Why you should not have plastic surgery in South Korea

[albertis]

I have had plastic surgery in South Korea two months ago now and here is my testimonial . I wished I could have red a testimonial like this one before going there. Here are the pros and the cons and why you definatedly should not go. These issues are very common and do not depend on the clinic you choose. I post this beacause I think it is abusive the way they market plastic surgery and the real results you get afterwards.

Pros:
1-South Korea is a beautiful country. People are very honest and you can have a very nice stay in a amazing modern city like Seoul.
2- Plastic Surgeons have a lot of experience in any field so usually they are good.
3- Money exchange versus euro or dollar is still good for us.
4-Quick procedures just in one week.
5- 1000 plastic surgery clinics only in Seoul.
6-Impressive clinics.
7-Impressive apparently results shown in videos , magazines and websites.
8-They are really good at jaw or zigoma surgery.
9-You save the costs of a hospital because they have the surgery hall in the very clinic.

Cons:

1- Language barrier: They do not speak English or feel shy to speak it- So count on many difficulties everywhere- People are great indeed but you will feel like lost- No menus in English, nothing in English. So you must prepare your trip very well on advance. In the clinics you get a translator .Usually she doesn´t speak English very well. Plastic surgeons don´t speak English- So communication problems and it will not be very clear what you will get and above all for how long will it last. If you go to one clinic they suggest you one procedure and if you go to another one they refuse the previous procedure- Expect this!

2- The price is lower than in Europe or USA but for that price you get better anesthesia , hospital and post-operation in Europe or USA.

3- They charge like double price to foreigners so prices are never on the websites. After face to face
consultation they bargain about the price and try to charge you the exact price you will pay in USA or Euorpe- You can bargain too but what you will get is a non effective second class procedure, so would better have paid the proper procedure in Europe than this second class imitation.

4-Fake results on websites and TV- If you look carefully at the websites there is a huge difference between the before photo and the after one. In some cases, yes their jaw have been reduced and the eyes have been done etc. etc. but they are kids, no older than 20 years old. What is really impressive is the way they make up them afterwards, this is the real dirty secret of the South Korean surgery. I would say 70 per cent of what you see is fake or make up and an amazing hair dressing. The guys they show on TV and websites are very well chosen to give this effect. I wonder how they really look like today. Please see in Youtube the wonders of the S. Korean make up and you would not distinguish this from any before after photo of any Seoul surgey clinic.

5- The clinics do plastic surgeries like donnuts, many a day. So you are taken from one floor to the other in a rush which is not for everybody. You don´t have time to think nor you have a personal contact with the surgeon because it is really like an industrial surgery mall. Girls who promote korean clinics here they don´t show you how they look like after one year, nor can you prove it. They just post the results after two weeks again and again. This is deceptive ! They are even girls obviously paid by some clinics here who then appear in the clinic´s website before and after photos. So how can you trust these people ?

6- They say you will be under a sedative anesthesia but it is really a full old fashioned anesthesia and my clinic is one of the best. As you were told it was only sedative you were expected to go back to your appartment by yourself after the procedure but with that anesthesia you simply CAN´T ! So you should go no matter what you do with somebody else. You will need help !! These cinics want to save the money of hosting you for one night so the price is of course less than in Europe. I saw myself walking like a zombie searching for a pharmacy and back like on drugs to my appartment. This would not be permited in Europe at least. The post anesthesia is really bad.I have had anesthesia in Europe before and it is not like this one. You feel like diying that night. Before amsethesia you are told what to expect which is less permanent than what you were told before plus are made to sign a lot of papers in case something bad happens- A bit too late and far to say no ?

7-Prescription pills are of course in Korean. You will need to buy sleeping pills to stand that.

8- I didn´t see any Westerner in these clinics and I did my investigation about the best clinics. So I guess Westerners are not choosing South Korea anymore or so.

9- After the procedure in my case fat graft and endolifting you have such a band around the head and swollen eyes that you don´t feel like going out but what you do in Seoul for one week until they take this off ?-problem
and maybe depression ?

