csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 So this is long overdue! I got my double eyelid surgery on June 23, 2017, which makes it roughly 4 ish months post op. After having LITERALLY read through every single page on this forum (like 600+?) among others, I decided to go with Dr. Kwon at Teuim for various reasons that I'll go into throughout this post. Not sure how long this will be, but we'll see!! UPDATE: it's so long I considered not posting any of it lol I'm so sorry!! WHY: First of all, I've always really disliked my eyes. My mother is the spitting image of Song Hye Kyo (and I mean this dead seriously, like I once saw a photo of Song Hye Kyo and THOUGHT it was my own mom and vice versa...this is the person I've grown up with all my life LMAO) and I unfortunately, didn't inherit her beautiful eyes. To be clear, I really think that a lot of monolids are super beautiful and tasteful–just not mine. Mine were thin, droopy, uneven, and lifeless (because of the ptosis) and I grew up kind of aware that I'd eventually get DES. Problematic? Eh, but it is how it is and I can't really change that. No one ever pressured me to, I just knew that my mom was completely open to it, seeing as how it really detracted from my life! I refused to take photos most of the time and developed forehead wrinkles at the age of 10 because my eyelid muscles were weak, and constantly being told by teachers and peers I was "glaring, angry, or tired" was kind of traumatic for young me I'm a very paranoid person! Even when it comes to recipes or DIY's, I get so paranoid that something's going to come out wrong that I end up researching it much more deeply than anyone does (or should,) hence why Ih have a huge general knowledge about a ton of things. Blame the anxiety lol. This definitely carries over into my plastic surgery research–I like my results to be natural but noticeable, and not make me seem like a different person from my mom. To be clear, I do look more like her, it's just a few things that I think look really disproportional to the rest of my face, and the first and primary thing are my eyes. Due to my over–diligence in research, I was terrified of looking too unnatural or worse, botched. Like, I had seen the numerous "dolly eyes" that didn't look as good as the kpop idols that we know today. They just look really scary? I have literally 1/2 inch of lid space so I knew that I couldn't go for the dramatic look anyway, and I had a tough time finding a doctor whose aesthetic values lined up with mine. Even if a "good doctor" will be able to match your preferences regardless of what they normally do, isn't it better to find a doctor who actively practices what you like anyway? Enter, Dr. Kwon. I had read the overwhelmingly positive (and some negative) reviews about Teuim, but by the time i had come across the negative reviews, I was already 98% sold on going there. I read the reviews very carefully nonetheless and gauged my chances. His website is incredibly informative, he's published numerous papers regarding the very thing that I'm anxious about, and I've seen far more positive (detailed and non-sponsored) reviews than negative ones. The B/A photos were nice, but it was the fact that I knew I wasn't going to end up botched in his hands that was most important lmao. i just had too much to worry about in other doctors' hands. I briefly debated MVP, but ultimately did book an appointment with Teuim. ONLINE CONSULTATION: Upon sending my photos in, I got an email the very next business morning with a quote: approx 3.9 million for partial incision DES with ptosis correction and epi. I figured I'd bargain with them in person and booked the appointment a few weeks later. QUESTIONS. God, I had so many questions even I was starting to feel mildly annoyed with myself, like, really? Is this really something you NEED to know at this very moment when it's 4:30 a.m in your time zone? Yay anxiety! But the staff was really nice and answered very promptly, pretty much the day of or the next. Just make sure you weren't spam filtered! Keep in mind that, due to my obsessive tendencies, I had pulled multiple all nighters just doing my research on everything–side effects, videos, doctors, papers, RealSelf, blogs, forums, Korean reviews, etc etc... I'm not saying you have to beat yourself up NEARLY as much as I did, but if you're not willing to do your due diligence about plastic surgery, I'm not sure if you should be having it done in the first place, as it becomes much too easy to overdo it. Just my opinion? I already knew what it would feel like, thanks to numerous reviews. I knew what it looked like because as a kid I had, out of curiosity, watched tons of surgery related videos. The only thing I was terrified of? The IV needle. I really hate needles. THE FORUM/INTERNET/REVIEWS SAY: One of the nurses there has a really nice nose (lmao) Alice (I think was her name? Maybe not...) the receptionist/consultant etc doesn't speak much English but is good enough to get by Dr. Kwon speaks sufficient English Dr. Kwon is pretty adamant about epi and prefers to push what he thinks is going to look natural and visually appealing Dr. Kwon is very blunt and doesn't spend a terrible amount of time consulting with you His epi has mixed resultsI SAY (THEREFORE, IT IS. IM KIDDING BUT THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE): It's true! One of them had a cute nose and the other had really nice eyes. I'm really unsure of the details at this point but I thought it was a funny observation that I had noticed across many people's experiences. I guess we do look at the staff of plastic surgery clinics a lot, huh? They were really nice and accommodating despite not having anyone who was ABSOLUTELY fluent in English in