I didn’t have a severe underbite with major malocclusion, but because of my flat side profile and long face, I thought about wanting two-jaw surgery every time I looked in the mirror. I felt self-conscious when someone stood next to me, and I really hated photos taken by other people. Then I started thinking that living while feeling dissatisfied every time was a loss, so I searched for reviews on YouTube, went to consultations at about three places, and ended up choosing an oral and maxillofacial surgery dental clinic. The reasons I chose it were, first, that they only perform one surgery a day, which I liked, and it seemed like the director’s approach was to pursue natural-looking results. People around me didn’t really say I had an underbite, and I heard that if, by the director’s standards, a case seemed excessive or unlikely to improve much through surgery, he would send the patient away, so I went in half worried and half hopeful. But he explained what kind of surgery would improve what aspects and how, and rather than making easy guarantees, he showed me various cases and answered my questions in detail, so I trusted him. Recovery process after two-jaw surgery + 2 types of contouring (square jaw + chin)- 6/24 (day of surgery) A humidifier, towels, and a neck pillow were all provided, and the room was private and pleasant. There was a sofa, sink, and storage space right next to the bed, so it was very comfortable. For the surgery, I only remember lying on the operating table, and I woke up without even realizing when I had fallen asleep. I wasn’t in pain, but I felt a bit out of it. Since I was breathing through my mouth, my throat hurt a bit, which was hard. I wanted to drink water, but they said I could drink it after 6 hours, so I kept dozing off and waking up every 10 minutes, watched videos on my iPad, and just waited for the time when I could drink water. Other than my dry throat, nothing hurt, and apart from my face feeling extremely tight, there was no pain, but my nose was blocked and time passed slowly haha. It was hard to drink water, and I kept feeling like I was going to cough. I wasn’t supposed to cough, but I kept choking. Maybe because I have reflux esophagitis, I remember choking really easily and not being able to swallow smoothly. 6/25 (D+1) That day was also hard because my throat hurt from breathing through my mouth. In the morning, I finally had New Care. I had wanted it so badly.. But I kept choking. The mouthwash was really bitter. Having a blocked nose was uncomfortable, but thinking it would get better soon made it bearable. I also had frequent nosebleeds, so the gauze was changed regularly. Staying in one position made me feel stiff, so I went for walks and moved around. 6/26~7/1 (week 1) I packed my things, took a taxi home, and as soon as I got back, I went to a hair salon to get my hair shampooed. It felt so good to have my hair washed. After surgery, I recommend going to a salon to get shampooed. I went for walks three times a day: morning, lunch, and evening. At this point, my nose was still blocked, and I’m someone who eats well, so when my food intake suddenly dropped, my stamina really fell. Every time I stood up after sitting, my head felt like it was tingling, almost like orthostatic hypotension. Food kept floating before my eyes, and while walking in the park, I wanted to walk into every restaurant I saw with a spoon and ask for just one bite. Around days 4-5, my face and the inside and outside of my mouth all swelled up like crazy, so if you looked only at my face, I looked like I weighed 100 kg. My philtrum was swollen too, so I looked a bit like a monkey, and I was so swollen it felt like I was about to burst lol. My skin felt extremely tight, and there wasn’t enough space inside my mouth either, so my tongue and the inner flesh of my mouth were pressed against the wafer. It wasn’t painful to the point that I couldn’t bear it, but it was irritating and uncomfortable. My stamina was low, so I often held chocolate in my mouth, and it made me feel better. I don’t know if that was okay, but I was so hungry that I cut milk cream bread into pieces the size of a fingernail, soaked them in milk, and swallowed them without chewing. 7/2-7/8 (week 2) From this point, my nose wasn’t very blocked. I could keep my mouth closed and breathe only through my nose haha. Breathing through my nose was no longer much of a problem, but I would suddenly get a runny nose, and because I had no sensation, reacting quickly was difficult. My face looked like an ugly steamed bun, so I wore a mask outside. But regardless of looking like a steamed bun, my face was definitely shorter, and from the side, that underbite/plate-like look had disappeared, so I was very, very, very satisfied with the surgical result. From this point, the swelling went down a bit. I think that made me examine my face even more closely. The underbite-like look was definitely gone, and I felt that my face had become shorter. 7/9-7/22 (weeks 3 and 4) I had the stitches removed, and for me, it didn’t hurt much. It was over quickly. You just have to endure the pulling from the threads for a moment, and it passes quickly. There were so many more things that became comfortable after removing the stitches that the brief stinging felt like nothing. My mouth somehow felt much more comfortable, and when brushing my teeth, the stitches used to rub and sting, but it became much easier to lift both the upper and lower lips. More than anything, I think the happiest part was that there were more things I could eat. Since I walked every day, my stamina gradually recovered, and now even if I walk for quite a while, it’s fine. The swelling also seems to go down little by little every day. When I look at my face now, my facial contour becomes a little more visible day by day, and I really like it. My complexes about having a long face and an underbite-like side profile are completely gone, so I feel motivated no matter what I do. Everyone says my face got smaller, that my side profile looks more three-dimensional, and even that I look cute. But more than those comments, I think the biggest advantage is that I’m satisfied with myself, so I don’t really care much about other people’s reactions. Thank you.
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This is a surgery review pursuing natural beauty.