✔️ Reason for surgery Every time I went to the dentist, it was so embarrassing that the pins were visible, so about 2 years after my surgery I decided to have the cheekbone pins removed.
✔️ Choosing the clinic I visited one other clinic too. * Another clinic with many reviews (other clinic) -> They said pin removal might not be easy and, depending on the case, it might not be possible to remove them, so I should expect about 2 hours for surgery. They told me to wear the compression strap for 2 weeks. (Consultation fee at the other clinic: 50,000 won) * Standard facial contour clinic, Dr. Oh Jeong-seok -> He said it was a relatively simple procedure that would take 30 to 40 minutes under sedation anesthesia, and that he was confident they could be removed completely. -> He also said the incision would be minimal and that wearing the compression strap for about 24 hours would be enough, so I felt much more at ease about recovery. (Just in case, I wore it for more than 3 days lol)
✔️ Surgical method They made a minimal incision near the sideburn so it wouldn't be noticeable, and finished without sutures, using something like biological glue. I was very worried about scarring because I have a keloid tendency, so I was really grateful that they took that into account as well
▶️ Day 1 after surgery I left wearing the compression strap, and there was almost no pain I was scared it would hurt a lot once the anesthesia wore off, but amazingly it didn't hurt much The swelling was about the same as after having both wisdom teeth removed That day I mainly ate porridge and yogurt
▶️ Day 3 after surgery The day the swelling was at its worst -> Still only about as swollen as when I had both wisdom teeth removed and cried when I woke up There was almost no pain, just a little discomfort because there were dissolvable stitches inside my mouth (I was told they would dissolve in 2 weeks) From this point I was able to eat noodles and spaghetti just fine and daily life was not a problem (I was supposed to eat soft foods, but I was careful about what I ate)
▶️ Day 5 after surgery The swelling clearly started going down fast I kept doing cold compresses -> except for 7 hours while sleeping, I almost continuously used a TMJ cold pack I bought, which was convenient -> I cut meat into small pieces and ate everything I wanted lol -> When I went to the hair salon and had my hair washed, I noticed the scar already felt very faint -> I thought, "Wow, I really picked the right clinic"
▶️ Day 7 after surgery My parents didn't even know I had surgery -> they said, "Your cheeks look a bit fuller? You look prettier" lol (though I actually gained 5 kg in a week...)
▶️ Current, week 4 Even the stylist at my regular hair salon doesn't know I have a scar (they didn't notice anything) - Zero swelling left (there was almost none from week 1) - I can't feel the dissolvable stitches in my mouth at all since around week 3 - Oral sensation and facial sensation are both normal I just think I was worrying for nothing... I should have done it much earlier
✔️ Final review I was so worried about swelling that I even looked into swelling clinics, but in reality there was almost no swelling. During the consultation, the doctor showed me case photos saying, "This is what the swelling looks like on day 3 and at week 1," and honestly I thought it was photoshopped at the time... But the swelling really was that minimal, so I was surprised When I looked at the CT after pin removal, it was so neatly removed that the lingering "Frankenstein-like image" in my head was completely erased, which I liked. They provided a private recovery room, and it was really comfortable and pleasant, so I was very satisfied.
❗ A downside Since I was already under anesthesia at the same clinic, it would have been nice to have cosmetic dermatology procedures like Rejuran done at the same time, but they don't offer those kinds of procedures, which was a little disappointing. Still, if you think of it as a clinic specializing in just one field, that may actually be an advantage.