the building. They understood enough! They may sound shy, but it's only because they're not native English speakers. They offered me tea and had a great conversation with my mom (though she lights up whatever room she walks into.) This is also true. Dr. Kwon's English is fine and, thought I had an entire monologue about my desires planned in my head, he basically gave me the perfect crease on the first try and my mom and I were shocked! He did recommend epi but I knew I needed it anyway because mongolian fold would have created too much tension. He says not everyone needs epi, but a large number either do or should for the crease height that they're looking for (judge this statement yourself, it's just what he said.) I could care less about blunt (not rude, just...not fluffy) doctors, as long as they care about doing it right. I personally did not see him to be too cocky or forceful, and I completely trusted him to do a good job because my aesthetic values matched well with his. If you're looking for super dolly eyes, he's not the right doctor for you and I'll say it right off the bat that you shouldn't even waste your time with him. I was iffy about the ptosis (for anxiety reasons lol I didn't want too many procedures at once–stupid me!!!) and he said that it was help me from looking too sleepy. I asked him if it was necessary and he said my ptosis wasn't severe enough to be necessary for function and my eyes would still look nice, but I would still find myself with the same problems pre surgery (wrinkles, weak muscles, etc...) I then asked if I could just opt out this time and come back in case I ever wanted it in the future and he said that was completely fine! Don't be scared to ask the doctor questions because you're paying a lot of money to change something on your face! I bargained just a little bit and brought it down to about 3.4 million. I didn't have the time nor patience to bargain further and actually debated the ptosis correction for about 45 minutes. The staff was really patient with me and pulled up a ton of photos and scenarios for me to look at while I debated. Looking back, I totally should have listened to Dr. Kwon because god do I need the ptosis. Now I need to fly back and get it done! My eyes are still sleepy looking if I don't open them intentionally, and my crease is to die for beautiful, but weighed down if I stay in my natural expression. But anyway, I opted out of ptosis and just did epi and DE. Okay, so his epi. My mom didn't want me to get epi because she didn't think I needed it. I also scar VERY easily and she had a bad feeling despite my claims that he was really good at magic epi! Then, God answered my calls and my mom ran into a patient in the hallway. She was a young Korean girl with very natural double eyelids and my mom wondered why she was here in the first place since she pretty much knew the creases were natural. She answered (brokenly) that she had natural creases but only got epi done, and she's here to take some photos. My mom's jaw practically dropped to the floor because she can spot 10/10 plastic surgery procedures from a mile away (grew up with a PS surgeon!) but she almost couldn't tell that this girl had even gotten it done. This is when she agreed to let me do the epi. All doctors are going to have some negative cases ( which I knew,) but I was generally really comfortable with Dr. Kwon touching my eyes, and with my mom's full seal of approval, I was set. /part 1/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 /part 2/SURGERY DAY I booked my appointment for the morning after my consultation and it was nerve wracking! I didn't eat about 4 hours before my surgery and washed my face with a quite drying cleanser (sighhh) and waited in the small, but cozy waiting room until the nurse guided me into the surgery room. She smiled at me, clearly sensing my nerves, and told me not to worry! Little did she know, I was freaking out over the IV needles and could care less about the surgery itself LMAO. I have a really high pain tolerance but there's just something about needles that freaks me out. Needless to say, I was so glad she inserted the needle with absolute ease. After that, I just waited to be sedated! Oh my god. The two nurses were having a conversation while waiting for the meds to do its thing and HOLY hell, it was the most interesting experience of my life. I felt everything fade into black, then bright white. I saw orange rectangular shapes and a cushiony type of wall just bouncing around? It was the oddest thing ever, I swear. My body fell limp and my throat felt a bit heavy as well but I could hear them speaking just fine. I could have talked if I wanted to, I think. In a minute or two (or maybe 10 I don't know) everything cleared out and Dr. Kwon came by my side. I know people say they feel loopy, overly relaxed or still tripped out after the initial sedation, but I felt completely fine, just really comfortable on the bed. He drew on the crease height a few times and this is where I felt completely relaxed. Dr. Kwon may be a bit blunt during consultation, but the reviews are right in that he's a total perfectionist when it comes to surgery. He redrew my height, double and triple checked with me, and got to work. He definitely takes much longer to do DES because he's super super meticulous. I think it was 2+ hours overall? Epi feels like a dull scraping near the sides of your nasal bone and that goes on for a while. It doesn't hurt at all because you're..well, you're numb, and I wouldn't even call it pressure, because that implies a kind of pain–you're just kind of aware that it's happening. He cut here and there, stitched things here, and I was just patiently resting on the table and opening whenever he asked me to open lmao. I