Hey everyone, I hope to update with my week 3 photo reviews soon ^^ Recently someone on PurseForum asked an interesting question which I responded to- what should we bring to Korea for plastic surgery? I thought I would compile my responses along with the suggestions of others in this blogpost.

What does the clinic provide? (You don't need to bring)

For my experience with rhinoplasty and facial contouring, this is what came in the little goodie bag:

1. Gauze

Source: gomedsource.com

Following rhinoplasty, my nose leaked quite a bit. Sometimes it was just clear discharge but sometimes it was iodine or blood. I used up a whole pack of gauze before I left the clinic from my overnight stay! Banobagi staff gave me an extra pack to take home ^^ It's really important to only use sterile gauze to clean up the discharge to prevent infection.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide Solution














There are lots of incisions to clean after rhinoplasty and facial contouring. For me I had to clean my zygoma incisions, inside my nose, my septum and behind my right ear. Sometimes up to 10 times a day! The dilute hydrogen peroxide solution keeps the wounds clean while they heal and prevent infection.

3. Cotton buds


To clean discharge inside the nose, cotton buds are essential! They're not really something you think about buying before surgery, so I'm glad that the clinic gave me a full pack of 100. If you're not sure that the clinic will provide you with some, please buy some before surgery!

4. Any ointments, painkillers or other medication

Day 1

Look at how many medications they give~ I personally checked before I took any extra medication for interactions, but if you're unsure whether your Chinese herbal remedy/random supplement will cause problems, try not to take it. Some people buy kelocote as well to treat scarring.

5. Face masks

Source: aliexpress.com

During winter, it's super easy to hide the fact that you've had surgery because everyone is wearing these masks ^^ I actually popped into various pharmacies to find these masks, but Banobagi already thought of it and gave me a few before I was discharged. One of them was the heavier winter masks shown in the picture above, but two were the paper type of masks that are easier to breathe in. It's a good disguise :)

6. V-line band

Day 6

Seeing my swollen face and bruised eyes again~ It's weird, because it looks so different from how I am now. The important thing is the face band I'm wearing! The face band helps to 'tighten' up the skin after surgery to reduce sagging. I actually brought my own but it turned out it was unnecessary.

7. Ice packs

Day 7

Ice packs are so important after surgery T_T Painkillers help with the jaw soreness, but what I found was that the ice packs are the most soothing. Banobagi provided me with 2 ice packs and 1 eye mask type of pack.

What do YOU need to pack?

1. Vitamin C tablets, effervescent if undergoing FC

Day 2

Normally we don't eat enough food containing vitamin C anyway, but after surgery it is depleted even more. Vitamin C is really important for recovery! I think it's better to buy it from your home country so that you don't have to worry about finding a pharmacy when you arrive in South Korea.

2. Bromelain tablets and arnica bruise cream

Day 2

I'm actually in love with the After Plus Oriental Ample that my mum found in the pharmacy next to Banobagi clinic. It was £££ though, about £100 for 10 days supply but I felt that the results were worth it! I actually told my mum not to buy it because it was so expensive, but that's the cheap student in me talking >< If possible, I would suggest to people to get this from their home country. It should be fairly easy to find in regular pharmacies.

Arnica cream will help to reduce bruising and swelling. Bromelain is a pineapple extract and is anti-inflammatory. Reducing inflammation after rhinoplasty is especially important, because inflammation may damage tissue around the implant. I talked more about it on my day 2 post ^^

3. Neck pillows/extra pillows request



A photo of me enjoying the reclining bed in Banobagi guesthouse lol. I would suggest emailing your guesthouse/hotel in advance requesting extra pillows if possible. Supporting your head after rhinoplasty and FC is good, as it helps any extra lymph fluid drain downwards due to gravity. On the other hand, I heard that sleeping flat on your back is good after eye surgery.

4. Moisturising lip balm

Day 3

My lips got super super dry despite the humidifier working overtime. Sometimes I was too lazy to get up and drink water. One weird thing that I didn't mention after facial contouring is that my jaw would hurt when I got up to sitting level, so I wasn't motivated to get up at all. Anyway, my lips started peeling away like crazy! Ettusais saved my life. Normally I won't recommend the cracked lip stuff that they sell in UK pharmacies because it stings. They sell very moisturising lip balm in Korean pharmacies too.

