Tired of Little Button Nose. Beverly Hills, CA

My nose is so small with hardly any bridge, it looks like a button on my face- especially in pictures. Although many have told me they think it's very cute, it wasn't cute to me. Maybe perhaps because it reminds me of my dad (that's a whole another spiel), so I have been contemplating getting rhinoplasty for quite some time. I decided to go with the filler option to "test the waters" and began my research into finding a suitable doctor. I came upon Dr. Yoo's Real Self reviews and in combination with his excellent, authentic (yelp is notorious for fake reviews) reviews, I decided to email request more info through Real Self. Shortly after, his patient coordinator Ana Martin emailed me. Although I emailed her back and left a message, she didn't return my call. She seemed pleasant in her first email, so I have no idea what happened when I called her and left a message. I hoped it was a one time thing. Nevertheless, I called the office directly, and spoke with Araceli- and she was so sweet over the phone and in person. I scheduled a consultation, which costs $200 but they apply the fee towards your procedure. I did enough research prior to meeting with Dr. Yoo, so I knew the likelihood of going through with the non-surgical nose job was high. I just had a few more questions for him. And since the detailed reviews of those using Real Self helped me make my decision, I will be giving a thorough review of my experience with Dr. Yoo.

I was able to get an appointment fairly quickly. Dr. Yoo is usually able to see new patients on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday (you'd have to call to find out which every other Friday it is). You can save yourself some time, and fill out the new patient form ONLINE. There is also an online confirmation feature to confirm, cancel, or change your appointment. However, once your appointment is set, they need 72 hours to cancel so you don't get charged a no show fee. If the office is closed, you may call and leave a message over the weekend to cancel- as long as it is within 72 hours. They are pretty strict about this, which I completely understand. There are 6+ doctors working in this medical building, and this place is popping. Dr. Yoo is in high demand, and since he offers only three days out of the week to see potential new patients, I can see why their cancellation policy is strict.

There is mandatory valet parking for the medical building. Save your ticket to get validated inside Dr. Yoo's office. Bring some cash for the valet people. I felt bad I had no cash on me because I didn't know I had to valet my car. I didn't notice any free street parking. Dr. Yoo's office is on the third floor. They provide some cookies and Pellegrino sparkling water while you wait. Office is clean. You sign in on a clipboard. I waited an average of 5-10 minutes before I was taken into a private room for my consultation.

Once in the room, (if you're a new patient), a nurse will come and ask some questions. I would suggest bringing some questions to ask the Dr. If you're scheduling a consultation, you have the doctor's time and it is the perfect time to ask everything you're concerned about. Dr. Yoo was very down to earth and approachable for somebody with his expertise. He thoroughly answered all my questions, went over the side effects that could happen.

Dr. Yoo does use numbing cream and will slather this around your nose for about 15 minutes for it to start working. Bring something to read or your smartphone because there were periodic times I was waiting in between. I would give yourself at least TWO hours from the start of your appointment time to having the procedure done. Once the numbing cream was working, the actual filler injections into your nose doesn't take much time. It's all the paperwork, questions, etc.

Dr. Yoo has a gentle hand, and went conservative with me. I didn't want a drastic change. It didn't hurt, except the tip of the nose was a little painful. Not too bad. But like my mom always says, "no pain, no gain, beauty is hard work." The track marks from the needle was easily covered with makeup, and the tiny, almost non visible scabs fell off by the next day. Dr. Yoo has a wonderful eye for aesthetics, checking from different angles to make sure everything looked just right. The first day, my bridge was projected high and he warned me it would dissipate by 15% percent as the swelling goes and it settles in. I kept it iced (he provides an ice pack) all the way home and iced it more with a bag of frozen peas. I had to alternate the ice pack from one side to the other. I didn't want to move the filler because it is soft. My nose was tender for the first couple of days, but went away pretty quickly. Swelling was minimal. Be careful when you wash your face and don't press down on it. Or wear glasses/sunglasses. I'm still gentle around my nose area three weeks later.

Once it settled, the change was subtle but definitely made my nose look better- less like a button and more like a nose. I love it! I'm thinking of getting the real deal now. Dr. Yoo does a follow up two weeks later to make sure nothing went wrong. Don't forget- you get what you pay for! I hope my review helps you make an educated decision to see which Dr. you like. I'm glad I went with Dr. Yoo. My nose is natural, subtle but I look prettier. Most people couldn't tell right off the bat what I did, unless I told them.