CONSULTATION + SURGERY DAY
I want to begin this review by saying that I actually plan on uploading a Youtube video on my experience at Regen. I've seen lots of sponsored surgery reviews done by social media influencers with thousands of fans, but I've barely seen any reviews posted by average-Joe's like myself.
I'm a 25 yr old mixed black/white woman from the United States.
I chose Regen for two reasons, the first one being Dr. Oh's huge success on Korean television. The second reason was the fact that I had seen more positive reviews about their practice when compared to clinics like ID and Wonjin.
I contacted Jina through Line app and immediately mentioned the most important key detail of this entire journey: I wanted to make my -chin- less square. I had no intentions of changing my jawline as it was already extremely slim. I simply needed the "v" shape in my chin.
I wen't through the process of putting down a deposit (you're offered a percentage off if you send money ahead of time and write an honest review afterward) and booked my trip to South Korea.
Fast forward to consultation day. You're not allowed to eat/drink 12 hours before surgery.
Everything happens very quickly. You have an hour or so to take x-rays, bloodwork, and fill out paperwork. Jina was present for the whole thing, guiding me through the process. (She was definitely very friendly and sweet.) Finally, I was allowed a chance to talk to Dr. Oh. I showed him a before/after photo of what I wanted my chin to look like (something I whipped up in photoshop) and made sure the emphasize the importance of changing the chin.
He had examined my x-rays. He mentioned my face was already asymmetrical and would do the best he could to work with the shape. He also brought up that he would have to do v-line (rather than mini v-line) to achieve the small "v" shaped chin I longed for. V-line involves removing some jaw bone as opposed to mini v-line where they only cut/shave the chin.
Now, like I mentioned earlier, I'm an average-Joe. The intricate details of plastic surgery will always be a mystery to me. The way Dr. Oh explained things, he left me with the impression that I wouldn't have the chin shape I wanted unless he removed some jaw bone.
Side note, I came into this meeting expecting this suggestion.
Another user on this forum mentioned this sort of up-sale during her consultation as well (even though several other clinics told her a mini-vline would be fine.) She seemed semi-happy with the result so I wasn't particularly bothered by the Oh's suggestion.
I figured "Hey, he's a doctor. Surely he wouldn't recommend this unless he thought he couldn't get the job done without it."
V-line is in fact more expensive than mini v-line. I took a leap of faith and agreed to let him cut off some of the jaw-bone as well. As long as it meant my chin wouldn't be so box-y and square. (He then wen't on to explain to me how is methods would decrease the risk of sagging, another important factor in my decision on going with him.)
Next thing I know, I'm in a hospital gown being prepped for surgery.
You don't feel anything. They put you out with general anesthesia and you wake up 1-2 hours later. The worst part of recovery is probably the first couple of hours. I couldn't really swallow, and when I did, my throat felt dry and tight. I had tape wrapped around my chin and jaw (I guess to hold everything in place as I healed). The skin between my gums and bottom lip was stitched up and my entire face was swollen/puffy.
I didn't sleep the first night (and only night) they kept me in the hosptial. I kept spitting up bloody mucus (saliva production is ridiculous) and it felt like I'd choke on my own tongue if I laid back a bit too far.I stayed in an upright position on my phone for most of the night. I had a nurse checking on me every once in a while. You're suppose to use an icepack on your chin/jaw area to help reduce swelling, but for some reason I think the nurse forgot to tell me where/how to get icepacks. I finally had access to one closer to the morning when she showed me where the freezer was.
Morning was a bit better. I was finally able to have a sip of water. It didn't go down easy, but it helped with the dry feeling.
I was sent back to my hotel with a prescription for medicine (I'm assuming anti-biotics), mouth-wash to keep my stitches clean, pain killers, an icepack, and aftercare instructions.
The next few days were a rollercoaster. The extreme swelling really distorts any concept you might have about what your face is going to look like. It felt like my face was changing shape every hour!
You're also unable to eat solid food, so I stuck with a lot of drinkable yogurt and porridge.
I wasn't bedridden. Walking is actually encouraged, so I spent most of my days cycling between keeping up with medicine, using the prescribed deswelling methods, and exploring South Korea.
WEEKS 1+2
Everyday, my swelling was going down. Little by little.
