I wanted (while explaining to me, the limits of the techniques to manage my expectations, and what I may expect in the future (perhaps a brow lift?)... which I appreciate, b/c it's realistic, instead of telling me "it'll be all perfect"). They were the most expensive, but I don't mind paying a relatively nominal premium, for the much much much more experience and expertise. Heck, I think Dr. Kim and Dr. Oh of April 31 are experts of their respective crafts. True MASTERS. Brian, the translator/consultant/marketer/all around support extraordinaire, made everything really smooth, easy, streamlined, and made me feel really comfortable too the entire time, b/c he's open, straightforward, understanding, pleasant, very helpful, and not pushy like the other consultants I met.

I also liked that the Drs. at April were the actual “leaders” of the clinic ie. Owners and Operators. In JK and Dream, I got a sense that it were the consultants more than the docs. that were running the show b/c of however way their business model was set up, and the docs. were meekly following that business model as employees, instead of being the bosses and calling the shots themselves… does that makes sense? Like in JK, I had a translator, then consultant, then doc. who came in to the room (in that order), and the consultant was directing the “plan” for me, while the doc. was quietly/tiredly going ‘yes, I can do that’ ‘okay I can do that too’ ‘okay yes, I can do it that way too’. Also, I didn’t choose Dream (even though they have closed method) also b/c I believed I could use a more drastic (but subtle!) change to my nasal structure, than what the closed method could offer. Prices were comparable between Dream and April, but JK did give me a low season discount, which was about $3K USD less than the others.

 

[ulzzang-quest]

Day of surgery:

Went in, washed up, prepped, and into operation room fairly quickly. Markings on my face, last thing Dr. Kim said to me, looking in my eyes, was “trust me”, and I did otherwise I wouldn’t be on his operating table lol. And I’m so happy I did, b/c like I said, they are masters, and their aesthetic sense is beautiful. Then sedation. I felt the effects immediately like WOOOAAAHHHH and BOOM out like a light. Next thing I know, nurse and Brian was helping me and my bandaged face into bed in the recovery room next door. My throat hurt like hell for about 30 minutes -- I'm guessing b/c a tube was stuck down my throat during surgery, and was only pulled out minutes ago before turning off the sleepy juice (Propocol?). But, that was the most painful part out of this entire experience. Then, I changed, was given post op self care instructions, appt. to checkup the next day, and prescription for pharmacy downstairs for painkillers/antibiotics/stomach protecting thing, and something else... and then hopped in a cab to go back home. That was it! I couldn't believe it. Outpatient procedures, just like that. Standard of care is definitely different (lower) than the US, but at the same time, perhaps US is overkill cautious for fear of lawsuit culture. But generally speaking, it felt similar to getting in a fight, and going home with knots and bruises… Also, whoever gave the tip to have addresses written in Korean... big ups! B/c that was soooo useful. I didn’t need google translator, BBB, or their free call up for a translation service at all. (And for food, it was just charades – point at picture menu, make animal noises, thumbs up, nodding or shaking head sort of thing was good enough for communication otherwise haha)

Had pumpkin soup from Lotte Market as dinner after surgery. MAKE SURE YOU PLAN YOUR FIRST 24 HOURS AFTER SURGERY IN DETAIL and have everything you need already on hand (including food, etc). I lapped up tongue fulls sticking out my tongue to lick the spoon like a retarded dog (my face felt a bit like it got beaten up or a punching bag, and with all the bandage dressings, some covering part of my mouth, plus the lips swollen... it was challenging to eat). I was so glad I brought Ensure powder to make my own protein shakes / replacement meals too... it was soooo satisfying good after not eating for 16 hours. I had a travel pillow so slept 45 degrees entire stay. Slept ok the first night considering my face was traumatized... but I did have nightmares that my nose concaved in leaving a gaping hole in my face like worse than Michael Jackson (my own fears, mixed with the extreme pressure coming on from the swelling). The good part of having that nightmare, is when I woke up, I didn't even care how swollen or how my nose looked, b/c I was just so glad that it was still there hahaha! I think that was the worse of it psychologically for me, the first 24-48 hours post op, b/c it was just like, WTF did I just do to my own face.


