A few weeks ago I had it done and am satisfied with the result. Maybe I was lucky too, but I believe the everyday information I had collected over time and my own know-how will also help other beginners here, so I’m sharing it
--------------------------------------------- <Before surgery> - The information I compiled was: 1) the surgeon’s track record up to now 2) what I personally saw, heard, and felt during consultations 3) online reviews 4) other factors (academic background, location, operating atmosphere).
1) Experience matters. It’s obvious, so I won’t say much, but there are sometimes surgeons who studied abroad. Don’t be taken in by flashy English on a résumé that you can’t really understand; I roughly checked what rank their specialty was at that school. Personally, if someone was an affiliated surgeon at Seoul National University Hospital, I felt a little more at ease, though of course even then nothing is 100% safe. Even if the latest technology is used, surgery itself still passes through human hands. I checked whether there was an anesthesiologist specialist, and if not, I asked why not. If there was one, I looked into that person’s background in the same way. From the experience, you can also roughly estimate the surgeon’s age group. Personally, I was looking for someone in their mid-40s. It’s similar to meeting an academic advisor in graduate school. Very young doctors may be refined, but they can also feel overly spirited, and that didn’t sit well with me. Older doctors may have been famous in their day, but I wondered whether they still had that same sense, and whether they would really listen carefully to my wishes as a patient.
2) Of course I came prepared with questions, but the most important thing seemed to be the chemistry between me and the surgeon, and intuition. No matter how accomplished or experienced someone is, their character may be poor. And even if they are decent, they may not be able to reflect what the patient wants, or may not choose to. You should not ignore the feeling you get from whether you can communicate each other’s thoughts well, what the overall atmosphere of the clinic is like, and what kind of information they share with you and how. Separate from simple kindness, think deeply about whether this is someone you can trust morally and emotionally. If you have the time, keep visiting different places; as consultation experiences accumulate, you’ll start to get a sense of whether you want this surgery and, if you do, whether you can trust that person.
3) I searched through every major community and YouTube channel in Korea that most users would know, by keyword and date, and looked up all the posts and comments. I also checked the clinic names and initials, the doctor’s name and initials, and the clinics the doctor I was looking for had belonged to in the past. Since Korean search engines weren’t very appealing, I searched overseas sites instead (Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing). For example, if you want to search Google for articles about a certain issue on Instiz, you can type `site:instiz.net "keyword"` exactly as is, and all posts on that website containing that keyword will appear. Then you can also adjust Google settings to show posts from whatever time period you want. I mainly searched Instiz, TheQoo, Nate Pann, 82cook, and Today’s Humor, which are mostly female-oriented sites, and sometimes I also checked places with more male users. Even if the gender distribution is different, people can still get surgery at the same clinic, and if you get past the language barrier of that community, you can often find useful reviews. You can also sometimes see reviews written by foreigners on Google Reviews. If someone took the trouble to log in and leave a long review from far overseas, it’s usually because there were negative experiences, but interestingly, not long after that, you’ll often see a vague 5/5 review posted in Korean English posts can be translated just by pasting them into Google Translate. If you want to know more about foreigners’ experiences, the search method above is worth using to browse a few of these (keywords: korean, plastic, surgery, rhino, rhinoplasty). Most people only know about major hospitals, though. In English, they speak directly without initials, so finding clinic names is actually easier: https://forum.purseblog.com/ https://forum.purseblog.com/forums/asian-plastic-surgery-cosmetic-procedures.277/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/ https://www.reddit.com/r/BeautyGuruChatter/ https://www.realself.com/
These days a lot of doctors have YouTube channels, but you don’t need to view them negatively just because they feel promotional. Even if someone is highly skilled, if their recognition falls behind competitors, it can hurt their business, so I think that amount of effort is reasonable. I took most of what they said in those videos with a grain of salt. Instead, I used the information for point 2 above (the surgeon’s eyes, tone, body language, and even physiognomy). And the comment section under YouTube videos is still an area where brokers have a limited amount of influence, so it can sometimes help you gain a new perspective. Of course, brokers can write there too. I didn’t use cosmetic surgery apps. The fact that they are mobile-only platforms already limits the information, and the broker ratio is too high, so I thought it would be a waste of time. In the same vein, I didn’t even consider places plastered with too many street ads, places that had appeared on shows promoting cosmetic surgery, places rumored to have worked on famous girl groups, or places with an excessive number of blatant before-and-after photos of foreigners (mostly Thai and Chinese).
