I originally really like Cavern lifting. That’s why I’ve had it done 3 times.
First, I’ll write my lifting reviews by each clinic.
1. ㅈㅇㅇㅇ ㅅㅎㅇㄱ/ㅍㅂㄱ I got under-eye Cavern for the first time and was very satisfied with the natural volume. The price was 800,000 won for 4 lines. After the procedure, bruising on one side lasted a little long. (1 week) Swelling lasted a few days, but it wasn’t severe enough to interfere with daily life, and there was almost no pain. Just as I was hesitating to go back because the price was too expensive, an acquaintance recommended the second clinic.
2. ㄷㅌㅂㅊㅇㅇ I had a consultation for under-eye + nasolabial folds, and after some time passed (felt like about a month), I went to get the procedure, but I received the procedure on the anterior cheeks + nasolabial folds. (First point of dissatisfaction here) The price was 726,000 won including VAT for 4 lines. It hurt quite a lot during the procedure. Especially when the thread reached near the nose, there was a zinging pain. After getting the procedure at the third clinic, I realized that the anesthesia at the second clinic had been somewhat insufficient. Right after the procedure, the pain was only a heavy pressure when I moved my mouth, and it was okay when I stayed still. After about 2-3 days, the pain disappeared completely, and I could open my mouth naturally. I was relatively satisfied with the result too, but after 7 months, as the cheek tissue next to the nose stretched, the nasolabial folds somehow seemed more sunken...? Even though the nasolabial folds themselves were filled, I wondered if the cheek tissue next to the nose had gotten larger because of collagen, making the nasolabial folds look relatively more sunken. When seen under light, the nasolabial fold line also somehow looked longer. ㅠㅠ From right after the procedure until several months in, I was very satisfied and people around me reacted well too, but at the 7-month mark, a subtle dissatisfaction developed. So I started looking into another clinic.
3. ㅅㅇㄹ This is a famous place that comes up when you search Cavern lifting on YouTube. I also got it for cheaper than the two clinics above. It was 880,000 won including VAT for 8 lines under the eyes and nasolabial folds + 8 collagen threads in the chin. I was told in advance that thicker threads would be inserted into the nasolabial folds. During the procedure, except for the anesthetic injections, I hardly felt pain when the Cavern threads went in. For the under-eyes, I didn’t even know they were being inserted. When inserted along the upper line of the nasolabial folds, I only felt a slight foreign-body sensation, and when the thicker threads were inserted along the nasolabial fold lines, I felt more pressure than on the upper line. I didn’t really feel it as pain. As advertised on YouTube, their hands were very fast. Right after the procedure, I was satisfied with my jawline and under-eyes, and the nasolabial folds were just so-so. They filled in, but I knew Cavern threads alone are originally unlikely to create a dramatic effect, so I took that into account. Up until then, I thought this clinic was really good...
When I got home and the anesthesia wore off, hellish pain came. A heavy aching? It wasn’t the kind of pain the clinic had explained; I felt like my face was being ripped apart with a knife. It was hard to stay still. The medication from the clinic wasn’t enough, so I took 3 Tylenol tablets just that evening. Maybe because the under-eye threads were thin, the pain there wasn’t severe, but the nasolabial area hurt tremendously. (Right after the anesthesia wore off, the pain was so severe I couldn’t even tell where it hurt.) Because of this area, my headache also became severe along with it. I think the line where the thick thread was inserted was especially like that. I hadn’t eaten at all since yesterday, but the headache and facial pain were both so severe that I didn’t even feel hungry. Especially the left upper lip has abnormal sensation, as if the anesthesia hasn’t worn off. The post-procedure precautions I received from the clinic in document form do say this can happen and that it improves within 2-3 weeks.
Still, the pain was so severe that while searching online for related posts, I noticed a post written by this clinic’s doctor. They said that if Cavern threads are inserted close to the muscle, they can touch muscle tissue and cause nerve pain and sensory abnormalities. But if they insert too shallowly to avoid that, skin depression can occur, so I wonder if deeper insertion is better, but wow, the pain...ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I finally understand the people who complained of severe pain after Cavern. No wonder even at the pharmacy, they told me I could take Tylenol separately... Also, compared with right after the procedure, swelling suddenly increased a lot. It’s much worse than at the first and second clinics. Maybe it’s because a total of 16 lines went in, plus thick threads into the nasolabial folds.
As of the writing of this post, I had the procedure yesterday afternoon, and it is now the morning of day 2, and I have taken my prescription medication. The pain has subsided a lot, but it’s still significant. Yesterday it felt like being ripped apart with a knife; now it throbs as if being stabbed with a thick needle. The swelling remains, and the cheek next to the nose is especially swollen, so the nasolabial fold feels deeper. The under-eyes are relatively okay in terms of both swelling and filling. I don’t know about longevity, and I’m thinking it might be better if it just sinks back and returns to the original state. ㅠㅠ
If I had gotten my first procedure at ㅅㅇㄹ, I would have thought Cavern was originally this swollen and painful. I probably would have vowed never to get a Cavern procedure again. But the second clinic was actually good at nasolabial folds... it just hurt a lot during the procedure...
For now, because of the swelling, I don’t know what the final result will be. Right now, unlike at the second clinic, I’m dissatisfied with the nasolabial folds. I’m wondering if I should avoid Cavern on the upper nasolabial line or anterior cheeks from now on. If the nasolabial folds deepen like this, I’m wondering if I should stop Cavern procedures and look into a procedure that lifts the cheek next to the nose.
I’ll come back to write a second review after a month.
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