Post Op day 1

I couldn't open my eyes, they were pretty much swollen shut and tearing and congealed. Along with the watery-ness/eyes wouldn't stop watering... it was so hard to see anything beyond wet eyelashes. Q-tips tabbed in warm water to clean helped. Cabbed to the clinic, they removed the nose packing (AAAHHHHH), cleaned the nasal passages, re bandaged my face. The nurses are excellent. Their post op care is excellent. They were very gentle, trained, sensitive, efficient and concise. In between the old and new dressings, when I could completely see my face, I asked for a mirror, and took a snap shot. I'm glad I'm a bit older (and hopefully meaning wiser!), and kinda have realistic/practical expectations of life in general. B/c at that moment, my face looked and felt like completely f#cked up sh%t. I would have bawled in horror if I was younger (which wouldn't have helped with the swelling and healing lol). I did have a few "WTF did I just do to my own face" depressing / scared moments though... but good thing I was expecting feelings like that to be coming up... I was so swollen, it wasn't chipmunk, it was puffer fish. Brian was like 'dayam!' And I was told I had the biggest tear glands the doc has ever seen in his 19-20 years of experience, so it wasn’t skin like he thought, or fat like I thought… but overgrown tear ducts that caused my baggy upper eyelids. But even as bad as my swollen eyes were post op, it wasn't really THAT much worse than if I had a lengthy-through-the-night crying session and how swollen it'd get afterwards. After re-bandaging, the swelling seemed to begin subsiding. I did at one point, feel almost apologetic to anyone who had to look at me, b/c I felt like and looked like a hideous swollen oozing monster.


Post Op day 2

Stayed in the entire day, plus it was raining. Did laundry. Cooked some healthy meals. Rested mostly, minimal activity but still some movements. The swelling started settling down... I can open my eyes (after gingerly wiping / cleaning with Q tips. Bring a whole box – you’ll need a lot more than you think). Felt so vulnerable, but glad that the worse part seemed to be over. (Note: I was taking Bromelain, Arnica, Vit. A, C, multi vit... and I believe it made my swelling start immediately, and start resolving quicker)


Post Op day 3

Checkup #2. Everything seemed to be getting a little better every day. Feels so much better after the nasal cleanings. Also, less bandages put back on. Splint was removed. In between bandage dressings, I had brought my own cotton pads and witch hazel, to clean/tone my skin from the sebum and bandage adhesive gunk. (Hygiene routines need to be temporarily altered during this time, b/c even washing my hair was a bit of a challenge on my poor over arched neck and back.) After doc visit, I went to the temple for some sightseeing (and walking around a lot to help with swelling, while donning a surgical face mask. Meditated with a female monk. Also had some traditional chicken ginseng congee/soup – really hit the spot. Protein really important for proper healing too.).


Post Op day 4

Took the train to Insa dong for shopping and then sightseeing the Seoul riverwalk / Cheonggyecheon river. The more I walked, the less puffy my face felt. It was like, the swelling was coming out as/with my sweat!


Post Op day 5

Checkup #3. Eyelids stitch removals. Cleaning. Thank goodness for the caring and gentle nurses. Only nose bandages now -- no more bandages on eyelids! I’m starting to look okay, aside from the red vein spot on my eyeball, and slight bruises, redness, cuts around my eyes. Then take train to Meyoungdong for some more shopping… overdid it stocking up on paper face packs lol. Also got new glasses, to ‘camouflage’ my changed look in case it looked obvious… then I went to meet / meet up with Chopstix and chatted over coffee, then to dinner! We boiled some baby octopuses in a spicy hot pot… I know spicy isn’t recommended bc of irritation/inflammation… but heck, you only live once!

Post Op day 6

Met up with Chopstix again, jumped on train to check out Namdaedum market, and then Meyoungdong, then back to Apgujeong, Hyundai Dept store - they have an upscale grocery store in there too! Where we also found some packaged pumpkin soup. Another full day of walking.


