Hey everyone! I’m almost 22 and I’m Korean American. A little over 4 months ago I got my nose surgery done in Seoul. I always felt a bit insecure about my little nose issue – low bridge. I’m not a makeup expert, although today you can find million ways to change all your shortcomings with only good makeup skills, honestly, I can barely use an eye liner. Last year I finally decided to get out of my “comfort zone”. After having a conversation with my parents I started my thorough research, contacted so many places and surgeons, and finally made my choice. On one plastic forum I was suggested to get f2f consultations with at least few places, but once I was sure which surgeon I want to go with, nothing could actually change my mind. So, a plastic surgeon I chose was dr. Kim Harkyoung from Banobagi ps. A few couples of weeks I contacted them via WhatsApp. They asked me some general questions, like my health statement, my pics, what exactly I want and since I was 100% sure to get my nose job done there, I deposited 3k usd which was almost 50% of the total cost they quoted me. When I first went there, it didn’t look like a hospital, their lobby was more of a hotel-like style with very fancy and stylish but cozy and bright at the same time interior and only screens with their famous patients reminded me that it actually was a hospital. I was met with their English-speaking staff, guess because I made an appointment beforehand and they already knew what time exactly I’d come. The first consultation was with Chloe, the consultant that was chatting with me in WhatsApp. We filled out some forms and she again asked me questions like why exactly I want this surgery and what are my expectations, all in all it took us around 15min. The following hour I was asked to get blood tests with some other scans and finally met dr. Kim. He didn’t speak English but the assistant was there with me all the time. He started with Q&A, showed me some pics of his work that was similar to my requirements and measured my nose with eyes, I do believe it was made to see the symmetry/asymmetry of my face in general. The consultation with dr. Kim in total took us around half an hour. The next morning I came for the surgery. Dr.Kim suggested to go with general anesthesia, the total time I spent in the operation room was around 2hrs. When I opened my eyes, my mom was sitting next to me. My throat was aching and I didn’t feel my nose at all, the feeling that scared me a bit in the beginning. I was very thirsty, VERY! But I was allowed to drink only 3 or 4 hrs later. I was surprised that I didn’t actually feel any pain and didn’t get much bruising but my nose was swollen. The first night I was suggested to stay in the hospital, although my mother didn’t want to leave me, we understood that first post-op care is better to receive from professionals. Breathing was a problem for 3 days or so. For an entire week I had to keep a cast on all the time and only for night the first month. Now it’s been already 4 months, I do feel great but little issue still bothers me. Although swelling went down, the sensitivity isn’t all 100% restored. My tip is still numb. I’m continuously contacting Chloe about it and she keeps saying that different people go through different rehab and most probably, I’m the one who needs a bit more time, idk but I do hope that everything is going to fine.
I had consultations with 5 different surgeons before. Why did I choose Dr. Kim who was from another country? Because I found him extremely experienced and talented and I can say even more, he is not just a surgeon looking for a better profit, he is an artist with elegant sense of natural beauty and balance. Until recently I’ve never been satisfied with my face and reflection in the mirror. When I arrived to Seoul and went to Banogabi to meet Dr. Kim for the first time I was very excited. i couldn’t believe I was finally doing it. The consultation took for about 50 minutes but for me it was like a moment, we discussed absolutely all aspects of forthcoming surgeries. Dr. Kim has literally changed my life bringing more confidence and self-esteem. At first I had some doubts regarding the result as my nose was so swollen. I lost sense of smell for several days and got problems with breathing. Hopefully all the symptoms were temporary and as soon as stitches were removed a week after the situation noticeably improved. The tip of my nose was numb for 2-3 months and breathing problem followed me for about 1 month but sense of smell returned by the end of the first week of my rehab and main swelling was totally gone by that time as well. Since rhinoplasty was external I had a scar on columella which, honestly, bothered me the most. Now it’s already invisible. I’m very happy with my nose now and have no regrets that I had my surgery with Dr. Kim and overall result looks very natural, exactly as he described. My nose became more feminine which also gives me an extra young appearance :)
Very fortunate to be a patient of dr Kim, extremely experienced and qualified with a very detailed approach to work. It’s been almost a year since I proceeded rhinoplasty in South Korea. My first consultation at Banobagi happened in mid-August last year and the second consultation was scheduled a few days later when I decided to proceed a surgery there. So, we agreed on the plan that was discussed earlier – open rhinoplasty with osteotomy and tip correction under general anesthesia. When I finally got the surgery done I was very impatient about the result. When the cover was taken off from my nose a week after the surgery I was a bit upset as i saw no result – my previous nose with the same bulbous tip but dr kim calmed me down saying it was too early to judge. 14 days after stitches were removed and I returned home. Only about a month later when most of the swelling from my face was gone, my nose looked much smaller and prettier. The only thing bothered me a lot was that breathing was uncomfortable through my nose because both sides of my nose were blocked from time to time, hopefully all symptoms disappeared by the end of the second month of my recovery. Have to admit it, the first few months were a bit stressful. Even though, I realized my nose kept changing everyday and the tip and shape gradually became smaller, I felt a bit insecure due to the post-op discomfort, thoughts on how I look and the scar’s visibility. After suffering a few couple of months, I thought I might have been overacting back then and a bit too concerned but I could finally see the result I dreamt about – aesthetic nose with very elegant tip. Today a terrible scar on my columella became almost invisible and I face no difficulties with breathing or smelling. I’d want to thank dr kim for making me look more beautiful and feeling more confident and Banobagi staff, especially my assistant Devon for putting me in comfort and taking care of me most of the time.
