tom-tom Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Anti-aging must be one of the goals for those who is beauty conscious. To delay ageing of my face, I have tried various methods at different stages including the intake of supplements, injection of Botox and fillers, applying radio frequency treatment "Thermage" and ultra-sound treatment "Ulthera", adopting 'Acculift" minor surgery as well as PDO (thread lifting). Many people said that I look younger than my physical age (mid50's) but still my skin has sagged, especially around my jaw and the corners of my mouth. My neck suffered as well! I started thinking about "Facelift" as the ultimate solution to my problem, about a year ago. Finally, after consultation and explanation by Dr. Joo Heon Lee, I had a facelift (with fat grafting) and neck lift on Sept 21 at the "April 31 Plastic Surgery Clinic" by him in Korea. The surgery went well and I have a speedy recovery. It is amazing that I do not feel much suffering after surgery. The only unpleasant period was from the anaesthetic recovery but it only lasted for half a day. There was mild but bearable pain from my wound. My fear of having a" swollen pig face" never happened. I started to go out shopping on the 2nd post operation day! On the third day, during my following up session, I could already see my sagging gone when my dressings were removed. My face and neck features were sharper and cleaner. I was very happy to see my new face, even though there were still some swellings and bruising. I went back to Hong Kong on Oct 2, 10 days post operation. All sutures were removed. The swellings and bruising has now become less. Thanks must be given to Dr. Lee for his fine technique. The scars on my face were well hidden and they can hardly be seen. I am very happy to hear my husband (who is himself a Plastic Surgeon) and my good friends saying that I look natural with a prettier and younger face. Now I have already resumed my normal daily life except doing vigorous exercises. I am very pleased with the result. Thank God that I have found the right surgeon to accomplish this difficult and delicate procedure. In fact, it was quite a long selection and thinking process before I decided to choose Dr. Lee at April 31. There are a few options that I have considered. Option 1: Doing the procedure in the USA where facelift is much more in demand. I dropped this idea because I understand that there is an aesthetic difference between the Asian and Western face. Option 2: Doing the procedure in Taiwan where I was referred to a plastic surgeon who applies a special "hook" technique. I had done a consultation with the surgeon last year. Again I dropped this option because I am skeptical about the effectiveness and the long lasting result of this technique. I am also uncomfortable with the clinic set up and the hygiene. Option 3: Doing it in Korea where plastic surgery is popular. It is not an easy decision too, because there are many hundreds of plastic surgery clinics in Korea. On my request , a well known Korean Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Choi Yeop, who did my upper and lower eyelid surgeries 2 years ago, recommended Dr. Lee of April 31. Dr. Choi said I must be careful in choosing the right surgeon. Facelift demands superior technique from a surgeon who has to avoid damaging the facial nerve. He also has to make nicely hidden scars. The tightening of the skin must look natural. I learned from Dr. Choi that Dr. Lee is an experienced plastic surgeon who specialised in facelift. Dr. Lee always tried to improve his technique by regular cadaver dissections. He attends and contributes to facelift workshops conducted by Professor M. Stuzin in Miami, who is a world authority in facial aesthetics and ageing. They share anatomical knowledge between Asian and Western faces and the operation methods. During the consultation with Dr. Lee, my husband was particularly comfortable with his professional analysis. There is absolutely no "hard sales talks" and no "puffing up" of his results. He told us what he can achieve and what he cannot. Dr. Lee can speak English well enough so that we don't need a translator for communication. Overall, we found Dr. Lee pleasant, professional and gave his patient confidence. We both identified Dr. Lee to be my facelift surgeon. It still took me a few months to decide to have the surgery. With my husband's endorsement, I finally book my surgery date with Dr. Lee. I want to share my experience to others who may be considering the same. Hopefully my experience can help to clear their mind of queries and fear, and they will make the right choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gantz Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Thank you for sharing your expeience! Hope you heal well! My question is how much did you pay? If you don't want to post the price publicly feel free to pm me! Also, do you notice any side effects? Nerve damage, skin feeling like it's being pulled, hair loss in the incision sites, or anything else? The same for the fat graft, are there any side effects,lumps etc? How much did it cost as well? Is there any top up included? Also, how is the result from your eyelid surgeries doing? Have they lasted well? Thank you for your time, hope I didn't bombard you with too many questions Happy recovery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom-tom Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 HiHi, so far I have not noticed any side effects for my facelift and fat graft that you have asked. Today, I met some friends who do not know I have done a facelift surgery a few weeks ago. They just asked me what have I done to make my sagging skin removed and they don't even notice there is still some swelling and bruising near the incision areas. My friends said I look younger and prettier. Regarding the fat graft, I will go back to April 31 to have my 2nd fat graft touch up by Dr Lee in early November. Also, I am very satisfied with my eyelid surgeries result. With the removal of excessive skin and fat "reallocation", my eyes look brighter but natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom-tom Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 Regarding the cost, it is not that I don't want to share. As the extent of an operation is different for individual and therefore quotation may vary. There are some factors that may affect the quotation that include the complexity and difficulty of the operation (which can only be judged by the surgeon) and also if it is a redo/revision case, a premium will be added. Equally important, the quotation of an experienced surgeon vs inexperienced one will be higher but then I think it is normal and fair. We should be careful in choosing the right surgeon for your operation. Plastic surgery is not the same kind of simple thing that we look for in the supermarket. We are looking for safety and satisfied result. Any redo/revision should be avoided. For an accurate quotation, you can have it after your consultation with the surgeon. By then, you can ask questions and hear the explanation from doctor for a fair judgement If you want a price range for the surgery, I would suggest you to contact April 31 directly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom-tom Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 This is now my 21st post operation day . Swellings and bruising has became less and barely noticeable. I have taken my pre-operation and post-operation