5. Loose clothing! Buttoned-up tops!

Day 5

Can you imagine tugging a tight top over your new nose with the cast still on it?? I was reading through a bunch of blogs and someone mentioned button-up tops with rhinoplasty. I'm so glad to have found that tip. My mum bought me the blue pyjama top with buttons when I was discharged ^^ I must have looked like I just came from a slumber party walking out of the clinic like that. Anyway this is possibly the most important tip.

6. Pumpkin juice



Soy milk and pumpkin juice should definitely be bought before surgery ^^ you can get a whole crate of pumpkin juice in pharmacies. It's quite difficult to go out the first few days after surgery so it's definitely better to buy it before.

I'll make a different post on skincare after surgery ^^ It caused me so much trouble, I had so much dead skin flaking off my face that makeup was impossible. I hope this helps everyone :)

Day 15 Post Surgery

I feel like after Day 11, I suddenly deswelled a lot more quickly! My nose bridge rapidly became more natural after the stitch removal. I'm really happy about it. From day 12-15, I would say my biggest improvement was my nose. I'm still putting on the face band diligently every day for at least 1 hour to prevent sagging and tighten my skin, but I have a lot of cheek fat. I've been going out every day like normal, I feel like I've recovered well and can do everything already. I even started sending pictures to my friends, since I look more and more natural everyday!

I feel that my side view has honestly improved a lot! A higher nose bridge and sharper jawline has seriously helped to improve my profile view. I feel like I give off a more feminine image compared to my previous sharp and angular jawline.

From my previous photo, you can see my chubby cheeks from a 45 degree angle shot! Even with swelling, it's not as obvious now after surgery. I really love my new jawline!

Aesthetics

On the day of my final checkup and stitch removal, I had an amazing facial massage to help with deswelling. I felt so relaxed that I didn't worry about stitch removal anymore~ A cool and soothing mask was placed on my face. I feel like it was taking away my swelling immediately!

Stitch removal!

I had my final stitch removal and final checkup on Day 14. Both Dr. Lee and Dr. Oh were busy performing operations so I had my stitch removal first. The stitches left were inside my mouth and some inside my nose. By day 14 I was really relieved to have the stitches taken out because I felt like there was a mess of wires inside my mouth! I was told that this is normal and part of the healing process, as self-dissolving stitches are pushed out of the body naturally and dissolved. I've heard that some people wait for them to drop out over a month, but I was so happy to have them taken out by an experienced nurse from Banobagi. I would really recommend staying two weeks after surgery so all the stitches can be removed.

Devon warned me that the stitches inside my mouth would be painful to remove. I'm not surprised because I had stitches along my left and right cheek, on the top of both sides of my gum and at the bottom. There were quite a few to remove but I felt mentally prepared. Devon was super cute and held my hand throughout the experience, she even said I could squeeze her hand if it was painful. She's so nice and caring 😭

The nurse checked my mouth and Devon  told me that she said  my mouth condition was very good because I gargled well! I was really happy to hear that, as I took a lot of care with brushing my teeth and gargling everyday. It would really be troublesome to have to go to a dentist when I can’t open my mouth properly.

The pain… wasn't that bad! I once cried from a paper cut, but I didn't cry at all from stitch removal. Okay; maybe one or two tears leaked out but because the removal was quick, the pain was bearable. The most painful part was probably the stitch removal from my gums, as the nurse said they were a bit swollen.

I would rate the pain about a 7/10, but it was over in a short time! It's barely worth mentioning the last of my nose stitches removal, as it was over in 1 second. The nurse and Devon were praising my pain tolerance but honestly I’m really bad with pain. So if I can handle it, anyone can.

Final consultations with Dr. Lee and Dr. Oh

This was really funny De. Lee came into the room just as I had just finished having my stitches out! He told me that he couldn't possibly have made a better nose for me and looked satisfied. I was super happy to hear that! It's always good to know that your surgeon has done his best for you and I am in love with my nose.

Dr. Oh was really busy so I had time for CT scans and to browse all of the magazines. I was talking to Devon and the radiologist about the male transformations Banobagi has done because they are amazing?!?! Look at these before and afters:

This guy seriously transformed into a K-pop star!! He's so handsome.