10- The money issue: Once you arrive in S.Korea all your cards work perfectly but after paying here and there you will notice that your cards start to fail as they are blocked by VISA etc. because you are too far from home or in a strange location. So count on this problem too. I was so scared that I went back to my country before time before running out of money. I had some money in cash thanks God. South Korea is not prepared for our credit cards or debit cards for some reason. This is a nightmare for any tourist and you don´t wish to stay there any longer.

11- The results: Out of three procedures I paid for. I only noticed the effects of two of them, so one procedure missing completly. i guess they promise you results according the magazines and websites photos but these photos are kids who have undergone make up and hair dressing plus obviously some surgery. The fat graft was on place for only 2 weeks then the volume dissapeared, just some subtle effect stayed in place. The endolifting which was promised as permanent also loosing the lifting effect at full speed though better than nothing.

SO CONCLUSION:

It is simply too risky to go alone. Don´t ever go alone if you ever go !! Terrible anesthesia procedure. You won´t die, but you don´t need to go through this. You can have the same procedure in Europe or in USA but more safe and at least you have a garanty if your results are not what you expected which usually happens. If you sum up the fly ticket , the stay there airbnb , food , and surgery you can pay this procedure in your country too. The results are very weak not what you see in the websites. I fell better now but just a bit. When I was there I really thought this was the most crazy thing I have done in my life- I realized this two days before the procedure and I was right. They are indeed very good at marketing and I guess at jaw and zigoma surgery but for anything else please stay home for your safety and peace of mind.

 

[goodavocado]

"So count on many difficulties everywhere- People are great indeed but you will feel like lost- No menus in English, nothing in English." THIS. It was a lot harder for me going around eating in Korea because all the menus were in Korean. No one really knew how to speak English, so I had to rely on pictures to order all my food. The supermarket was my haven, so I could make make my own food (because Korean food does get sickening quickly for me); the fruit are soooo expensive. On the days I was shopping, one big watermelon ranged from 18 to 24 dollars, peaches were 2-3 dollars each, seeded wild grapes were like 7 dollars a pound.
"Plastic surgeons don´t speak English- So communication problems and it will not be very clear what you will get and above all for how long will it last. If you go to one clinic they suggest you one procedure and if you go to another one they refuse the previous procedure- Expect this!"
For clinic I went to, the consultants spoke wonderful English because they apparently lived in the United States for an extended period of time (but I think consultants come and go so maybe I got lucky). My plastic surgeon actually spoke some English as well.

 

[goodavocado]

"Fake results on websites and TV- If you look carefully at the websites there is a huge difference between the before photo and the after one."
Yeah, I do think that almost all the plastic surgery websites alter the before and after pictures. At least, for the promotional ones, the before picture is of a person without makeup, and the after picture is of a person with loads of makeup on. It is quite deceptive to me... with some editing and makeup it's really hard to tell the actual physical changes.
"As you were told it was only sedative you were expected to go back to your appartment by yourself after the procedure but with that anesthesia you simply CAN´T ! So you should go no matter what you do with somebody else. You will need help !! "
After anesthesia, the worst thing for me was a really really dry throat. PSA make sure you get an overnight stay at the hospital if you're going through a tough surgery! It's really important because anesthesia is super draining and takes a toll on your body and you need medical supervision.

Would I do the surgery again? I'm not actually sure. I think the few moments right before my surgery I was really worried because while in US there's a huge insurance policy and payout if something bad happens, Korea doesn't really offer the same security and the huge language barrier for trying to sue is difficult. If money wasn't an issue for me, I'd definitely consider a plastic surgeon in California rather than travel to Korea. Luckily for me nothing bad happened, and I like the results, but if something went wrong like a botched surgery I would be so devastated.

