Review of implant-free rhinoplasty with autologous costal cartilage

My nasal bridge was originally on the higher side, but my nasal tip was relatively low, so overall it gave the impression that my mouth protruded more. Especially when I looked at my side profile, I felt the most disappointed, and because my midface did not look three-dimensional, the center of my face looked flat while the lower face seemed relatively heavy. The drawback stood out more from the side line than from the front, so I was conscious of it every time I took photos, and I kept thinking that I wanted to improve this area naturally. So while looking into several clinics, I had a consultation with Director Kim Jae-yoon at Lowell Plastic Surgery, and maybe because it is a private clinic, he gave a very detailed and thorough consultation, so I was able to decide on surgery. It has now been a little over one month, and I had an implant-free nasal bridge and autologous costal cartilage for the nasal tip. Recovery required more patience than I expected. Around 2 weeks after surgery, the major swelling had gone down to some extent, and from at least 3 weeks onward, my face gradually started to feel more natural. In the beginning, swelling and yellow bruising remained, so honestly the hardest part was waiting for that time to pass. Every time I looked in the mirror, I kept wondering when it would go away, and I think it is important to get through this period well. People around me generally reacted by saying it turned out naturally well. I often heard that it did not look overly obvious that I had surgery and that my impression had become softer. That was exactly the direction I wanted, so I was quite satisfied with this part. I did go back to work about 9 days after surgery, but if possible, I think at least 2 weeks need to pass before you can return to daily life with a much more natural-looking face. Especially in the early stage, there was pain from the autologous costal cartilage harvest, so for about a week after surgery, even getting out of bed was not easy. At that time, rather than sitting straight up from the front, I really recommend slowly getting up while lying turned to the side. It is a small tip, but the difference you feel is quite big. Now that I am one month post-op, I am satisfied! After more time passes and the swelling goes down further, I will leave another review.