Devon helped me take a photo with him. I'm like his fan now 😂

My consultation with Dr. Oh went really well! He said that my looks had improved a lot and he called me beautiful 😳😳😳 I've become his fan now as well 😌

He let me have a look at the CT scans and I was seriously impressed with his work! His techniques are magical. From a severely asymmetrical face, I've now been blessed with a proportional and small face!

I’ll reveal my CT scans to everyone!

So many things are going on in this photo:

My protruding zygoma has been reduced and pinned in place expertly. The left and right side looks identical and holding together well.

My chin has the obvious screws as it was lengthened using my own jaw bone. The chin looks cute and proportionate!

My jaw is so much more in proportion. In the left photo, the right side of my jaw is clearly bigger than my left side. In the right photo, it's so much better! Due to the low placement of my nerve, Dr. Oh had to cut quite conservatively but from the scans, he has honestly done the most amazing job. I couldn't be more pleased!

This is the underside of my skull! The photo on the left shows how my chin was leaning towards one side quite obviously. Dr. Oh drew on the screen to show how he has brought my chin closer to the midline of my skull. His skills are really impressive.

Woah my jaw angle!! My previous square and boxy jaw is gone, replaced by a sharper and more feminine jawline. The photo also shows how my chin has been brought forward to create a more proportional face. My zygoma from the side is also much smaller.

I really can't thank Dr. Lee and Dr. Oh enough. I'm so happy with my results. From my CT scans, I can really confirm that they did an amazing job on me and I couldn't ask for anything more. My previous recovery blogs may have sounded tough, but with these results I can say that it was 100% worth it!

I asked Dr. Oh a few questions:

He responded that because I was still young, there is a good chance that my skin won't sag very much as long as I maintain a good diet and exercise. He also recommended losing weight to prevent sagging.

My mother keeps commenting that because of my cheeks, my face doesn't have a smooth line down to my chin. Dr. Oh said that because of the swelling, my face isn't completely smooth yet. In a few months, it will be better.

He said that it should be better after about 2-3 months.

I really appreciate both doctors looking after me so well and taking the time to answer my questions in a way that I understand. I'm also super grateful for Devon’s care during my stay with Banobagi, from staying with me until I woke up from general anesthesia to being with me for stitch removals and consultations. She is the best! I have had the best surgery and aftercare experience and I couldn't ask for more. I'll be leaving to go back to uni next week, so I’ll continue my recovery journey from there ^^

I'm Seoul in love with Korea! I'm thrilled to be here for a month with my mum to eat all of the food and shop for the cutest clothes. 

This is what's been happening so far:

Dec 16 Day 1 (Fri): Landed at Incheon airport, checked in at guesthouse and headed to Myeong Dong 

Dec 17 Day 2 (Sat): Hongdae all day, Sang Sang Puppy Cafe and Gangnam Station Underground Shopping Mall

Dec 18 Day 3 (Sun): Ewha University fashion street and Express Bus Terminal Underground Shopping Mall (Goto Mall)

Dec 19 Day 4 (Mon): Gwangjang Market, Myeong Dong, Dongdaemun- Doota, helloAPM, helloPLACE

Dec 20 Day 5 (Tue): Consultation at 10 a.m! Medical check up at 3pm.

Dec 21 Day 6 (Wed): Jjimjilbang 

Dec 22 Day 7 (Thurs): Day 0 Surgery

Dec 23 Day 8 (Fri): Day 1 Post Surgery

Dec 24 Day 9 (Sat): Day 2 Post Surgery 

Dec 25 Day 10 (Sun): Christmas day! Day 3 Post Surgery

Dec 26 Day 11 (Mon): Day 4 Post Surgery 

Dec 27 Day 12 (Tue): Day 5 Post Surgery 

Dec 28 Day 13 (Wed): Day 6 Post Surgery 

Dec 29 Day 14 (Thur): Day 7 Post Surgery 

Dec 30 Day 15 (Fri): COEX mall, SMTown, Hyundai department store

Dec 31 Day 16 (Sat): Hongdae- Stylenanda, chuu, Kkanbu chicken

Jan 1 Day 17 (Sun): HAPPY NEW YEAR! Stayed at home all day lol

Jan 2 Day 18 (Mon):  Ear and nose stitches out, Myeong dong - lotte department store, Garosugil

