Sarah, USA
Procedures I have done: V-line, zygoma reduction, rhinoplasty, fat grafting and thread lift.
I’m 23 and I’ve never been happy with how manly my jaw looked. And not only my jaw, but my whole face seemed like an exact copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The size of my face made my eyes and lips look very small and unattractive. In 2014, I decided to go to a “popular” clinic in my state and told them that I was looking for a procedure that would make me more feminine and younger. The doctor recommended lower jaw reduction (maximum 2-3 mm) and chin liposuction. It was a huge waste of money because nothing changed and left me with saggy skin and a huge scar under my chin! A couple of years after that, I realized that the procedures I was looking for involved big bone structure work and plastic surgeons in the United States mostly work with tissue (facelift, botox, fillers) and that’s when I decided to go to South Korea because studies have shown that they are number one in terms of osteotomy. That’s when the most difficult part of choosing a clinic came up. Each clinic had different reviews, so it was very difficult to decide.
I did my research and contacted many clinics: TL, ID, Jewelry, Wonjin, VIP, MINE, BK, Regan, Cinderella, etc. As with any clinic, there are good and bad reviews, some had more good ones, than others, and some demanded a deposit, which was sent immediately, without even looking at my photos. When searching for and conducting my research, I paid attention to three very important things: 1. Safety, no accidents 2. Doctors who specialize in their fields and have qualifications 3. Recovery after treatment. The search for the clinic was very stressful, because some of the before and after photos were corrected in Photoshop, and in some clinics, when they found out that I was a foreigner, they tried to “resell” me. My final decision was Dr. Yun. To be honest, one YouTube video got me thinking. The video showed a TV show about how doctors turned a girl with a really huge bite into a symmetrical face with a v-line. In my head, this was proof that the doctors understood the procedure and no photoshop was done because it was real film. Preliminary consultation: upon arrival at the clinic, I met with two translators. Oh my god… I’m not going to go into details but these two really eased my panic and stress because I was alone in a foreign country and I was very flustered about not being able to communicate or tell the doctor that I wanted. These two have been very helpful. They said that I would see three doctors. One for the nose, face and surgeon general. But first they said they needed a blood test, an ECG, an X-ray and a CT scan. The building was really big, it had different floors. I assume there was a lab on one of the floors? So the tests were there. Meeting with doctors: First doctor: Dr. Lee Suk-hyun. He was a fat grafting, rhinoplasty and thread lift doctor. He specializes in rhinoplasty. He spoke English well enough for good communication. My nose has never been big, but I wanted it to be a little sharper and my hump was removed. He agreed that this was all my nose needed. I stressed to him that I did NOT want to raise him. What bothered me the most was the sagging skin. In 2014, I had surgery (lower jaw reduction) (shaving off 2-3 millimeters) which left me with saggy skin. I asked him directly to give me a facelift. Hahahaha, I was very serious because it was my insecurity! He looked at me and said, “No, you don’t need a facelift.” I argued with him that I knew that once I got the v-line and zygomatic reduction, my skin would be very saggy. He said for my age there shouldn’t be loose skin. I was very persistent, asked if the skin would be sagging after the procedure. He replied that he would not be able to say this until a couple of months after the operation. He suggested a thread lift that would last 2-3 years and a facial liposuction (acculift) that would really help tighten the skin. I agreed. Hey, at least he was honest. Second doctor: Dr. Yoon Chang Un. He has been a physician for V-line/genioplasty and zygomatic reduction. He specializes in craniofacial surgery. He understood English very well, so it was easy to communicate with him. He sat down, looked at my CT scans and showed me step by step what he would do. He showed me the importance of my facial nerve and the part of the area that cannot be cut. I showed him a picture of my ideal face type and he said he would do his best but if I wanted that look I would need 2 jaw surgeries and I thought hell no. Doctor 3: Dr. Choi Soon Wu. Apparently he is the chief surgeon at the clinic, but he only does breast augmentation surgeries. However, he is in control. He discussed everything, the procedures that were going to be performed, what my idea of a perfect face was, safety, and if I had any other questions. I asked him if he would be in the room while I was in surgery, I asked this because, as I said earlier, the reason I chose this clinic was because I saw on YouTube how he and the doctor Yoon Chang Un operated on a girl with a huge overbite. He smiled and said yes, he oversees all operations.
Before leaving the clinic, I was given instructions on how to prepare for the next day, the time I would be at the clinic, and that the doctors would examine my blood and lab results before the operation began. The day of the surgery: I meet again with two translators and they said that the doctors checked my blood and everything, and they let me in for the operation. I was given a set of clothes for patients, and I was sent to another floor to the operating room. Doctors came to see me one after another, asking if I had any questions and encouraging me. I meet with the anesthesiologist and she put me to bed. I woke up to the fact that I could only breathe through my mouth, because my nose was pinched and I had a cotton swab inside. I wasn’t in pain, but I was very uncomfortable for two reasons. I had a urinary catheter (I didn’t have one before) and was not allowed to drink water for several hours because of the blood tubes in my mouth. When I woke up, one of the translators was there, and she said how beautifully my nose had changed. All I thought about was “what about my face”, hahahaha. I turned my face in a certain direction to see how my nerves were and felt it move, so that was a good sign! I stayed overnight at the clinic. They gave me a nutritional drip. I fall asleep surprisingly easily. The night nurse came every two or three hours to drain my blood from the tubes in my mouth.
