My Cosmetic Surgery experience in Seoul 2018 (Namu PS)

[flowerpower111]

**This thread is a way for me to give back to the PF community and to those who gave their time to helping others know what to expect when traveling abroad in the pursuit of a more beautiful me/you. This will be half a review about Namu clinic and half my CS journey experience.

This isn't sponsored.

(**Double stars are reflections/thoughts/opinions that may be good to know.Helpful tips & side notes)

Have you seen those Youtube videos of Youtube celebrites getting the whole VIP surgery experience? I had that experience at NAMU without being a celebrity.

Issues/concerns: Droopy, uneven, sausage eyelids with multiple creases. L-shaped nose implant that was unnatural,crooked, bridge was to high, and too big for my face. Felt there was something off and imbalanced about my face but didn't know what it was. I pretty much already had a v-line but felt something was off. Like my face was too big and that my head was too big for my body. Something was seriously off. My profile before looked like a witch in my opinion. Found out later I had a protruding chin.

**My face was very asymmetrical so symmetry was also another huge priority for me. As symmetrical as possible I told the doctor. He let me know it's not 100% possible ever. I let him know that it's okay. 99.9% was acceptable too.

Surgeries performed: Eye revision, nose revision, sliding geinoplasty/mandible angle cutting, facial fat grafting, lip fillers, & scar removal

Back Story: I've been lurking through purseforum(PF) for years trying to research like many others on here; information about clinics & procedures that would correct my past botched surgeries. Five years ago, I flew to Thailand on the suggestion of my sister to get surgery on my eyes & a last minute nose job that I believed would give my face more dimension. The surgeries did not turn out well. I was left with uneven, asymmetrical droopy sausage eyelids and a nose that was obviously fake. I was crushed. It took a blow to my self esteem and took years for me to build back my confidence. I use to think that I was pretty and I thought this would be a plus/enhance that, but it was the complete opposite. I was never conscious about my looks until I messed up my face.

**I found out a few years later that the clinic that I went to in thailand was not even run by a board certified plastic surgeon but a regular physician(not a surgeon) who had a patient from britian die during surgery at his clinic. The same clinic I went too. Thank god he is official shut down and behind bars in thailand.

Fast forward 5 years: After years of rebuilding my self esteem and working on my character to the point where I was happy and my looks weren't crippling me anymore, I decided that I would give this one more try. I decided now was a good time because I knew I would be okay even if the surgeries didn't turn out well. (i.e. I wasn't expecting much)

**I want to mention that some people going into surgery expecting it to fix their whole life. Believing Mr. Right will come in after you fix your face or all your problems will go away once your beautiful is a misconception. It won't and it never will. It didn't solve issues for me, my sisters, or my own friends that I love. You need to fix your own underlying problems. Cosmetic surgery is only a band aid that you put on an open wound when your mindset is like that. What you really want is to close the wound and heal it. Do this for you. Not for someone else.

One day, after my semester ended I decided to fly out to korea last minute to get eyelid surgery & nose surgery(maybe v-line). I consulted with banobagi(#1 choice), MVP, grand(because my cousin had her nose done there), ect. (The popular/bigger hospitals on PF) I walked away confused and not confident about going through with the surgeries. So, instead of being risky like I did when I was in thailand. I decided to fly home instead and do more research because this time around I wanted it done right and I wasn't going to settle. You could say I went to test the waters.

I remember being in the taxi on the way to the airport back and I saw NAMU clinics sign. I took a picture and saved it in my phone to do research later.I'm glad I did.

Opinions on the clinics I went too/Things that struck me/Pro tips on deciding on a clinic:

I will say this. Banobagi doctors are excellent well trained highly skilled surgeons that can communicate well with the patients. Bar none. I met doctors park, oh, and lee. Not only could they tell me what was wrong. They told me why, how, where,what, and showed me pictures & diagrams. They definatley have their craft down and the attention to detail was unmatched by no other clinic besides the one I ended up choosing. The only issue was the pricing. Total quote after discounts was about 25,000 USD. I flew in to korea with 25,000 USD; cash money ready on hand to use for my total trip. Which includes housing/food/transportation. I was not about to pay that much. I felt the pricing was astronomical.

**I'm wealthy not stupid.

**If I could have had Dr. Park for my surgeon I would have taken him in a heart beat. I seriously considered paying the price anyways too.

After going to banobagi pretty much every other clinic said the same things with a few variations here or there. Some suggested other things/some discouraged me from have certain procedures that I wanted. (Little things like epi, lateral, FC)

**MVP threw me for a loop and totally didn't not get my aesthetic/listen to me at all. I was really disappointed because they are so well review on PF but they were totally off by what I wanted. I felt like I wasn't heard.