felt pretty relaxed! The actual crease procedure itself felt like how it looks in surgery videos. It feels like they're touching the inside of your eyelid, by the way! Just so there are no surprises like a few people were in their reviews haha.. I didn't ask for more anesthesia, nor did I really feel pain, but toward the end I did feel a bit less numb than the beginning. This isn't to say I felt any pain, but I could just feel a bit more sensation. Dr. Kwon kept asking if I was ok because I did make some noises but I was just surprised by the fact that things were almost over and my goal of 10+ years had finally been fulfilled! I could have asked for more anesthesia if I wanted, but I just didn't. It didn't bother me enough. Next thing I knew, I was being unbuckled and told to slowly get up with the aid of the nurse. I got up pretty quickly and walked rather easily to the recovery room. My eyes just felt heavy haha. My mom saw me, and after a near traumatizing moment of silence (because I had been feeling pretty good up until her tight lipped expression) she told me.. "Oh my god. It looks amazing." Oh thank god. She meant my inner corners looked amazing and my crease was almost completely even despite it being right after surgery. She was so impressed she went in for a consultation about her drooping eyes! (Spoiler- he didn't recommend ptosis because she didn't have it and called her a natural beauty/ Song Hye Kyo look alike lmao it really fed her ego!) The clinic may not have been super busy that day (I did see 5 or 6 patients waiting for consultations though-half of them were locals, and half foreigners) because I stayed in the recovery bed for 2.5 hours and only left because I wanted to lmao. The nurse changed my ice pack 3 times even though I don't think I needed to stay that long and gave me two masks (for ice and heat later on), saline, gauze q tips, and pain medication. PRO TIP: You don't need to buy your own gauze or q tips. Just ask them to give you more because you want more, and they'll give it to you lol. My mom bought extra q tips downstairs just in case but that's only because she uses them so so liberally. Instructions were as follows (roughly, I don't fully remember): Sleep at an incline and do not do any heavy lifting or intense exercise for a month.) Walk often to help with swelling (I walked maybe 13 hours a day so that was no problem lol.) Ice as often as possible, but morning and night is fine for the first couple of days or until swelling goes down noticeably. Then alternate with heated masks for bruising and swelling. Keep sutures clean and clean eyes with saline solution (including the "gummy eyes" that you'll have for a few weeks.) After a few weeks-a month, start to apply the scar gel morning and night for a total of 2 months or more if desired. You can wear makeup and contacts a couple weeks after stitch removal, but to be safe, I didn't do anything for a month (just under eye concealer and I used very gentle hands to clean it with a balm cleanser.) I got my stitches taken out 6 days after. It just felt like a few pinches and didn't hurt at all, probably because I was very diligent with keeping them clean and..not dry? LOL. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing no the recovery front, with typical bruising and swelling. My eyes were very swollen and uneven, and this is partially because of me not getting ptosis correction and needing it, but I won't go into the details. My eyes just looked better and better by the day, but it was a slow process in the beginning. Be patient with your eyes! They'll look amazing eventually, you just have to wait. Oh, and my nose was pretty sensitive for a good two months afterward, but the feeling is negligible unless you press down on your nasal bone intentionally and feel shocked that it's still sore. Overall, I had a really pleasant experience with Teuim and I don't regret it at all. In fact, I think it's the best decision I ever made. I'm sure other clinics could have done a good job as well, but I guess I just felt comfortable with Teuim and I had to choose a place eventually. This isn't to say that you definitely will or won't, but I do appreciate the simplicity of it all–you go in and get your eyes done I guess? Aftercare isn't above and beyond but it's pleasant and it works effectively! REVIEW: CONSULTATION: 5/5 for prompt replies and politeness DOCTOR: 5/5 for aesthetic value matching with mine SURGERY: 5/5 for comfort and lack of severe issue PAIN: 0.5/5 the only pain I felt was in my heart because of the IV needle GOD LMAO but it was very doable, I just have emotional pains thinking about it haha RESULTS: 5/5 I have no scarring! What a concept for someone like me haha. I'm beyond happy with my eyes and will be returning to get my ptosis done. I'm debating lateral canthoplasty but I'm pretty sure he's going to say I don't need it and I'm pretty sure I don't need it either but I'm really into the look haha. Ptosis for sure, though! Pictures do speak a thousand words so i'll be adding them to a reply! 