Now, one thing I must say that I immediately recognized is that Dr.Oh took off A LOT of my jaw-bone.
As the swelling went down (and after seeing x-rays at my 1-week post-op appointment with Jina) it was immediately obvious that he took off as much as he could (ultimately having to stop where the nerves on my jaw began). I'm indifferent about this (and I might be inclined to say he removed too much?) as the jaw was not my concern in the first place. I have some salivary gland swelling that may be permanent (and it's certainly accentuated by the reduced jaw-line.) It is still asymmetrical (something he warned of beforehand). So I guess if you're looking to correct your jaw, Regen might be a good choice for you. That's undeniable.
I also noticed (after viewing the post-op x-rays) that he didn't use the t-osteotomy cut I thought would be necessary to address a square chin. That's...worrying.
With this deswelling, I became increasingly confused about the chin area.
My husband said my chin appeared to be just as wide, long, and square-shaped. (He jokingly asks if I even had any work done lol) I had to agree. Worried, I ended up scheduling a meeting with Oh since he wasn't present at the 1-week appointment. He re-assured me that everything was -still swollen- and that I would need to wait at least 6 months to see how things shape up. (He also mentioned that botox shots to reduce chin muscle would be a solution if my chin still appeared square. I'm honestly not sure if this would work.)
Just before the two-week mark, I have an appointment for lazer treament (It was not explained to me how it works, but apparently the lazers help reduce swelling??). Then, on the two-week mark, I have an appointment for stitch removal. It didn't hurt that bad and simply felt like somebody pinching my gums with their fingernails.
I once again express my concerns with Dr.Oh about the current "square" shape of my chin. In all honesty, even now, it looks exactly the same as my pre-op chin. He once again reassures me that it's swelling and that I should wait. (He also recommends botox shots again. I'm definitely getting a second opinion in the US if it comes to that.)
We'll see how this goes. I'm trying to have faith that the chin will become more "v"-shaped by the end of the journey. What do you guys think? I've attached two before photos and one marked "After".
It would be a bit weird (and expensive) to have had a surgery where none of my actual concerns were addressed properly. I'll keep you all updated and post again when the Youtube video is up!
I want to begin this review by saying that I actually plan on uploading a Youtube video on my experience at Regen. I've seen lots of sponsored surgery reviews done by social media influencers with thousands of fans, but I've barely seen any reviews posted by average-Joe's like myself.
I'm a 25 yr old mixed black/white woman from the United States.
I chose Regen for two reasons, the first one being Dr. Oh's huge success on Korean television. The second reason was the fact that I had seen more positive reviews about their practice when compared to clinics like ID and Wonjin.
I contacted Jina through Line app and immediately mentioned the most important key detail of this entire journey: I wanted to make my -chin- less square. I had no intentions of changing my jawline as it was already extremely slim. I simply needed the "v" shape in my chin.
I wen't through the process of putting down a deposit (you're offered a percentage off if you send money ahead of time and write an honest review afterward) and booked my trip to South Korea.
Fast forward to consultation day. You're not allowed to eat/drink 12 hours before surgery.
Everything happens very quickly. You have an hour or so to take x-rays, bloodwork, and fill out paperwork. Jina was present for the whole thing, guiding me through the process. (She was definitely very friendly and sweet.) Finally, I was allowed a chance to talk to Dr. Oh. I showed him a before/after photo of what I wanted my chin to look like (something I whipped up in photoshop) and made sure the emphasize the importance of changing the chin.
He had examined my x-rays. He mentioned my face was already asymmetrical and would do the best he could to work with the shape. He also brought up that he would have to do v-line (rather than mini v-line) to achieve the small "v" shaped chin I longed for. V-line involves removing some jaw bone as opposed to mini v-line where they only cut/shave the chin.
Now, like I mentioned earlier, I'm an average-Joe. The intricate details of plastic surgery will always be a mystery to me. The way Dr. Oh explained things, he left me with the impression that I wouldn't have the chin shape I wanted unless he removed some jaw bone.
Side note, I came into this meeting expecting this suggestion.
Another user on this forum mentioned this sort of up-sale during her consultation as well (even though several other clinics told her a mini-vline would be fine.) She seemed semi-happy with the result so I wasn't particularly bothered by the Oh's suggestion.