 

[ladybugz]

I think it depends what you want done... If you want Botox or body lipo, there is absolutely no reason to go to Korea for that vs. doing it in your own country (assuming you live in a 1st world country with licensed plastic surgeons). However, if you are Asian and you want your nose done or eyes done, I absolutely would NOT do it in the U.S. I wasted 2x as much money getting stuff done in my 20s with zero results (yet massive debt) in the U.S. While I ended up having issues w/ my surgeries in Korea (unrelated to plastic surgery -- turns out I can't have implants of any sort due to autoimmune issues), the aesthetic outcome was much, much different than what the U.S. and to offer. The price of, say, eye surgery (for example) was only marginally cheaper than the U.S. and, as you pointed out, easily eaten away by the cost of plane ticket and hotel. However, the aesthetic outcome was far more dramatic and I just don't think U.S. doctors are comfortable doing such a dramatic change. I had a huge, wide, flat nose beforehand (and remained so after surgery #1 with a US doctor) and while my nose isn't perfect now, it's 1000x better. I just don't think doctors in the U.S. understand that kind of aesthetic change (and the few that do wanted 8-20K; I paid $2500 in Korea).

 

[gats]

For the money issue, any time you travel internationally you need to notify the banks about it ahead of time. Otherwise the international charges could trigger them to freeze your card for fraud prevention.

As for their fake results, yes their advertising can be very misleading. The before pics look like they just got out of bed, whereas they are all glammed up and photoshopped in the after, it's shameless.

 

[ashly117]

English is actually not that much of an issue. Korea is adapting and there are quite a bit of English signs in the streets right next to Korean ones.

Also, in general, I too wouldn't go to have surgeries in big hospitals in Korea. Smaller clinics that specialize like the Dental Clinics (TFD, EU, etc) are nice for Facial contouring, but otherwise, I'd avoid the big/medium clinics. I'd never do any rhinoplasty of any sort in Korea.

 

[sassyqt]

I agree most of the plastic surgery clinic's advertising is very deceptive. Especially when the after picture is makeup, hairstyle, and filters but, it's not all photoshop. The plastic surgeons do churn out K pop stars and the Instagram ulzzang look by the hundreds too.

And as ladybugz pointed out, the aesthetics of a western plastic surgeon won't fit an Asian face. It's best to have a plastic surgeon that work everyday on Asian faces to get rhinoplasty or double eyelid surgery for example.

I think in your case fat grafting, you'll need a second session in 6 months before you see permanent results. But that's because a lot of fat cells don't survive the transfer. For pricing, it's very important to research a few months and see what others have been charged for the same procedures here. If it's too much, walk away and go to another clinic, and always arrange at least 3 different consultations.

 

[loserkid]

Ashly117 said: ↑

English is actually not that much of an issue. Korea is adapting and there are quite a bit of English signs in the streets right next to Korean ones.

Also, in general, I too wouldn't go to have surgeries in big hospitals in Korea. Smaller clinics that specialize like the Dental Clinics (TFD, EU, etc) are nice for Facial contouring, but otherwise, I'd avoid the big/medium clinics. I'd never do any rhinoplasty of any sort in Korea.

Click to expand...

Could you elaborate more on why you wouldn’t do rhinoplasty in Korea? Is it really that bad? I’m having second thoughts now

 

[mlydzz]

Uhm..why complain about non english places..it's korea after all? Lmfao. There ARE english signs and hangul names on the menu sometimes too, go to touristic places like myeondong. I didn't really have a lot of trouble going alone. At least learn to read a bit of korean before going like I did? It will be very helpful. And it depends on what time you go, i did see western and foreigners who had surgery.

AND for your visa, that is why you have to tell your bank beforehand so they don't block it like I did. Your information is kind of whack.

 

[ashly117]

Loserkid said: ↑

Could you elaborate more on why you wouldn’t do rhinoplasty in Korea? Is it really that bad? I’m having second thoughts now

Click to expand...

Well, rhinoplasty is a big surgery. And I wouldn't want to do any big surgeries in Korea with the popular clinics that offer them. However, I give exceptions to things like genioplasty, 2Jaw, or Vline at dental clinics and things like head augmentation at small/specialized clinics like Jogak. You get to actually build relationships with the doctors in your consultations.

If you can find small clinics like these that specialize and give solid results for rhinoplasty and eye surgeries (I haven't found any) then by all means go for it. And, don't tell me about Cocoline and Teium because they suck in my opinion.