**Look, let's just make this very clear. I know what I want my face to look like. You can't just give me any face you want to give me. I'm open to suggestions but don't push me.

I won't go in to any further detail because my consults were pretty much all the same. I didn't really ask much questions after banobagi pretty much just laid it all out there for me. They made all my other consults easy. I knew what to look for after I consulted with them/what kind of doctor/clinic I wanted. So after them, all I had to do was hunt for pricing.

**I wanted doctors as skilled and as detailed as banobagi doctors who are flexible and have performed on faces other than korean faces. Doctors who have the ability to do multiple styles and have some understanding of different aesthetics. At the same time, I didn't want a clinic that was chaotic like banobagis' clinic was. A more clean and boutique style clinic like MVP's clinic was desirable. However, above all else a clinic that was professional and worked well together as a team was a big priority to me.

**You'll know what kind of service/ after care you receive by how the staff behaves. I was definitely evaluating the staff. I really noticed how unorganized & unprofessional some clinics could be.

My second attempt flying into Korea August:

After a few more months of researching I decided I was flying into Korea one more time and was adamant about getting my surgery done this time around. (But I was also willing to walk away) I camae to korea with no return flight. I was gonna find the right doctor this time. I was on a mission.

I did more research when I was in the states and realized I wanted a closed rhinoplasty. This was important to me because I didn't want any scarring. I've lived many years with an already obliviously fake crooked nose. I wanted to look like a real person this time. So my top priority was nose, then eyes, and last facial contouring.

** I know it sounds ridiculous to have bone surgery as my lowest priority but from my experience all you really need is to find a skull surgeon who is part owner of the clinic. And if you think about it, a surgeon who was trained in the craniofacial area would/is usually already highly skilled and all craniofacial surgeons I met spoke english. On top of all of that, they are usually the head surgeon/owners of the clinic and investors usually invest in doctors when they want to start a clinic. Which means the doctors skill has to already be great otherwise who would want to risk their money in opening a clinic with a bad surgeon who has a terrible reputation. It doesn't make any business sense. So, that was my reasoning for it being my lowest priority.

** Everyone and their mom has done eye surgery in Korea so I felt that the skill level couldn't be that drastic between doctors.

** A nose can change a whole persons facial balance. I believe this surgery needs to be everyone utmost priority if they do decide to get a rhino. It can easily be botched and every time you have to redo it gets more and more difficult for the next surgeon to fix. (Remeber michael jackson.)

This time around I decided I wanted a locals clinic. I narrowed it down to 5 clinic. Opera (#1 choice), Namu, View, Item, Dream, and The face dental for chin surgery. I chose these clinics because of popularity amongst locals, pricing, and the ability to do closed rhino since this was the surgery I prioritized the most.

 

[flowerpower111]

2nd half:

Day of consultations: I went to Dream and Opera before settling on Namu as my clinic. I didn't finish the remaining consults because I didn't need to. I had all the information I needed and Namu was comparable to banobagi level doctors for me.

Dream: Too conservative and I wasn't ready to commit without going to opera first. They couldn't do closed rhino for me. Pricing was a little on the mid-higher end but that's okay.

Opera: Super disappointed because my online consult was so great. They told me everything but in person they left a bad impression by messing up my appointments. I told them I was coming in and they did not have an english translator ready. I tried communicating with the vietnamese translator as best to my ability. I'm pretty much fluent except for medical terms and her accent was a different part of vietnam then the one I am use too. Staff was unprofessional. Red flag for me. I tried to get out of there as quickly as I came in after I noticed the chaos.

Namu: Clean boutique style clinic. Very well organized and with only locals when I came in. I liked the professionalism and the staff. I honestly wasn't excited about them until I met Dr. Jeong. I knew I had to have my surgery with him when I met him. He's clear, detailed, explained why, how, what, where, pictures, diagrams, and took the time to understand my concerns and aesthetics. He even busted out paper to draw diagrams to show me how/why this or that would/wouldn't work. He can do natural or dolly eyes. Closed or open rhinos. He gave me so many options. I was shook.

Another note, I knew he was the one because he was the only other doctor besides doctor lee who could spot that I had incional eyelid surgery. Other doctors didn't know. I told then I had nonincisional. The only other doctor who caught this was doctor lee from banobagi. Everyone else was fooled because I healed completley scarless from my first surgery. Nobody can tell even if you look close.

Also, Dr lee and kirk were the ones who gave me two options/let me know my options. Two jaw or just bone shaving. My case isn't severe so I didn't do bone shaving.