photos (once every week) for record. My side profile looks as if some 'photo retouching' has been made. My feature are definitely sharper and cleaner. My husband's nurses were glad that I have achieved what I want. As medical professionals, they are amazed with the fine technique of Dr. Lee. They can hardly see the incision scars which are all hidden well inside my hairline (I have short hair style). The cuts around and in front of my ears blended well. My husband, who is a Plastic Surgeon himself, was also pleased with the result. He said an un-refine surgery can distort the ear lobe area but it didn't occur in mine. To be honest, I was uncertain about the result of fat grafting that was to be done at the same time. I don't want to look artificial, like some of the Korean pop singers and TV artists, who have 'bloated looks'. I did asked Dr. Lee not to inject too much fat into my face. Now I found that my worries were unnecessary. The fat graft blended well with my facial features and I look younger and more lively. I felt that Dr. Lee's judgement is exactly right for me, and I am sure, his aesthetic sense is good for us Asians. I was advised by Dr. Lee that a second fat graft may be necessary within 2 months from my operation date. It is because the injected fat normally will be reabsorbed by 20% to 30%. To make my look even better, I have already booked Dr. Lee for this second fat grafting in early November. I love to meet all those April 31 staff again, the lady anaesthetist, all the nurses and the English interpreter Brian who have taken good care of me in my pre and post operation period. I want to express my sincere thanks to each and everyone that took care of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom-tom Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Hihi, can somebody also share their consultation and or surgery experience in facelift and fat graft in Korea or other Asian countries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi60 Posted October 16, 2016 Share Posted October 16, 2016 Hihi, thank you for sharing. I have been looking for this option and finally might do it in Spring. Do you mind to pm me your before and after photos? Thanks a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom-tom Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Time flies. I am counting my days to go for my face lift follow up and 2nd fat graft touch up with Dr. Lee on Nov 7. Bruising and swelling are practically all gone. My skin looks more glossy and feels more supple. I am grateful for Dr. Lee superb handy work and all the scars are invisible. I am happy and become more confident of my appearance. Still some fat will be needed to smooth out some depression areas on my cheeks (To avoid looking unnatural, I have requested Dr. Lee not to inject too much fat during my face lift operation). And I will leave it to Dr. Lee capable hands for my fat graft touch up At the same time, one of my close friends will come with me for a face lift consultation with Dr. Lee. She is amazed with my good result and may consider to do the surgery immediately after the consultation if Dr. Lee schedule and her condition are allowed. Also, I have booked a consultation with Dr. Kim at April 31 on Nov 8 for my nose revision, just want to look even better I will share the experience of our "beauty" journey soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susaki Posted November 26, 2016 Share Posted November 26, 2016 May I know whether you have done your nose in april 31? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauty12 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Hi Tom Tom, It's good to hear that your results are great from April 31. I am also very interested in all the procedures that you mentioned, including the eyes. . Could you please share Dr. Choi's website for the eye surgeries? is it possible for you to PM me b and a pictures? It would be super helpful for me. thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauty12 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Hi Tom Tom, you mentioned you're doing a nose revision also with Dr. Lee at April 31. How is the result? I hope you're really happy with it! Could you please share your experiences with me? thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
commandozx Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 hi.... i am new to this and i m going to korea tomorrow... and my friend told me this Ultra lifting V is good and very popular. its not abrasive and the downtime is very short. anyone tried this before? any recommd appreciated. i wonder is there any side effect.. one of the hospital just send me a price list below here There are 3 kinds of Face Lifting procedure. First one is Laser Skin Face Lifting called Ulthera or Ultherapy which lifts up your inner skin layer by laser, no recovery time needed. Second one is invasive procedure by medical threads to lifts up your inner skin directly, seems effective and reasonable in price but still has side effect issues like infection, etc. Last method is Surgical face lifting. 1) HIFU method : Ultherapy Laser (HIFU) skin lifting procedure need 1 hour of total procedure time including consultation with our Doctor and cost will be 1,080,000 KRW (960 USD) for full facial lifting with neck, 650,000 KRW (580 USD) for 200 shots of Ultherapy session. 2) Threads method : Ultra V threads skin lifting takes an hour for surgery time and need a week of recovery time. Cost for Ultra V threads skin lifting will be 100 threads 380,000 KRW (340 USD) Twister threads skin lifting (Stronger medical threads than Ultra V) cost is 36 threads 956,000 KRW (850 USD) Blue rose surgical threads lifting (The strongest threads even with surgical method) 10 threads 750,200 KRW (670 USD) and 12 threads 895,400 KRW (800 USD) Surgical Thread lifting procedure will last for more than 2 years depends on patient lifestyle and condition and normal threads will last a year or more. 3) Surgical face lifting 4,840,000 KRW (4290 USD) Cut your deep layer skin from near patient's ear and pull skin up manually. Very effective and last much longer than non-invasive methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mina1126 Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Hello there, I did FC at Cinderella over a year ago and want to go for Vline facelift sometime in coming December. I have heard that April 31 is the best but too expensive. My budget is around 6-8 million, i am also doing some research to find a right place for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkudaka Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Tom tom -- you say your husband is a plastic surgeon in HK. Why did you decide to go elsewhere instead of having your husband do the work? I am looking to have a facelift and am considering going to Korea, but live in the US east coast. Am considering whether its worth going to Korea, or having a Chinese doctor working at one of the teaching plastic surgery universities here do the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chardonnaylane Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I was recently told by staff at April31 that Dr Lee has left them and will not be returning. Supposedly he will be starting his own clinic. Does anyone have more details on Dr Lee's latest whereabouts? I'm hoping to get a full FL from him within 1-2 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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