BeforeBeforeAfterAfterHello I’m here with a review 6 months after having one facial contouring procedure (zygoma reduction).
First, the reasons I chose the clinic were the director’s experience, postoperative care, the surgical method (safety/fixation method), and the design focus (aiming for a natural look). When I visited for the consultation, the clinic interior was also clean, which was a plus.
I’ll write the review using the notes I took each day so I wouldn’t forget over time.
<Day of Surgery> More than the surgical area, the sore throat was really, really painful for me. The director came to the recovery room after surgery, and when I said the sore throat was so painful, he told me to think of it positively because it probably felt worse since the surgical area hurt less haha (true). Since I could only drink water 6 hours after surgery, even after going home, it was painful battling thirst more than pain in the surgical area Interestingly, I wasn’t hungry at all, so I didn’t eat anything that day, and I just propped my pillow up high and slept, waiting for time to pass.
<Post-op Day 1> The sore throat was a little better than on the day of surgery, but it was still there. For breakfast, I had Morning Rice drink and pumpkin juice, took my medication, gargled, and did cold compresses. After going home, I was told I could remove the bandage, so I took it off and went about my day. (I heard this while half-asleep in the recovery room, so I’m not sure if it was right, but it felt stuffy so I removed it.) The incision was much~ smaller than I expected (about within 1-1.5 cm?), so I thought it probably wouldn’t be noticeable once it healed! The bruising under my eyes came down a bit more.
<Post-op Day 2> My face became so tight and swollen that it felt like it might burst at any moment. The bruising under my eyes came down more too.. I also occasionally heard a sound around the bone near one ear, but the director had said it was a natural phenomenon, so I didn’t worry. Opening my mouth was still hard (couldn’t even fit one finger) And I wanted coffee so, so, so badly that I had decaf haha!;
<Post-op Day 3> The swelling went down compared with the day before. But the area beside the nasolabial folds was still swollen like I had hard candy in my cheeks, and if I did a cold compress, it would temporarily go down to about the level of a face swollen after eating ramen. The bruising under my eyes gradually turned yellow, and the phlegm decreased a lot. The sore throat was gone too, so I started cardio exercise for the first time. For my diet, I had liquid foods, and for porridge-type foods, I chewed very lightly only with my front teeth and swallowed.
<Post-op Days 4-6> My voice had not completely returned, and only occasional phlegm came out. For the first time, I tried gently chewing something (boiled chickpeas), but it was still too much, so I stopped eating them. I walked for about an hour each time, and the bruising under my eyes kept turning yellow as it moved downward. It was nice to see the swelling going down as time passed.
<After Post-op Day 7> On the one-week mark, I visited the clinic to check the incision site and receive skin care. It seems better to go without makeup (you have to wash your face anyway), and since the care was overall cooling care, it felt refreshing and nice. It was so frustrating to only gargle throughout recovery that I had been brushing my teeth very, very carefully.. The teacher checking my suture condition noticed right away; And at the two-week mark, I visited the clinic, received swelling laser treatment and a CT scan, got checked by the director, and went home.
<After 1 Month Post-op> When I went for the final follow-up, they asked if I had any discomfort, so I said that on the right side, I sometimes felt a tingling sensation when I felt like I had done a lot of chewing movement. They said that usually, if inflammation develops, it would hurt not occasionally but every day or periodically, and since there were no abnormalities on the CT taken that day, I could think of it as part of the process of nerve sensation returning.
They also told me to gradually practice opening my mouth, so I’m practicing little by little. Right now, I can fit about two fingers vertically, so eating has become much more comfortable and I’m happy!!
Before surgery, whenever I read reviews in communities, I saw mentions of a doctor call, but I didn’t receive one I had a feeling? expectation? that I wanted to hear the director’s voice after surgery, so I was disappointed about that and told the clinic right away.
<3 Months Post-op> I had written about what I was disappointed about in my 1-month review, and the director gave feedback right away. He mentioned the doctor call and said he was sorry he couldn’t call because there was a holiday period included (the Chuseok holiday at the time of surgery). I was surprised that he brought it up himself, and I was very satisfied that he checked and gave quick feedback.
As I got older, I wondered whether I was losing facial fat or whether the bones were spreading, because my cheekbones seemed more prominent. I worried about it for years, then made a big decision and had the surgery, and I’m very, very satisfied!!
<6 Months Post-op> Now that 6 months have passed, even the swelling only I noticed is almost gone, and people who see me occasionally just think I lost weight. The incision scars have all healed, so they’re not noticeable at all, which is great. Even if I were born again, I think I’d have the surgery! These days I’m so happy when wearing hats and taking pictures....♡ I hope everyone has safe surgery!!