**FYI I had to do open rhino because my first doctor put an implant so large in my nose it wasn't possible to correct my problems without an open rhino. I was hesitant but I still chose Dr. Jeong. I was confident in him.

**I found out later he was a doctor from banobagi and they poached. I felt like I won the lottery when I found him. I got a banobagi doctor without paying banobagi prices!

Then I met Dr. Kirk. Very relaxed/calm and he could answer any question just like Dr. Park. I didn't have many questions because Dr. Park pretty much answered all of them and I could tell Dr. Kirk was heading into that direction with all of the same explanations. They are two of the same minds.

**The only task left was pricing/negotiations.

Although, I really liked Namu I was not going to budge on pricing and was considering getting surgeries at multiple different clinics too fit into this. I definitely played hard ball and they let me know what their opening price was and asked me for my opinion. I checked against the pricing I received at the many other clinics I went too. Namu pretty much where willing to match everything so I was good to go. I walked out there thinking I just struck gold and was excited for my surgeries.

**Don't be afraid to walk away. There will be a clinic out there (most likely next door) that is willing to work within your price range but please don't be ridiculous too. Nothing pass 40% off their initial offering is ever going to happen. Most likely you'll hit in the 20% off range. 10% is a joke and fight for the 30% range. If you ever get luckily enough to be offered 40% take it and run away with it. It'll be your best offer you'll get.

**In retrospect I could have probably got a cheaper price at another clinic but I got doctor Jeong & Kirk so I'm overall very happy to pay a little more for them.

Surgery:

Day of surgery: I had to fast for 10 hours because I was going under GA. When it hit 11:55 P.M. I chugged two 2 liter bottle of waters so I wouldn't be dehydrated. This was a bad idea because I woke up every hour at night to empty my bladder. I would call this a fail.

** I can tolerate hunger pains but I can not tolerate dehydration of any kind. I get light headed and weak. Can't think straight and dry mouth which I hate.

My surgery was first thing in the morning. The whole staff was there and worked well together. I had a final explanation with the coordinators and they told me how they mapped out a plan for my surgery. This kind of scared me because I didn't realize how serious it was until I noticed how serious they were taking it. They told me the doctors switch off and will start with eyes, then jaw, then nose, lipo, facial fat grafting, and lip fillers last. I saw the doctors for one last final consultation to get the aesthetics down and for them to prepare my face by drawing on the surgical sites.

Last but not least I was led to the surgery room and they cleaned my face. There had to be about 5-6 people in the room. The surgeon and anthesiologist came in last after the nurses prepared me. I started getting really scared until Dr. Jeong started talking. He calmed me and walked me through the whole surgery before they put me down to sleep. Dr. Jeong showed me measuring tools before he began his surgery. Symmetry was important to me.

**FYI I don't know what the anthesiologist gave me but I had a grand o'l time with the medication. I saw revolving flowers and colorful doors. I thought I was floating. Best anesthesiologist ever! I was having a ball. And then I woke up and it was over. TAKE ME BACK!!

After my eyes they put me under GA and I woke up to Linda's voice(the translator). I asked her how long my surgery was and it took 7 hours. She let me know that they had to take fat from my thighs instead of my stomach because the doctor said I had no fat on my stomach and I'm completely musclur there. She was curious and asked me how. I told her honestly all I do is run. She told me not to lose weight for a month and I let her know that will be difficult for me because my muscles eat away at my body pretty quickly.

** FYI I use to be obese and it took 5 years to change my lifestyle and eating habits. It's been a slow and rewarding fitness journey.

After surgery I could have water for another four hours. It was horrible. They told me not to sleep too because I've been sleeping for awhile and its not good to sleep to long so try to stay awake. So I did and it was not pleasant. All I could think about was water.

Another thing to note. I remember waking up and touching my jaw line. I got really excited at that moment. I could feel it is now shorter and the shape OMG! My face was small!

** I had a better experience then other PF members I met up with. They let me know that they threw up and chocked on blood while I was just thirst. I think it was because my doctor put blood drainage tube in my mouth so I wouldn't go through that.

4 hours passed and that beginning bit of water was salvation.

That night I couldn't stop taking pictures of my face. Although I was slightly swollen. I saw the symmetry and balance in my face. My chin and jawline got me super excited! I was so happy! I could tell I was going to beautiful.

 

[flowerpower111]

Part 3 Recovery:

Day 1 Post op: I woke up like a daisy. Full of energy I was tired of laying down upright. I wanted to go out. The staff told me to slow down and just go back to my place and rest for a few days even though I really just wanted to go out. My doctor both came to see me to let me know how the surgery went and what they did. Doctor Jeong corrected my breathing problems. Which was awesome. He also let me know days 2&3 are the worse. I thought that was considered day 2 so I said I felt fine I was sadly mistaken.