Post Op day 7

I went to the clinic for my final post op check up (#4), and got the final stitches (columnella) removed. Given final/reminder instructions to use the lubricant around the scar/columnella and nostrils area. I forget if they took ‘after’ pictures on this day or the 3rd checkup. Then, I head back to the apt., finish packing up my stuff, and lug it to the airport bus stop, and fly out back to NYC. Note: During the plane ride, and for about a month or two afterwards, the nose felt congested all the time, always felt like I had a cold/seasonal allergies. And b/c it was still feeling delicate then/too sensitive to blow the nose, keep a stock of those Q tips – whoever invented them – thank you!


Now at 5 months post op, and I have to say, I LOVE the results – the surgeries came out even better than I had hoped for. But on the bridge of my nose/radix area, it looks a little crooked… but it’s due to my years of wearing heavy glasses, where the nose pad on the right side kind of broke some blood vessels I guess. All in all though, I am 95% happy with these results. I now feel so pretty even without any makeup!!! And getting used to new makeup application techniques, as well as trying out different looks I would never have used to be able to pull off, is so much fun!! Part of the reason why it’s taken me so long to post, part of that busy time had been trying out new makeup hahaha!

 

[ulzzang-quest]

A few more tips:

- Bring cash with you. I brought 10K USD with me and was nervous carrying it… but it felt so safe I ended up carrying it with me, then hiking up a mountain to the North Tower, before even going to Myeongdong to exchange it at a favorable rate in one of the many many foreign cash exchange booths lining the streets. Way better rates than any banks. I got that tip off this forum, which really helped, b/c credit card would have been an extra 10% tax, as well as those foreign transaction fees.

- Walk around as much as you can! The swelling kept decreasing very noticeably every day as I walked, shopped, sight saw, etc.

- Bring protein powder to make meal replacement drinks. There will be times where the blood/mucus is sliding back down your throat and you don’t have appetite. But protein is really important to rebuild tissues.

- If you wear glasses, you can bring a baseball cap and use hair bands (I used 3, and looped them around each other to make one long one), and loop the ENDS of the bands on the eye glass hinge parts on each side, and then “sling” the entire band over the baseball cap. This will suspend the glasses so its not resting on your nose/face. And no one even noticed!

- Bring toner and cotton balls, so that you can wipe your face in between bandaging/dressings. Otherwise, the sticky stuff on the bandages and your own oils, with the fabric of the bandages, would make it tooooo itchy/uncomfortable if you didn’t clean the skin somehow.

- If you have oily skin like me, if time allows like it did for me, do a mud or clay mask right before surgery. I really like K Couture’s recommendation – Glamglow youth mud – it helped to dry (in the good way) out the oils in my face before surgery, so I was completely squeaky clean before surgery and before not being able to clean my face regularly for a week.


My eyes look and feel so much better (no more eyelashes curling and scratching eyeball), but for the first 3 months afterwards, I had that “there’s something in my eye” coming and going sensation – they call it “grittiness”. Also, felt so much more dry and tired (I guess that happens when you remove part of your tear glands!). But now for the most part, it feels fine, except when I’m staring at a computer screen for hours (a cue for me to wrap this post up!). My nose feels less and less “hard/firm”, and I can blow my nose regularly, with full force now! Though it feels like my nostrils have gotten smaller too. The tip still feels a bit firm/sensitive, but I’m sure it’ll subside more and more in the coming months. I am soooo happy with my results, and my mom and family are all like ‘you look so much prettier’. I had such a positive and wonderful experience going to Korea. Oh, and last tip: don’t try to wear different makeup on your first day back at work in attempts to ‘throw off’ people that you look different b/c of makeup instead of b/c surgery… I made the mistake of wearing purple eyeshadow (which I could not pull off without looking clownish pre surgery) on my first day back to work (2 weeks post op), and my coworkers were all like you look sooooo different! Of course I played it off and was like what you don’t like purple on me?!?! But then for the next two weeks after that, I used shading/bronzing/contouring to de emphasize whatever the surgery emphasized to make it look like how I used to… lol… but even then, coworkers were like wow you had a great vacation, you look so well rested, you look beautiful, something’s different about you… without downright thinking I had work done!

 

[featheric]

Thank you Ulzzang. I am considering april31 for my Rhino Revision and your detailed account will help me very much.
I am happy to hear that you have great results.
God Bless you! ^_^！