4) In addition to that, I searched and read the latest international journal articles related to rhinoplasty. I wanted to understand the current state and limitations of the procedure I was planning more clearly. For example, if my nose was hooked, I referred a lot to overseas posts and photos related to a hooked nose (mostly from Middle Eastern and Jewish people), and if I wanted to use silicone, I read photos of all ethnic groups that had used it, overseas plastic surgery clinic websites (I read everything from the U.S. to Dubai), reviews, surgical methods, and cases of how complications were treated overseas. (Example: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4656163/) Since Korea is such a powerhouse in plastic surgery, Korean names often appear in the papers. In aesthetic plastic surgery, there are still many legal issues surrounding complications and occasional fatal incidents domestically, so I couldn’t fully trust anyone and decided to study it myself. If English is difficult for you, even a quick search in Korean should bring something up. Surgical videos are sometimes uploaded on YouTube, but if you can’t handle gore, the images in these papers may help you understand better.
For location, I only considered areas near Gangnam within Korea at all costs (Apgujeong, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu Office, Gangnam Station). Of course there are many excellent doctors elsewhere, but since I wanted success on the first try, I chose a place where as many experienced people in cosmetic surgery as possible were concentrated and naturally competing. It’s like parents choosing a neighborhood with lots of famous academies, schools, and tutors for their children’s education. And I only went to solo practices or met with head surgeons who had at least 10 years of experience. I asked these doctors many questions about anesthesia. In particular, I asked how they handle emergencies, especially anesthesia-related ones, and whether there is CCTV (if not, why not, and what information a guardian can obtain in an emergency).
With the office manager, I asked about things that were not that important, or about the manager’s own career. Many people think conversations with the office manager are trivial, but I see this as one way to understand the clinic’s internal culture. If someone had been there a long time and worked well in sync with the surgeon, that also means they have a lot of trust in the place as a workplace. On the other hand, if the surgeon is great in many ways (kindness, experience, instinct) but the office manager or other staff seem a bit dull, rude, or give off a weird vibe, that was a minus for me. In cases where I went for a second round of visits, I paid close attention to that atmosphere. How could someone like that even be hired under such a great surgeon? Nothing is random. It’s also worth checking whether the clinic has hiring postings. Personally, I don’t trust places with high staff turnover very much.
For reference, among successful clinics there are sometimes office managers with a “cool” attitude who say things like, “Even if it’s not you, there’s a line of people waiting to get surgery here anyway^^ I don’t have time, so answer quickly.” Unless I already really liked the surgeon, I avoided places like that. Treating a customer who is seriously asking about surgery as if they are uncool is already a sign that they see themselves and the clinic as superior. They also know we visit competing clinics and compare options, but even so there are definitely places that treat you well. Overall, I chose places with a sense of spaciousness (not the kind that comes from having too few customers, but intentional breathing room). Surgeons are people too, and if they do surgery back-to-back all day, they get tired. So I went to places that kept consultation schedules, consultation time, and surgery schedules generous, and treated each person carefully with a sense of duty. In fact, there are office managers who proudly say their surgeon only does one or two surgeries a day.
Lastly, people are easily swayed by money, and sometimes judgment gets clouded depending on the amount. So I ignored words like “discount” and “event” and focused only on what was related to the surgery itself and safety. Even though I went in mentally prepared, I was still tempted by things like “Get a 400,000 won discount if you pay the reservation deposit today,” but even if costs end up higher later, you have to think carefully. Sometimes people keep pressuring you on KakaoTalk after the consultation; don’t get swept up in the psychological battle, and ignore it until you are truly ready. And if you have already paid the deposit and, on the day of surgery, you suddenly feel an unexplainable sense of discomfort that says, “No, this isn’t right..” (not just nerves), then I think you should simply cancel and leave. It’s better than doing something irreversible over a few hundred thousand won deposit.
I combined these 1, 2, 3, and 4 points into my own PPT slides and kept revising them for months. It kept getting more expensive and more annoying, but this is about cutting into your one and only body, so I think the patient needs as much information as the people working in plastic surgery.
As an aside, one tip I heard elsewhere is that on the occupation field in the personal information collection form you fill out at the first consultation, if you write something like “idol trainee/aspirant” or “aspiring actor,” the chance of being taken care of more carefully goes up - because if you later become successful, it naturally becomes promotion. It seems like a useful tip for people who are naturally pretty or young.