Jan 3 Day 19 (Tues): Olympus store, Itaewon, Dongdaemun

Jan 4 Day 20 (Wed): Deswelling treatment, stayed at home

Jan 5 Day 21 (Thur): ALL STITCHES OUT, Dongdaemun - trying to find the stupid food alley

Jan 6 Day 22 (Fri): Chuu and StyleNanda again, selecting a hairstylist and hunting them down

Jan 7 Day 23 (Sat): See-through bangs haircut by beaute de marshall hairstylist Nine REVIEW

Jan 8 Day 24 (Sun): Lunching with guesthouse friend, souvenir shopping

Jan 9 Day 25 (Mon): Siloam Sauna

Jan 10 Day 26 (Tues): Bangs perm with Hair D J in Edae

Jan 11 Day 27 (Wed): Fly back to London at 3.30pm!

Places I still want to visit:

• Dongdaemun - Migliore
• Jamsil Underground Shopping Centre
• Namdaemun market
• Yeongdeungpo Underground Mall
• Jonggak Underground Mall (literally want to visit every underground mall

Good links for shopping:

http://aroimakmak.com/must-shop-dongdaemun/

http://en.blog.kkday.com/2016/05/10-must-go-shopping-spots-in-korea.html

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=2419333

http://www.opng.net/underground-goldmine-for-fashion-trendsetters/

Day 11 Post-Surgery: internal nose and ear stitches removal

Here’s a photo comparison of the past few days. I feel like my swelling has seriously improved a lot! The bruising under my eyes  has mostly gone and is easily covered with makeup. No doubt it's because of the treatment offered by Banobagi dermatology clinic. I'm so pleased that my swelling has gone down! I walked around a lot to deswell as quickly as I can.

Here's a photo of me without makeup before surgery vs. day 11! Isn't it a huge yet natural difference? I think that's the specialty of surgeons at Banobagi: my natural look and smile is retained perfectly but my overall look is vastly improved. I definitely still look like myself but better! In my ‘before’ photo, my chin is leaning heavily towards the right and my face looks wide. In my ‘after’ photo, everything looks proportional! I'm so happy. I still have quite a bit of swelling, but I love my results already.

Woah my nose looks less upturned already!! The picture shows my nose at 11 days, 8 days and before rhinoplasty. My original nose looks very short and upturned by comparison. Dr. Lee encouraged me by saying my nose will look fully natural by 6 months! I already appreciate my nose a lot. I feel like it's the thing that has changed my face the most, since it's directly in the center of my face.

This 45 degree angle selfie reveals that my swelling is still there! It has really gone down a lot though, especially my nose. The slight bruising in my eye is still visible, but it's dissipating more day by day.

Stitch Removal

The lobby was as full as ever! There was honestly a lot of people as it is peak season. I sat next to a nice lady who could only speak Korean so we communicated through hand gestures. A lot of locals come to Banobagi as it's really well-known and trustworthy. I didn't have to wait long before Devon came and took me for stitch removal on the second floor.

From my previous stitch removal, the nurse told me that I had to take better care of my nose. I improved my nose cleaning technique and hoped for the best. Stitches were removed from inside my nose first and it was absolutely fine. The stitches were not yanked out! Instead, the nurse cut them delicately with care. It was clear that she was very experienced, because it was all done before I knew it. The stitches behind my right ear were removed with similar precision and the whole experience was very painless. I don't know what I was so afraid of!

Devon explained that the nurse had taken almost all of the internal nose stitches out and the rest should come out by themselves. I was so ready to have my mouth stitches taken out, but I had to wait a bit longer until I healed better.

The whole experience was very kind, efficient and painless! I went out afterwards with no problem and I could honestly breathe so well.

Before & after selfie! My face shape is so much better and smaller than before. My nose is much more 3D and elegant! Im really happy with my results thanks to Dr. Oh and Dr. Lee. I’ll continue my updates when I have my final stitch removal session and final checkup. I'm very excited!