 

[ashly117]

^TBH, MVP wasn't all that great in my opinion and from what others have told me. Perhaps the experience was different for you. I had a minor procedure there which went fine, but I'd be damned if I went there for a major eye procedures like lateral canthoplasty, eye lift, blepharoplasty, or ptosis correction on both eyes or anything like that. MVP had the exact same shadiness the other big clinics had and my consult with Seo lasted for about 5 min.

 

[albertis]

Yes , that´s the clinic Darps or DA. After only 2 months 75 % of the good results are gone and you feel of course like sh.... Yes there is a subtle of 25 % difference but too little for all this inconvenience. You don´t want to pay 7000 dollars for just two months. I think the fat graft procedure simply does not work or work for a couple of months only, then the fat dissolves per se. It is a hype procedure to let people think they won`t go through a total face lift but actually it is very hard and I still got hematomas on my cheeks after 2 months so I have to wear glasses all the time. I know you guys want to dream about getting a nice face volume and marvel about the perfect clinic to do it right but this clinic did it right too but is gone after only 2 months!!. We want fantasy and they sell us fantasy over there and here in Europe too. The problem is that this technique does not last at all , it is not the clinic. The only good thing we have against abusive marketing are forums like this so we all check the hard reality. Please also be careful with Korean girls from the clinics posting here. They flood the internet with all kind of testimonials about how good the surgeons are and post the results of only after 2 weeks, but again if it does not last at all for me is kind of fake. Sorry for the dissapointment and good luck to all !!

 

[eurasianbeauty]

That's your opinion, and you're more than welcome to it. I speak 8 languages (English as my first) and was botched numerous times here in the United States, where I was born, bred and have lived my entire life. One of the biggest stars in the world had their surgery done at the last clinic. The fact is that you can be as careful as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs and still get botched.

I'm not going to do this xenophobic BS. The only county you should go to and expect the people to speak English is England. You shouldn't expect an Asian country to cater to you. I spent the time and learned Korean to be able to go there and be respectful. And you have only to contact the government to get an English speaking translator. Or choose a clinic with its own. Don't blame your laziness on them. Only a fool leaved their home country and doesn't call their credit card to inform them first. And you want to blame Korea for that? Jesus Christ who ties your shoes in the morning?

You can either stop the foolishness now or I can contact a Mod and get you booted. Your choice. But I don't stand for this kind of racist bullsh*t.

 

[ashly117]

@MissOrange It's good that you have positive personal experiences with MVP. This is fine. And I'm glad to see that you have a handful of positive experiences from other members as well. Although I'm surprised that you were able to remember these members and refer to them so fast. One can only think you must value MVP so much have this knowledge. I'm not surprised as you often seem to mention MVP in majority of your posts recently.

But lets talk approximately real numbers. Lets say in a Day Dr Seo does 4 surgeries give or take. That means in a week he'll do 20 surgeries (4 x 5 weekdays discounting weekends). In a month he'd do 80 surgeries. So in an entire year he does 80 * 12 = 960. We can round this down to 900 just to be conservative.
I don't know how long he's been in practice. Can we estimate 10 years? In that case he's done about 9000 surgeries not including his internships and studies and assistant times.

Out of 9000 surgeries, you've given a personal example of yours and 5 other PF members assuming they haven't been paid off/offered discounts to write reviews (which happens on PF)...assuming they haven't changed their minds after 100% healing over time and have forgotten or not cared to update their reviews. That's a total of 6 positive reviews...a 0.000666% sample size is insignificantly small. if you claim that Dr Seo has performed 100% successfully on all 9000 of his surgeries then I'm sure he would've been world famous. Models, celebrities, and actors around the world would adore him and he'd be praised as a jewel of the Korean PS industry. I wouldn't have to just hear about him from you alone.

I think you get the point here. The correct answer is that its difficult to know what to expect with regards to Plastic Surgery especially in a foreign country like Korea. There is high risk here and the best way to proceed differs from people to people. Actually a good strategy is to avoid PS when you can entirely.

 

[loserkid]

Isn’t missorange just a MVP promoter or something