I finally get to write a review like this too. ^^ It has been exactly one year since I first came across information through this community and other cosmetic surgery cafes, worried over it, and finally made up my mind. When I plan something, I check everything carefully, gather information, and compare things... To put it nicely, I am meticulous, but depending on how you look at it, maybe I just have a very exhausting personality. Since I received a lot of help through this community, I’m leaving a review as well. I hope it can be even a small help to at least one person. I am currently undergoing orthodontic treatment. Before orthodontics, I had cheek volume and was often told that my face shape was pretty. I had a long face shape with a narrow facial width. Since whenever I dieted, my face was the first place to lose volume, I had been interested in fat grafting, but after starting orthodontics and watching my face change day by day, all my attention turned to fat grafting. I was really so stressed because of my changing face. After orthodontics, to avoid losing weight, I tried not to do even light exercise and ate often and a lot. As a result, I ended up with abdominal fat that was excessive compared with my body, but my face kept getting longer... my temples became especially hollow, my lips became thinner, and even my chin felt like it was getting longer... I also developed fine wrinkles because of the rapid loss of facial volume. My nasolabial folds were severe too. I tried to get straight teeth, but ended up losing so much. I looked like a kangaroo with a bulging belly. I even got a perm to cover up my thin face a little, and my boyfriend teased me by calling me a poodle kangaroo. ^^ For about half a year, I received help from people here while choosing a clinic. Since I live outside Seoul, I had phone consultations or online consultations with the clinics I had selected. When I read reviews in this community and posts in anti-cosmetic-surgery cafes, the biggest side effect was that the fat disappeared very quickly. There were also unevenness, overinjection, Indian bands, inflammation, asymmetry... and even minor things like acne. Most of those people seemed unable to get sufficient explanations or treatment from the clinic where they had the procedure, despite having those side effects or dissatisfaction, and while reading those reviews, I even thought about giving up on surgery. I focused on the idea that meeting a trustworthy doctor was the most important thing, and choosing a clinic was the hardest part. I also had to keep wondering whether my choice was really the right one. Now that the surgery is over, maybe because I have confidence in the clinic I chose, my mind feels very at ease. My face is still very swollen, so I’m the one most curious about how it will look after engraftment and whether I’ll be satisfied, but I suppose I’ll know as time passes. ^^ While preparing for surgery and after having it, I thought I would write down a few things that I really wanted other members to know. First, when choosing a clinic before surgery, you should check whether the doctor is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Fat grafting is performed at various clinics, from dermatology clinics to family medicine clinics. If the surgery is successful, the fat engrafts well, and you remain satisfied for a long time after surgery, that is fortunate, but I saw many people posting about quite a few side effects. Fat grafting may look like a simple procedure among plastic surgeries, but my current personal opinion is that it is not necessarily so. Dermatologic procedures should be done at dermatology clinics... plastic surgery procedures should be done at plastic surgery clinics. There is a site where you can search whether someone is a board-certified plastic surgeon. I can’t write the address here, but if you search on Naver, you can find it. I also started by searching for the doctor I had chosen. Second, it is meeting a doctor you can trust. In a way, I think this is the most important thing. Honestly, if you read posts in an anti-cosmetic-surgery cafe for just ten minutes, you immediately start thinking that you should stop thinking about surgery and everything else, and just live satisfied with nature. I also hesitated dozens of times over whether I really needed to have surgery. What makes me the angriest is reading posts saying the clinic’s attitude is different before and after surgery. When you read the board, the standard should first be asking questions at the clinic where you had the procedure and getting answers there, but I saw many cases where people posted questions to the consulting doctor instead. Even if you have to go around in person, I hope you have consultations and meet a doctor you can trust. It is most important to meet a doctor who will not let go until the end, even if some unexpected situation or problem arises. In my case, I decided because I felt that if I had the procedure done by the doctor I chose, at least I wouldn’t suffer emotionally. Tomorrow will be exactly one week since my surgery. Going forward, to check my progress and also to decide on a second round, I will inevitably maintain a relationship with the clinic I chose for a long time. Please be cautious. Third, pre- and post-operative precautions. This is purely based on my own experience, so please understand even if it sounds a bit random. I have quite severe abdominal fat. After orthodontics, I stopped exercising and sat for long hours, so only my belly stuck out like a pufferfish. My weight is 49 kg. People look only at my face and tell me to eat well, saying I’m pitifully thin... but my belly, thighs, and upper arms are at Atom level. ^^ What I regret most is that I wish I had exercised after surgery, built my body a bit, and then had the surgery. To improve engraftment after surgery, you need to eat well, and it is good to gain about 2-3 kg. Also, among those who wear glasses, if you plan to have the glabella or nose area treated, prepare contact lenses in advance. I have severe dry eye and do not wear contact lenses, but they told me I cannot wear glasses, so even writing this is difficult right now. I think I’ll eventually have to go get contact lenses fitted. ^^ Even if it is sleep anesthesia, it is better to avoid eating before surgery. I unavoidably had surgery on my menstrual day, but swelling and bruising can become worse, so schedule it to avoid your period. If you are taking any medications two weeks before surgery, it is better to tell them in advance. After surgery... honestly, for me, after surgery was harder than the surgery itself. It is still somewhat like that now. Because they removed fat from my abdomen, it was hard for me to bend my waist or move. Still, walking was manageable... But trying to sleep lying down while wearing an abdominal binder... I had to sleep straight so the grafted areas would not be pressed, my back hurt, and they said it is good to sleep sitting up or with a high pillow for the first 3 days or so. Since I terribly hate high pillows and cannot stand feeling constricted, it was really so hard haha. A high pillow plus an abdominal binder...... On the 4th day, I unknowingly slept with my forehead resting on my clenched fist, and I was so shocked when it left a hollow mark. When I called the clinic, they said 70% returns to normal, but if it was pressed severely, it could be difficult. They told me that even if that happened, they would at least correct that area first after 3 weeks, so I felt relieved. At the moment, it looks okay externally, but it is slightly indented. Be careful when you fall asleep. I’m not supposed to sleep on my side... but maybe I have rough sleeping habits, because when I wake up, I find myself slightly turned to the side. Maybe because of that, my left temple and the left side overall have less swelling. It feels like the swelling is going down asymmetrically, but since my face right now is ultimately not my final face, I’m trying to think positively for after engraftment. Right now, a lot of swelling has gone down in my left temple and nasolabial fold area. Since I talk and eat, I think the nasolabial fold area will be the first to go down. I’m trying to keep my face expressionless as much as possible. They say it is best to avoid pressure, making big facial expressions, or talking a lot. ^^ Several times a day, I also wonder, did it turn out well...? Or is it disappearing too quickly? Worries pass through my mind. Tomorrow I’m going to have the stitches removed from my abdomen. I’ll see the doctor and ask. I think the most important thing for me right now is positive thinking. If I wait positively, I believe there will definitely be a good result. Before surgery, what I was most curious about was: why is it so hard to find people who say fat remains after 2 or 3 years? Even years later, if someone in this community posts asking whether fat grafting really lasts, I sincerely hope I will be able to answer yes. ^^ Because of eye fatigue, I wrote this in a disorganized way. Please understand. ^^ Ah... now that I’ve uploaded it, the photos are too big. ㅠㅠ I’m a bit embarrassed. The two photos above are from right before surgery. The ones below are after waking up from anesthesia... that afternoon... and photos taken the day before yesterday and yesterday.
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