I figured "Hey, he's a doctor. Surely he wouldn't recommend this unless he thought he couldn't get the job done without it."
V-line is in fact more expensive than mini v-line. I took a leap of faith and agreed to let him cut off some of the jaw-bone as well. As long as it meant my chin wouldn't be so box-y and square. (He then wen't on to explain to me how is methods would decrease the risk of sagging, another important factor in my decision on going with him.)
Next thing I know, I'm in a hospital gown being prepped for surgery.
You don't feel anything. They put you out with general anesthesia and you wake up 1-2 hours later. The worst part of recovery is probably the first couple of hours. I couldn't really swallow, and when I did, my throat felt dry and tight. I had tape wrapped around my chin and jaw (I guess to hold everything in place as I healed). The skin between my gums and bottom lip was stitched up and my entire face was swollen/puffy.
I didn't sleep the first night (and only night) they kept me in the hosptial. I kept spitting up bloody mucus (saliva production is ridiculous) and it felt like I'd choke on my own tongue if I laid back a bit too far.I stayed in an upright position on my phone for most of the night. I had a nurse checking on me every once in a while. You're suppose to use an icepack on your chin/jaw area to help reduce swelling, but for some reason I think the nurse forgot to tell me where/how to get icepacks. I finally had access to one closer to the morning when she showed me where the freezer was.
Morning was a bit better. I was finally able to have a sip of water. It didn't go down easy, but it helped with the dry feeling.
I was sent back to my hotel with a prescription for medicine (I'm assuming anti-biotics), mouth-wash to keep my stitches clean, pain killers, an icepack, and aftercare instructions.
The next few days were a rollercoaster. The extreme swelling really distorts any concept you might have about what your face is going to look like. It felt like my face was changing shape every hour!
You're also unable to eat solid food, so I stuck with a lot of drinkable yogurt and porridge.
I wasn't bedridden. Walking is actually encouraged, so I spent most of my days cycling between keeping up with medicine, using the prescribed deswelling methods, and exploring South Korea.
WEEKS 1+2
Everyday, my swelling was going down. Little by little.
Now, one thing I must say that I immediately recognized is that Dr.Oh took off A LOT of my jaw-bone.
As the swelling went down (and after seeing x-rays at my 1-week post-op appointment with Jina) it was immediately obvious that he took off as much as he could (ultimately having to stop where the nerves on my jaw began). I'm indifferent about this (and I might be inclined to say he removed too much?) as the jaw was not my concern in the first place. I have some salivary gland swelling that may be permanent (and it's certainly accentuated by the reduced jaw-line.) It is still asymmetrical (something he warned of beforehand). So I guess if you're looking to correct your jaw, Regen might be a good choice for you. That's undeniable.
I also noticed (after viewing the post-op x-rays) that he didn't use the t-osteotomy cut I thought would be necessary to address a square chin. That's...worrying.
With this deswelling, I became increasingly confused about the chin area.
My husband said my chin appeared to be just as wide, long, and square-shaped. (He jokingly asks if I even had any work done lol) I had to agree. Worried, I ended up scheduling a meeting with Oh since he wasn't present at the 1-week appointment. He re-assured me that everything was -still swollen- and that I would need to wait at least 6 months to see how things shape up. (He also mentioned that botox shots to reduce chin muscle would be a solution if my chin still appeared square. I'm honestly not sure if this would work.)
Just before the two-week mark, I have an appointment for lazer treament (It was not explained to me how it works, but apparently the lazers help reduce swelling??). Then, on the two-week mark, I have an appointment for stitch removal. It didn't hurt that bad and simply felt like somebody pinching my gums with their fingernails.
I once again express my concerns with Dr.Oh about the current "square" shape of my chin. In all honesty, even now, it looks exactly the same as my pre-op chin. He once again reassures me that it's swelling and that I should wait. (He also recommends botox shots again. I'm definitely getting a second opinion in the US if it comes to that.)
We'll see how this goes. I'm trying to have faith that the chin will become more "v"-shaped by the end of the journey. What do you guys think? I've attached two before photos and one marked "After".
It would be a bit weird (and expensive) to have had a surgery where none of my actual concerns were addressed properly. I'll keep you all updated and post again when the Youtube video is up!
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