Second day at the clinic: When I woke up, I felt no pain. They pulled my tubes out of my mouth and my catheter (thank God!). I still had to breathe through my mouth because my nose was stuffed up. It was really inconvenient. I could walk as recommended by the coordinator. She asked me if I wanted to spend one more night at the clinic because I was all alone in Korea and she was worried about me… it really made me cry. I agreed and she suggested going to the pharmacy for my medications, antibiotics and painkillers. That night, Dr. Lee Seok-hyun removed the cotton from his nose. He said it shouldn’t hurt. I asked him if everything was fine, where the stitches were, and he said everything was fine.
Third day at the clinic: So, today I was ready to be discharged. An interpreter met with me and explained that before I was discharged, the doctors would look at me again and answer all my questions. I met with Dr. Lee Suk Hyun and Dr. Yoon Chang Woon and I asked them if everything went well, if the operation was successful. They looked and then felt my face with their hands and said everything was fine. The interpreter then gave me a pack of pumpkin juice, 3 huge ice packs, masks, 2 large bottles of isotonic solution, my medications/painkillers, instructions, as well as the rules to do after surgery. She explained that swelling and bruising are normal. Then I was discharged. Follow-up care: I was given a schedule for my follow-up care schedule. On the first day of rehabilitation, I was so swollen that I could not cover my eyes with contact lenses. I met with the translator and she took me to the floor where they shampooed, conditioned and blow dried my hair. The nurse then came to clean the stitches in my mouth and nose while the interpreter explained what the nurse was saying, which was that it is very, very important to gargle and rinse with isotonic solution every two hours or after I eat/drink something. to make sure my stitches are clean. I told the nurse that I was very swollen and everything was normal. The interpreter explained that since it was the 4th day of recovery, the swelling is normal, and at the moment it is best to walk for 30 to one hour, without ice packs and sleep straight. After this cleaning and dressing, I was asked if I had any more questions. I won’t lie, I was worried a lot because I really was so swollen that my eyes practically disappeared on my cheeks. The nurse assured me that this happens after a fat graft, and that this is normal.
Day 6 after surgery: Today’s treatment was AMAZING. I washed my hair again. The swelling is gone, still there, but not like before. They put stitches in my nose and removed the bandage. I had stitches again, and I was finally able to remove the bandage from my face! I met with Dr. Lee Suk Hyun and Dr. Yoon Chang Un. Dr. Yoon Chang Un touched my face again, asked me to make an “oh”, “oh you” sound, and said that everything was fine. I asked him again if everything was symmetrical and if everything was healing well, he said yes. Dr. Lee Suk Hyun looked at my nose and explained that the stitches inside my nose would remain until next week and that everything was healing normally. ONCE AGAIN I asked him, is everything okay, how are the stitches, no swelling? normal, etc., he answered in the affirmative. After that, I was transferred to the dermatological level of the clinic and the treatment of edema began !!!!! Yes, it’s stupid to be worried about this, but I was very happy and if you have ever had a swelling on your face, then you can understand me. I relaxed in a room where a woman cleaned and removed all the dead skin cells on my face and then I was placed under a laser which helped my tumor shrink.
Honest opinion about the clinic….it’s too early to give a full honest review but for now I can honestly say that I haven’t had a bad experience yet. It’s still too early to talk about it, so I have to give it a few months before announcing it, but my stay at the clinic was pleasant and the results are definitely visible. The first thing that distinguishes them from others is attentive coordinators. The doctors are amazing and definitely specialize in what they do. I was literally shocked.
Updated October 22, 2017: 4-5 weeks after surgery. Swelling of the nose and face is still present, but has decreased slightly. No pain or pressure, for which I am grateful. Friends, family and colleagues tell me that I look nothing like before. Everyone says that I now have a “babyface”, and my features are very “soft”. It’s still too early to talk about the final results, so I’ll update the information again when it’s the second month after the operation.
Updated November 24, 2017: So, I’m on my third month post surgery. Every time I look in the mirror, I notice that my face is getting smaller and smaller every week. I believe there is still swelling in the nose and face/jaw area. My chin and jaw seem to be taking on a V-line. I’m looking forward to 6-7 months! The scar on my nose is very pink now and is healing well
Updated March 1, 2018: My open rhinoplasty scar is almost invisible! It is no longer noticeable unless someone is within 5 inches of your face. My nose is also getting smaller every month so I will keep it updated! Thanks guys!
Updated March 30, 2018: Here are a couple of questions I get asked: sagging skin/double chin? 6 months after the operation, there is no sagging or double chin. Like many other stated factors, the outcome is determined by age and how the surgeon cuts the bone/rearranges the skin. But even after 6 months, I’m still a little puffy and my face keeps shrinking, so I’ll keep an eye out for saggy skin. (** I’ve had a fat graft and an acclift, so those are also factors why I might not have sagging skin) Have other people noticed this? Well, yes. Haha, I had a square face from forehead to chin. So for me personally, the change was dramatic. After returning home from Korea, I met my friends for lunch, and their mouths dropped right after a month of surgery. They told me that I looked like a different person. It didn’t really hit me until I was drinking wine with my sister and my brother-in-law’s parents thought I was 18. Are there any problems? Luckily, I didn’t have any problems or complications. When I woke up after the operation, I still had a sensation in my mouth and on my tongue (the gums were numb). I could move my jaw without pain or numbness. Hello Dr. Yun! hahah, did you sleep in your clinic for a long time? I stayed at the clinic for two nights. It was supposed to be only one day, and I was ready to go back to my hotel, but the coordinator said she was worried about me because I was alone in Korea, with no one. She recommended and wanted me to stay another night for extra care. I have never cried since I woke up after the operation, but I did cry when she said it.
Update May 15, 2018: The scar under my nose is completely gone.