Linda prepared me for the driver to take me back to my airbnb. She sent me off with 2 goody backs that had my medicine antiseptic, pumpkin juice, nutritional milk, eye masks for icing, ect.

Day 2 Post op: This day was alright. I was really just struggling with feeding myself. I've been on liquid diets before so I was okay. Not much happened just kept myself entertained.

Day 3 Post op: OMG! this was the worst. I swelled up like a balloon! What made it worse was the fact that I could barley breathe because of the runs/boogers dripping down my though in the back from rhinoplasty. I could only breathe through my mouth which meant my throat got dry quickly because I'm on an all liquid diet. Which also meant I needed to go to the restroom often. On top of all of that I had to sleep upright the whole time and keep my self elevated. On this day I seriously thought to myself. Like dam, was this really worth it? Was I that ugly that I had to do this to myself? Is all this tourture going to be worth it?(It was worth it) It made me depressed. Luckily I was in contact with other PF members on kakao and the forums they were very supportive which helped me get thorough it.

Day 4 Post op: I went out for check ups and met up with PF members and we all got to check out each others surgeries since we all went to different hospitals. I also got my blood drainage tubes removed. Dr. Kirk took my hands and put it on my my jawline. Asked me to feel it. I was like WOW!. It's so small and such a difference. I thanked him and he left.

I can now go outside. I was swollen but I could tell I am gonna end up looking good. Still couldn't eat solid foods but that's okay. They told me to take it easy for awhile. I did not listen to them. When I had the okay to start moving around, I went everywhere. Hongdae, Meyongdong, all over gangnam, the palaces.

Meeting up with other PF members we exchanged our old photos and compared. Everyone said my change was the most drastic and that I now look like a doll. They told me I looked unreal at the time but very pretty. I was still swollen mind you. I liked what I looked like when I swollen actually. I got more lip fillers later to achieve the same look.

Day 6-10 Post op: More of the same swelling ect. By day 10 a lot of the swelling went down and I removed my nose cast and eye stitches today. In addition to the tape around my jaw and to be honest the tape really was such a great idea. Because if you don't wear you head bandage which I took off when I wanted to eat. The tape really helped made my face feel like it was not falling off from my bones.

** I also greeted and had breakfast with a new PF member on this day and I she had the opertuninty to check out my face before everything was taken off. I hope I didn't scare her with all the wrappings and stickers and drawing still on my face

Day 10-14: I went to japan for the weekend. I deswelled with a quickness when I was gone. When I came back to remove my final stitches it was a big improvement. I also went to NAMU for more lip fillers. Honestly NAMU was great a bunch of other PF members came with me to NAMU for my check ups and even though they had surgery at other clinic they recieved free deswelling treatments at NAMU. We also had a filler/botox party because at NAMU they had a dermatology department. We all filled up with lip fillers and botox before we left (twice). It's an addiction.

I had an opportunity to meet the owner of the clinic as well. A very nice lady from the U.S. specifically Seattle. OMG! She oozes class. She looks like she eat diamonds for breakfast and sweats quarters. She was very hospital and kind. I loved her energy. Humble too.

**I pray to god I end up like her in the future. She's the definition of class. I like her. I will become her.

** If you want to deswell quickly, minimize salt at all cost. I ate so much salty foods. I really didn't change my diet when I was Post op. I didn't think it would make much of a difference but it does. I'm a bad patient.

** Ice pack for 3-4 days. Then switch over to warm compresses after.

Day 15: Time to head home. I said bye to all my new friends. Hope to visit them in the states and around the world. NAMU sent me a driver to take me to the airport. This was much appreciated. NAMU really cared for me every step of the way. I had facials, multiple deswelling treatments, hair washes, the drivers, and free treatments for my friends. I wasn't expecting any of this. I thought it would be like the US where you get your surgery go home and your on your own from there.

