<4 months after surgery>Before<Before surgery>I had a lot of concerns because I had a very typical East Asian face. My round, wide face shape looked blunt and strong. Because facial contouring surgery has a strong image of being dangerous, I thought about it and prepared for 2 years.
Also, since I live outside Seoul, it was very difficult to filter out advertisements and obtain genuinely useful information. Because of that, I did an enormous amount of online research and in-person legwork. Even making consultation appointments was a battle, and I had to book them one or two months in advance. My schedule didn’t match well, so I think I spent around 1.5 million won just on transportation for quote tours over three months. I looked very carefully at related YouTube videos, websites, and so on. I studied like a test-taker. After consultations, negative opinions dominated: from saying my head was large so my lateral cheekbones couldn’t be reduced, to saying I was too old to see much effect. About 80% of the hospitals sent me away, saying there would be more loss than gain. The feedback was also varied, such as “do your eyes,” “get filler,” or “love yourself as you are.”
I was devastated and thought I would visit only two more places and give up. Then I met Director Kwon Jae-hyun at Soda, where my consultations had fallen through several times because of scheduling, and I immediately felt certain. From my searches, the keywords I knew about Soda were: a private clinic opened by a doctor who had been a center director at a large hospital, slightly higher price range, CCTV, an anesthesiologist connection, and properly equipped supplies, making it a reassuring hospital. Since it was my last consultation, I visited Soda half in doubt. But after an in-person consultation, even the small doubts I had disappeared. The kind and detailed explanation was good, but I felt he was an authority in the field of facial contouring. Usually when you go to a plastic surgery clinic, it’s so hard to tell whether they are doctors or salespeople: doctors intoxicated with themselves who only brag, doctors who use sweet talk just to sell, doctors who give irrelevant answers, doctors who push their own specialty more than the patient’s needs to show authority, and so on. But Director Kwon Jae-hyun was down-to-earth yet confident, and he had no hesitation in answering questions. In fact, he understood my needs first and spoke accordingly, so I didn’t really have much to ask. He explained the surgical method, effects, and principles in a well-balanced way that was neither too brief nor too long-winded, so I wouldn’t have doubts. I was also drawn to his meticulousness. I think aesthetic sense and meticulousness determine the completeness of cosmetic surgery. I was touched by how considerate he was, not only about the cosmetic surgery itself but also about the patient’s situation. He also did not force a choice or pressure me. It was also good to see his respect for other fields. There was no reason not to choose him: high expertise, a reassuring hospital, sincerity, and consideration for patients.
I also liked the postoperative care program. It was a little inconvenient that there was no shampoo service, but I thought the final result was more important, so it wasn’t a problem. I had my 45-degree cheekbones slightly reduced, the area around the orbital rim slightly shaved, and the size between the side jaw and front chin adjusted. I am currently 4 months after surgery.
On the first day after surgery, I was surprised because there was no swelling and I looked pretty in photos. There was no drainage bag either, so my appearance was tolerable. The night going into the second day, I thought I was going to die. I was just cold. Constantly cold. They gave me an electric mat and a blanket, but I was shivering, and even just turning my head made my nose bleed... For reference, I have anemia, so I diligently took anemia medication from the week before surgery. Anyway, on the first day I suffered because I was cold and in pain, and from the second day to two weeks, my throat hurt and I coughed a lot. I think I started talking from about one week, and from two weeks I ate real human food with some seasoning, even though I couldn’t chew properly. Of course, I chopped everything with scissors and a knifeㅎㅎㅎ Thanks to that, I think I lost 5 kg in a week? and gained 3 kg back in a month. I think you should be ready to let go of expectations for your skin and teeth for about a month. Apply the ointment near your ears diligently. I didn’t apply the ointment diligently, so the area near my ears was red for a while. Until one or two months, I struggled because foreign material kept getting stuck inside my mouth whenever I ate. New tissue grew in and everything settled well, so now there’s no problem. As the new tissue grew, sensation returned to both cheeks. Around the third month, I think sensation around the cheekbones and eye area returned. Before that, it was swollen, so the muscles didn’t move as I wanted.
Now I’m at 4 months, and I can still feel swelling in the lower jaw. Strangely, I keep thinking the swelling has gone down, it seems to have gone down, and then it seems to go down more every day. I’m looking forward to the 1-year mark. People I know say my lines have become more feminine and that the money was worth it.
From reading reviews, I think I had a harder case because of my age. For reference, after my surgery, the person in the next room, who seemed to be in their 20s, walked around all night, watched TV, and did everything. I was just lying down, but that person was walking around like crazyㅋㅋㅋ It seems individual differences can be this big depending on condition.
One month after surgery, I had a situation where I had to run, and thanks to the director fixing everything carefully and firmly, I won the grand prize at a competition. I was extremely worried, but after the surgery, the director said he had fixed it firmly, so I should not worry and should practice. That gave me a lot of strength. I think the most important thing in choosing a hospital and director is how close they are to your own values and goals. Since you can’t be satisfied with everything, I think it’s important to rank your values and choose the hospital that fits them best. Whether or not to have surgery must absolutely be your own choice. For that choice, I think you need to build some background knowledge and consider side effects as well.
I’m in my late 30s, so this was a surgery everyone tried to talk me out of, but in conclusion, he fulfilled my needs so fully that my satisfaction is quite high. In my personal opinion, Soda feels like a hidden cosmetic surgery gem. It was a shame that it isn’t promoted more. If you consult with Director Kwon Jae-hyun, you’ll understand, but he seems like someone who, like an internal medicine doctor or an ENT doctor, focuses on substance, is far from promotion and commercialism, respects patients, and practices medicine. I hope my post helps.
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