--------------------------------------------- <Day of surgery>
- Even if the atmosphere is pushing you to sign the surgical consent form quickly, I read it carefully without getting swept along. I also checked whether I could get a copy. If not, I at least took photos. Under medical law, a patient can request a copy at any time. In reality, there are cases where people don’t actually have it and later, if a problem arises, it becomes hard to respond legally. And if you request it after surgery, they might drag things out and take a long time for no reason. - I brought one of the before-and-after photos of a result I liked from the surgeon and showed it to them. What you can express in words and what you can understand by looking directly are different. - I went prepared for what I would think about when I drifted off under anesthesia. Some operating rooms play music, but if they don’t, you can hear all the somewhat eerie surgical sounds, so I prepared something to think about that could divert my attention even a little. I went thinking about various natural landscapes to keep my calm, and once I fell under anesthesia and felt dazed, it actually became more of a pleasant (?) experience. Even if you start talking nonsense under anesthesia, you’re more likely to talk about what’s related to it, so it feels like the chance of saying or doing something embarrassing during surgery goes down.. This is also very helpful for upper endoscopy under sedation. - If you normally wear glasses, bring contact lenses. If you can’t see well after surgery, it’s more dangerous.. - Since you need to be careful around the nose area, clothes you can button up rather than pull over your head are more comfortable, or clothes with a very wide neckline.
--------------------------------------------- <After surgery>
- Facial expression control: During the resting period, there’s no one to meet, so there’s a lot of time left over, and most people will probably spend it watching TV. In my case, I watched a lot of You Quiz on the Block, and there were many funny scenes so it was hard to hold in laughter. If I really had to laugh, I forced myself to make the expression `(o 0 o) hohohoho`, which put less pressure on my nose and philtrum, so it was much better. And if a sad scene comes on and tears start to come, think “I am an emotionless robot” and just let the tears fall with a completely blank face. With tissues in hand, you should wipe them right away so moisture doesn’t go into your nose, right? - Dental care: Right after surgery, the area above the mouth is very swollen and movement is uncomfortable, but dental care is important! Doing it carelessly and later getting cavities and having to suffer more around the nose area at the dentist is far, far worse. Soft silk floss and a small toothbrush that can keep the inside of the mouth clean without moving the mouth much are useful. After everything, lip balm is essential, apply it generously. - Water: In some preparation posts for cosmetic surgery, a few people recommend straws, but if the philtrum is very swollen, your mouth may not even close for the first few days, so they aren’t helpful. In my case, I kept drinking water from a glass shaped like a liquor shot glass (or a tequila glass?) whenever I needed to. If you drink from a big cup, it runs down both sides of your mouth, but this small glass is just the right size for how far you can open your mouth, so it was much easier. - Trapezius: Right after surgery, most people say you should sleep with your head higher than your heart, but if you stay like that for too long, your shoulders round forward and your trapezius gets tight and stiff right away. What’s the point if your nose is pretty but your posture is hunched? To prevent this, I got up often and did light stretches with a towel: https://m.blog.naver.com/wooda0803/221818803823 I also did self-massage around the chin, neck, and behind the ears. Lightly loosening the lymphatic areas made the swelling go down better and made me feel better overall, which was nice. - Mask: If you wear a Cleannara mask in size large, it won’t press on the nose bandage and it covers the face as much as possible, so it’s useful when going out. - Dead skin: Starting on the third day after surgery, I only used the volcanic clay calming pore mask aha/pha madecassoside from Innisfree on my cheeks and forehead. Any non-irritating exfoliating product seemed suitable. If it didn’t rinse off well with water, I wiped it off with a wet cotton pad. After that, I filled my skin with moisture using a cooling toner pad. - Showering: The clinic told me not to shower, but I started showering on my own from the third day after surgery. On days when I used cold compresses, I took a cold shower, and on days when I used warm compresses, I took a warm shower. I think showers calm your mind and improve blood circulation, so if you feel confident about being careful, it’s good in many ways. - Walking: On the day of surgery, the weather was good so I walked for about 20 to 30 minutes, and after that I walked at least an hour every day without missing a single day (there was almost no bruising/swelling when the bandages came off, though I don’t know whether that was because of this or because of my constitution). On rainy days, IFC in Yeouido is great.
Well then.. I hope everyone gets their surgery safely and well, and becomes even prettier and healthier in the future~
Update: Please understand that I cannot share clinic information.