This is a review from about one month after surgery.
My cheekbones were not the kind that were insanely prominent, but when I took photos or looked at mirrored images, I was the kind of face where you could kind of tell I had cheekbones.
I’m an office worker, and I chose this hospital mainly because I wanted a fast recovery. (Non-fixation method / soft cheekbone) To get straight to the point, I had surgery on Friday afternoon and went to work on Tuesday, just five days later, but my face was obviously swollen and puffy, so I said I had fallen and gotten hurt, and I took extra sick leave too lol
1. Before surgery There were many reviews saying the manager and the surgeon were kind, and they weren’t exactly unkind, but it felt like a business-like kind of kindness?? That’s not a complaint, but I think there was a standardized kind of kindness and explanation because they deal with the same type of patient all the time. Before surgery, they took a CT scan and said the result would be good, but the effect was not as amazing as I expected. I’m not sure whether I should mention the amount, but I paid a 3 million won deposit + 2.2 million won in cash on the day of surgery.
2. First day I’m not someone who tends to exaggerate pain, and I’m not especially afraid of injections either, but after waking up from surgery, I kept feeling pain that was pretty throbbing and bothersome. Also, in other people’s reviews, the bandage was only wrapped around the sides of the face, but mine was bandaged almost everywhere except for a little bit around the nose and the nasolabial area...... I don’t know why. The bandage was wrapped so tightly that it was hard even to take the prescribed pills, and until I removed it, I only drank soy milk. When I swallowed or lowered my head, I bled a little from my nose and could taste the blood at the back of my throat. It wasn’t a lot, maybe just a few drops?? I think I could still taste blood until day 3.
Oh, as a tip, they said to wear a roomy hoodie, but it was a bit uncomfortable to put on after surgery. It would probably be easier to wear a zip-up hoodie. I had quite a bit of dizziness after surgery. I was going to take a taxi, but I could hardly speak properly, and I was worried the driver might think I was weird, so I just took the subway home.
3. Progress one week after surgery Starting on the second day, I wore a hoodie and a mask and went for night walks for about 2 hours a day while breathing in fine dust lol I kept the bandages on for almost a full 48 hours and took them off on day 3, but my jaw hurt so badly that I couldn’t sleep. Fast recovery was the key for me, so I slept in a massage chair for 7 days. My lower back hurt too much. It definitely seemed like the swelling went down quickly because I walked every day and slept sitting up, but there was a yellow bruise around my eyes and I somehow still felt puffy and swollen lololol My temples were swollen like soft tofu. I only did cold and warm compresses and the tightening bandage for about a week, and I didn’t drink pumpkin juice either.
On day 7 I went back to the hospital and got radiofrequency treatment, and maybe it was just my mood, but it felt like the swelling dropped a lot. But I’ve always been the type who doesn’t swell much anyway, and on day 4 after taking off the bandages I even went to the gym and did simple weight training that didn’t involve bending my head down.
4. Review from week 2 to now Eating is still the most uncomfortable thing right now, but from week 2 I could open my mouth enough to fit in one Home Run Ball snack, and something about the width of a big banana is still a little difficult. What I eat is mostly soft food: overcooked rice noodles, overcooked dumpling soup, steamed egg, beef tendon soup, and a few days ago I also had braised monkfish and salmon sashimi. I’ve always been on the thin side, and even before surgery I lived on sweet potatoes and chicken breast salad, so my weight hasn’t changed If anything, because I exercise less, I feel like my body has become a bit soft and flabby lol I’m a non-smoker, and on the exact one-month mark I drank about 10 cups of sake.
5. Surgical effect This is the most important part..... 사실 I had the surgery because of my side cheekbones, but the bone wasn’t cut all the way up to the area right next to the ear? So I feel like there’s almost no effect on the side cheekbones.... The back cheekbones?? or side cheekbones?? feel like little buttons sticking out in a stepped way, and from there onward it feels hollow. The 45-degree area definitely improved, but I was expecting a reduction in the side cheekbones more than the 45-degree area, so I’m actually not satisfied as much as I hoped In other people’s reviews, they said the side cheekbones improved and the 45-degree area didn’t, so I guess it depends on the person.
I said I was going on a trip, took off the bandages, and went home after just 3 nights and 4 days, but my family, coworkers, and friends couldn’t recognize me. Even I honestly can’t tell the difference that well The swelling seems to have basically gone down now. This hospital doesn’t make the incision inside the mouth; it makes incisions in the sideburn area and on the cheekbone, and the suture marks on the cheekbone area are still there.... It’s discolored into a circle about the diameter of a Monami ballpoint pen, and the incision mark is inside it. Even after patting on Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation several times and applying powder, the surgical marks still show I think it’ll probably fade with time.... but I’m still not sure.
I don’t think I have any cheek sagging, but since it’s only been one month, I’ll come back with another review after a few years.
*Question* My biggest concern is not so much that the cheekbones didn’t come down enough, but the sensory disturbance.... I felt it right after surgery, and from below the right eye area to the upper lip and teeth in the cheek, there’s a tingling sensation.... It feels like the anesthesia hasn’t fully worn off, and that feeling has continued from right after surgery to now, over a month later. The hospital says to do compresses often and that sensation will come back completely, but I don’t see any sign of improvement at all. It still feels awkward, and every time I talk or smile, it feels strange... Will this really get better with time?? I’m so scared
I spent almost over a year deliberating about cheekbone surgery and got a lot of help from reviews in this community, so I’m writing this in a bit of detail. If you have any questions, please ask, and I’d also welcome advice or reviews from anyone who has experienced abnormal sensations like I have.