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csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 BEFORE (and some pics of me with double eyelid tape) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 AFTER (4 MONTHS POST OP) I am opening my eyes widely here lol it looks but my crease and inner corners are really nice! He only opened my inner corners as needed and didn't do anything excessive. I do need minor ptosis correction but at least I can hide it in photos TT It looks a bit more tapered when I'm completely relaxed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merose Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Thank you very much for the review. I really enjoy reading your posts - it's like reading a story! Your eyes looks amazing and very natural now but I can see that they were very swollen and uneven during recovery. Did the unevenness freak you out at all as I would be very worried if I saw my eyes like that. I have seen so many dolly eyes that look very ugly and unnatural to me but the people who had them done are very satisfied. I just really don't understand why they would want that kind of eyes that anyone can tell they are fake. I am glad that you know what you want and that you found a no nonsense doctor who has a good aesthetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpsa Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Thanks for your review & pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Thank you so much! I wrote it on a whim at midnight so I do hope it's easy to read through haha. Not really! My eyes were more swollen than the average person because I needed ptosis correction and didn't get it. My eyes already cannot open very largely on its own due to my weak muscles, so all of the swelling just pushed my eyes down even more. To be honest, I wasn't nervous at all!! This is where extensive research comes in handy. I've seen bruised, tender, unevenly swollen eyes de-swell to a beautiful crease. I've seen every complication possible work out in the end. It's a matter of diligent aftercare and patience. If anyone feels worried anywhere from 3 weeks after surgery, don't be, because the results you see now will be negligible later on. See how in one of my eyes, the crease doesn't fall evenly and taper in the inner corner? It looks rough, like there's scarring that's about to happen. Some of my friends were concerned about that but after a few months it completely fell to a natural line. Having faith in your doctor and not focusing too much on your current swollen state helps a lot! There are SOME glaring red flags post op, but I didn't have any ^^ Yeah, I think some dolly eyes are really pretty (see kpop idols-I prefer their eyes to typical "ulzzang" eyes) but generally they just wouldn't look good on me and I prefer looking as though I didn't get plastic surgery. While I think some people who look like they got their entire faced done are still drop dead gorgeous, it's just not a good look for me. I prefer to look more like my mom than a Gangnam factory result. Now that I've gotten my eyes done, I ironically look a hundred times MORE like her. It's a huge compliment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettydumb Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Thank you for your detailed review and reassurance that everything will turn out just fine. I had my des, ptosis and epi last week and my eyes look a bit asymmetrical with lots of bruises. Also, after removing the stitches, it looks like I will have a very bad, bumpy scar. I will be patient to see how they heal though. Funny thing about you looking like your mom after surgeries. I have a similar thing, my mom and my daughter both have beautiful double eyelids and high crease. After surgeries, I do look more like them ) Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 9, 2017 Author Share Posted November 9, 2017 Just last week! I didn’t start looking ok until weeks down the road because of my ptosis haha. Don’t worry about bruising at all-it took me a couple weeks for the red/purple to fade. As for the bumps, they’re completely normal right now and should slowly disappear throughout the next few months but you can ask your doctor to be sure. If they persist long after you’ve gotten your eyes done, you should definitely get it checked out ^^ Where did you get your eyes done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophia990 Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Thanks for the detailed review and posting your b&a photos! Your eyes look great! I am in Korea at the moment getting my eyes done as well and I can't wait for the results!! >.< I shall post more about my experience as well! Is recovery really hard..? When does the bruises last till? And when does the swelling eventually go down? Do you need to wear sunglasses all day long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csolare Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 Thank you! I’m really happy with them and can only complain that I didn’t get them sooner! Recovery wasn’t difficult at all for me, it was barely a nuisance. To be honest, the only “pain” I felt was a couple hours after the surgery and it was less painful than a paper cut LMAO. Took some pain meds and it never really came back. Essentially, if I had to go through it again, I wouldn’t complain. I didn’t even find it difficult to lie down for the heat/ice packs which is a miracle, considering I get bored out of my mind after a while haha. I just took a lot of naps and listened to music! Typically, bruises should heal in a couple of weeks and they’re not that severe. Swelling is subjective-as you can see in the photos, “swelling” can technically last 3-6 months but it looks pretty “natural” and public ready after a week, a week and a half depending on your healing rate. I started shopping the second day with a cap on and I have awful vision, so no sunglasses for me! Of course, you don’t want to expose your eyes to excessive sun but that’s not really a problem because I use umbrellas and/or caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophia990 Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Thank you for the detailed reply!! I booked my surgery this week and cannot wait for my new eyes!! I am super nervous about the surgery itself though.. but hopefully all goes well! >.< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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