My Cosmetic Surgery experience in Seoul 2018 (Namu PS)

Scientifically, I got more beautiful lol.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I really admire you for having the guts to get all them done and having the patience to do all the research and consultations. All the time and effort you put in are totally worth it! I am currently saving up money and hopefully, I can do rhino one day. Would you mind sharing a photo of the nose? (only if you are comfortable with that) thanks!
 
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This is one the best write ups I've ever read from someone documenting their entire ps journey. After getting botched in Thailand, some people might have let such an experience destroy the rest of their life, but you grew wise beyond your years from that. I love that you warn people who expect surgery will fix their lives, healing has to start from the inside first or else those demons will come back sooner or later. You also knew exactly what you wanted and was right for your face, I think people need to go into consultations confident as you were or else they may get talked into additional procedures they don't need or even worse that change but don't improve their looks.

I'd never have considered a side trip to Japan the second week of recovery after all that work, pretty awesome you made the most of your time while recovering. Thanks so much for sharing all this wisdom with us! :smile:
 
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 :P

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. :heart:

** 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.:P 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 :smile:

**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.

Hi , may I ask what other did at Face Dental?
I am really almost decided for this clinic. Every single case is important to me now..
 
Thanks for sharing your experience! What eyelid procedure did you undergo with the clinic? And are you able to dm me the price you got quoted for the eye surgery?
I don't know the price I paid for eyes because I only ever focused on the totals the clinics gave me. I knew I was doing a lot of procedures so I had a lot more negotiation strength on my side. I chose to focus on the end total. So that was another reason why I wasn't budging from my budget. I didn't need to but if you're only doing one surgery be a little flexible.
 
I don't know the price I paid for eyes because I only ever focused on the totals the clinics gave me. I knew I was doing a lot of procedures so I had a lot more negotiation strength on my side. I chose to focus on the end total. So that was another reason why I wasn't budging from my budget. I didn't need to but if you're only doing one surgery be a little flexible.[/QUOTE
Thanks for sharing your experience! What eyelid procedure did you undergo with the clinic? And are you able to dm me the price you got quoted for the eye surgery?
I got a medium crease, in out fold with pstois correction.
 
I am wondering why Namu has no many reviews on line... any idea? maybe they are so good.. sometimes people talk about bad exepriences and good are not mentioned in internet. do you know anymore positive reviews on them?
 
**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.
Where can i found source that namu doctors work in banobagi ? I dont see this in banobagi website..
 
Where can i found source that namu doctors work in banobagi ? I dont see this in banobagi website..
Only dr joung so woo use to work for banobagi. I don’t know where it is online but considering he left banobagi to go work at namu; I don’t see why banobagi would keep his profile on their website to promote a doctor who doesn’t work for them any more. Of course they would only put profiles of the doctors that are currently working for them. It’s unreasonable and illogical for them to benefit from a doctor that chose to leave their hospital. No hospital does this. They don’t want their customers following him to another clinic. This is business sense.