Reasons why I chose NAMU:
1) Let's just be clear. We should all chase doctors not clinic reputations. Dr. Jeong & Kirk.
2)They had a dermatology department. I wanted a clinic that had everything in one. So, whenever I stopped by Seoul I could just pop right in and get some fillers or skin treatments. Not hunt down another clinic for it.They're a one stop shop.
3)The staff was professional. Worked as a team.
4)They really wanted to work with me.
5)Location(it wasn't that big of a deal but yeah)
6) I could do all my surgeries in one place.
7) NAMU's 2 year guarantee no questions asked revisions at no extra cost. (This is clinic has the longest guarantee I've found. I respect that. It shows integrity and they stand by their work. In addition, 2 years is a good time to make any decisions because the full results of a surgery don't really show until the 1 year mark. Especially, for rhinos. My friend told me the nose changes a lot after a year. He's had multiple rhinos already. )

Notable clinics that had good results as well which I saw from other PF member while there:
1) The face dental (No surprises here)
2) View (Great eyes)

**To this day I am currently less than 3 weeks post op. I got a lot of emails asking questions I hope this answered most for you. I thought this would be easier instead of answering the same questions repeatedly. I am not ready to show my pictures yet as I am still swollen and still have bruising on my eyes. After, one month I can start sending them out. I am still deciding on how I am going to send out my pictures too because I don't want my whole face floating around the internet to be honest.

In conclusion, I am happy! I finally got the face I feel like I always should have had. Acutally, it has exceeded my expectations because of the facial contouring. I didn't know I could look this good. I feel like I look like a doll now. Instead, of every time looking in the mirror and becoming disappointed because I didn't see what I thought I looked like but an ugly witch. I get surprised now and get stuck staring at my self for few minutes. Lost in how even/balanced my face is now.(Vanity) It's still surreal too me. I don't need to photoshop my face anymore and I don't feel my face needs anything too. It's done. I'm complete

**I'd like to mention NAMU for nose. Also, try to meet up with people especially if your getting bone surgery. Otherwise, it will be a long lonely recovery. Find a clinic you are comfortable with. Don't settle. I read a lot about PF members who say they felt trapped in to saying yes or going along with surgeries. You should make it very clear, the style/aesthetic your going for. They are doctors not mind readers. Of course they want you to be happy with your final results. It's their skill/ pride their putting on the line. Do your part. Communication is key. Bring whatever you need to get your point across.

**This was my experience. Let me know if anyone has any questions. I'm here to help. I know the process can be confusing and scary. Hopefully, this will add to the list of many guides out there on what/how you should go about your surgery. K coutures guide is also a really helpful reference. I went through that thing meticulously to get an idea of what to expect.

 

[cuteface]

hello

 

[cuteface]

Flowerpower111 said: ↑

Part 3 Recovery:

I am not ready to show my pictures yet as I am still swollen and still have bruising on my eyes. After, one month I can start sending them out. I am still deciding on how I am going to send out my pictures too because I don't want my whole face floating around the internet to be honest.

Click to expand...

I'm curious with your result. Hope you can send me your pics.

I am planning to go to Korea to get my nose done. I was initially considering GNG but after reading some bad reviews tonight, I am having second thoughts. I am really struggling to find the right doctor/clinic to get my nose done.

 

[sparklecloud]

@Flowerpower111 hey~ I am going to namu for primary rhinoplasty consultation too!!! Glad I came across your post on purseforum.

Can I ask you who's your rhino doctor again? Was it Dr. Juong Soo Woo or Dr. Hahn Jeong Heon. Since you say Dr. Jeong is your rhino doctor.




Thank uouuuu!!!!

 

[Wondermuffin]

What did Dr Kirk do for you?

 

[nikki1989]

Thank you for your review, I'm glad you had good experience with them.

 

[flowerpower111]

sparklecloud said: ↑

@Flowerpower111 hey~ I am going to namu for primary rhinoplasty consultation too!!! Glad I came across your post on purseforum.

Can I ask you who's your rhino doctor again? Was it Dr. Juong Soo Woo or Dr. Hahn Jeong Heon. Since you say Dr. Jeong is your rhino doctor.

View attachment 4175905 View attachment 4175906


Thank uouuuu!!!!

Click to expand...

My bad. It is doctor juong so woo. Thanks! My nose scar is healing scarless at the moment.

 

[flowerpower111]

Wondermuffin said: ↑

What did Dr Kirk do for you?

Click to expand...

He did genioplast & mandible shaving for me.

 

[teatime1992]

thanks for sharing your experience

 

[sparklecloud]

Flowerpower111 said: ↑

My bad. It is doctor juong so woo. Thanks! My nose scar is healing scarless at the moment.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply @Flowerpower111
Hope to see your result soon and speeedy recovery!

 

[flowerpower111]

You guys. I just ran my old face and my new face through a golden ratio app and I swear to god I got hotter by 3.5 points. lol. My face is officially a 9.5 out of 10 compared to the 6 I was before. Hahaha I’m done ‍♀️

 

[flowerpower111]

Scientifically, I got more beautiful lol.

 

[nikki1989]

Flowerpower111 said: ↑

Scientifically, I got more beautiful lol.

Click to expand...

Winner lol