Hello, after becoming an adult and setting foot in a dermatology clinic for the first time, I’ve been slowly and bit by bit getting little things done here and there.. (It’s my first time for cosmetic purposes, not treatment purposes haha)
I naturally didn’t have much cheek fat to begin with, but as my baby fat went away, my side cheeks became completely sunken....
I’d been just kind of ignoring it and living with it, but recently it was especially stressing me out, so I finally decided to get filler in my side cheeks...!
Before getting filler, I wanted to refine the line around my cheekbones even a little, so I searched on YeoxTicket for a place that could do partial InMode treatment and booked a clinic! (Because I heard that if you get a lifting laser treatment after filler, the filler you had put in can dissolve!)
When I searched, they said it was a place that became famous through InMode lifting reviews, and many reviews said they were thorough and did a good job, so I booked right away and went with my heart pounding!
It was my first time getting this kind of lifting treatment, so I was really nervous (also my first time visiting a dermatology clinic alone without my parents...)
To start with the conclusion, it was a very embarrassing and awkward.. kind of time..
First of all, I felt that the staff member guiding me was really, really not kind... As soon as I opened the door and walked in, she asked, “How many payment coupons did you come after buying?”...!
Rather than asking what I had booked or asking my name, I was flustered that she suddenly asked whether I had paid..
Before visiting the clinic, I had looked through various reviews in my own way and remembered what I’d learned, thinking, “Payment after consultation..!” So I calmly said, >>I haven’t paid yet, and I’d like to first see the doctor and consult about exactly which area to treat before deciding<<...!
Oh my gosh, she just told me to hurry up and pay first..? (Her tone was really scary.. just openly unfriendly)
Still, before even consulting with the doctor, and without having decided where to treat, is it right to pay first..? I felt this wasn’t right, so I said once more that I’d like to pay after the consultation and sat down in the inner waiting area..
A little later, the staff member shouted again... “ㅇㅇㅇ, just pay for the ticket first~!!” Like that
Since everyone’s attention focused on me, as a capital-I introvert, I hadn’t done anything wrong but my face got hot for no reason and I felt so embarrassed.. Why are you doing this to me..
She didn’t come close to tell me, and shouted loudly from somewhere I couldn’t even see her face... is that right..? I was so flustered that my mental state crumbled, but..!
Is it the rule here to pay first before consultation..? Looking at reviews, it didn’t seem like that, but am I misunderstanding something..? With all kinds of thoughts like that... in the end I paid as I was told for the time being. (Since she shouted, I felt like I’d done something wrong and was being scolded, so I shrank back)
It was my first time getting InMode treatment, and although I had already thought in advance that I wanted the lateral cheekbone area treated, I wanted to decide the exact treatment area while consulting with the doctor doing the procedure, like whether to include lateral cheekbone + anterior cheekbone or front cheek area too...
Since the treatment price was calculated per area, I wanted to decide how many areas to do after consultation and then pay... but I couldn’t withstand the pressure of her repeatedly shouting at me to pay first........ so I just timidly paid only for the lateral cheekbone area I’d originally thought of..
After that, since it was self-cleansing, I had to wash my face myself, but they didn’t even properly guide me to the powder room, and I was left alone...
This was my first cosmetic lifting treatment, but when I was in high school, I went to a lot of dermatology clinics here and there with my parents for acne treatment... Usually don’t they say things like, “Please come this way~” or “Please put your belongings here~”? (Or not..?)
They just said, “You can wash your face yourself~” and disappeared without any particular guidance, so I read the room, roughly tossed my bag and clothes on the waiting seat, found the washroom by myself, bravely washed my face, and came out...!
After washing my face, I had a brief consultation with the doctor and then went straight into the procedure! The doctor wasn’t unfriendly or anything, just kind of chic? haha (The consultation was after everything that happened earlier, so I was already completely deflated. The doctor looked at my face and said the lateral cheekbones would be fine, so I just answered, “Yes.. yes..” and it ended! I intentionally didn’t mention the other additional areas I had been debating about doing together with the cheekbones at first.)
I was worried the procedure would hurt, but truly, not at all! It didn’t hurt one bit! It just felt wa~rm, and the doctor said it was the maximum intensity but that I tolerate pain well (Huh..? Me...?)
I don’t think I’m good at tolerating pain... It just genuinely didn’t hurt.. so I lay there very comfortably with zero pain and got up. haha
What was disappointing was that because the cheekbone area has bone, I guess? the suction didn’t catch properly, so air kept leaking.. I kept hearing air leaking near my ear like a beat, pshuk-pishuk
If the suction doesn’t catch properly, doesn’t that mean the energy doesn’t transfer well..? I was a little sad, but still, whenever air leaked, the doctor grabbed the same area again and delivered the shot!
Anyway, the procedure ended super quickly like this, and when it was over, regardless of the fact that it hadn’t hurt at all during the procedure, both cheekbones had red bruises like stamps had been stamped all over them!
These bruises were the most grotesque the day after the procedure rather than on the day of the procedure (the bruises were black, red, and blotchy, so looking in the mirror was a bit scary..), and until day 3, makeup couldn’t cover them either...! I think the bruises disappeared completely only after about ten days
They say InMode needs at least about 3 sessions to see an effect, so I paid for 3 sessions / one cheekbone area, and after receiving all 3 sessions afterward!
I didn’t feel any noticeable change!!!
Honestly, there were a lot of flustering parts during the first session (the staff being unfriendly, having to pay before consultation, etc.), so I wanted to stop after just the first session..
Yeah.. If I’m the kind of person who gets startled just because a staff member shouted, shrinks up, can’t say anything, and immediately pays, how could I possibly request a refund
Since I had already paid for a 3-session package all at once, I had no choice but to force myself through all 3 sessions.. Thinking about it now, I was really foolish.. (Now I’ve grown a little by going around to different places on my own haha)
I knew the cheekbone area was especially an area where it’s hard to see a big effect, but during the consultation, the doctor looked at my face and said something like the line would still be refined if I treated the cheekbone area, so I had some expectations. But as expected, it was too much to expect from my first procedure..^^
I just became someone who got bruises on my face three times and had them fade away..
If anyone thinking about InMode for the cheekbone area sees my post, I think it would be good to know that the effect on the cheekbone area can really, really be minimal..!
But don’t be disappointed! If you get this InMode treatment on the whole face, the facial line really changes noticeably..!
Afterward, I received InMode + Forma on my whole face at another clinic and experienced a whole new world.. (If you get InMode, I definitely recommend getting the whole face + Forma too!! I was disappointed after getting only the cheekbone area treated partially at first because there was no effect, but then I saw a review saying they saw results after doing the whole face + Forma, so I went along with it and received whole-face treatment together with Forma, and it was really, really good.)
I’ll write a review of the InMode treatment I received afterward when I have time~
Actually, I wrote this post in this community right after coming home on the day of the procedure, but I only saved it as a draft and am finally posting it now haha
If there’s anything else you’re curious about, I’ll answer by bringing back as much of my memory from that time as possible!