Many people want to change at least 1 part of their body and I’m not an exception. A low nose bridge runs in the family from my dad’s side. When I was 17 I got my first rhinoplasty consultation. My parents had legal custody over me and was against surgery so I had to postpone the surgery a bit. By that time, the surgeon I had a consultation with moved to another country and my attempts to find him were futile but the search helped me to find a better doctor. It was Dr.Lee from BANOBAGI plastic surgery, Seoul. He was very attentive during our first consultation, explained everything in great details to me and showed my nose in a computer simulation where he showed how to make my nose look better and how it would look afterwards which was pretty interesting and fascinating. The price was about 6,ooo bucks for everything (including hospitalization and translator), very reasonable and even cheaper than in the US. After the consultation I paid the rest part (the first few thousands we deposited before coming), took all necessary body tests and we set a surgery day for the next morning. The operation was done under general anesthesia for about 2 hours. A nurse woke me up when everything was done and helped to get to my recovery room. I felt a bit of weakness and dizziness – consequences of anesthesia I suppose. My nose was wrapped into gauze, bandages and a special cover and tampons were blocking breathing preventing bleeding. I could breath only with mouth and that was what I consider to be the most unpleasant moment, as breathing with mouth was very uncomfortable especially while eating but it was quite possible to bear a day. Six hours later I completely recovered after anesthesia and was allowed to return to my hotel. The next day I came back to the clinic to remove cottons and it became much easier to breathe. A cover couldn’t be removed for a week so that bones and cartilage fused well. I didn’t have any terrible bruising under my eyes only swelling and unpleasant feeling because of itching under the cover. A week after it was removed and I could finally see my new nose. Half an hour I was staring at the mirror and enjoying the result. My nose became so neat with high and straight bridge, and elegant and narrow tip, very natural look. During the second week I visited banobagi for a few times to proceed several post-op treatments to improve healing and swelling, as the nose’s sensitiveness is not restored immediately and a month after there already left almost nothing that could remind me about proceeded surgery. I’m so happy and satisfied with my new nose. Rhinoplasty gave me an opportunity to change my appearance, get rid of shortcomings and defects.
Had gone to some other doctors for a consultation but finalized my decision on Dr. Kim Harkyoung who is a brilliant plastic surgeon at Banobagi hospital in Seoul. Dr. Kim is incredibly knowledgeable and extremely skilled. He gained his huge experience in proceeding rhinoplasty over several years and I think I was very lucky to got my nose job done from him. He was quite honest with how he saw my situation from a professional point of view and was also very upfront with his suggestions. I stayed in Seoul almost 3 weeks. Few days after the surgery returned to the hospital for some stitches removal and another week later the rest were taken out as well as the cast. I can’t say that the pain was wild but I did have some swelling and bruising. It’s been almost 4 months since I got my rhinoplasty done and there is still some swelling remain and my tip is a bit senseless but I’m incredibly happy with the decision I made. I think it’s still a little early to say that my results are final but my nose looks really amazing. Updated on 9 Dec 2018: It’s been already 6 months since I got my nose job done with Dr. Kim Harkyoung. He gave me the result I hoped for. I definitely love my new nose and I also think it’s totally different from the one I was born with and at the same time it looks so natural and balanced to my face that no one can see that I proceeded a plastic surgery. My nose is absolutely healed and the scar is almost gone. Prior to the surgery I was a little unsure about the result I’d have after rhino and I also had a fear that I’d need a revision but fortunately, everything fully satisfies me. I no longer feel insecure about how my nose looks from the side or how I look when take profile pics. The bridge is very straight and tip looks quite neat. Overall, I’m very glad that chose Dr.Kim as my results are perfect.
Rhinoplasty is a “stellar” surgery and at the same time one of the most complex and problematic operations. Since nose has many responsibilities – from breathing to metabolism correction, even a slight wrong change in its external part may lead to many irreversible difficulties. Thus, being a rhinoplasty surgeon requires good knowledge in surgical anatomy of the nose and rich work experience in otorhinolaryngology. Qualitatively performed rhinoplasty visually transforms a person, making facial features look more harmonious and aristocratic. For me rhinoplasty was the only way to get finally rid of “Quasimodo” appearance. In qualitative terms, men’s and female’s noses are same. It’s formed by the same structure from bones and cartilages and there are possible differences at the anatomical level. But quantitatively, gender differences do exist and they are mainly related to the geometry and proportions of the nasal and facial skeleton. It’s not easy to dare for a plastic surgery and even harder to decide on rhinoplasty, so I was searching for a while and finalized my choice on BANOBAGI PS in Seoul. During my consultation with dr. Kim, he pointed at the asymmetry of nose drills size and shape and too huge tip. The only ideal part was bridge, high enough and very straight. In general, my nose was curved due to the widened tip and asymmetrical alar, so the surgical intervention was required mostly on its lower part. We decided on open rhinoplasty with an incision between nose drills on columella. Thus, the skin was substantially exfoliated and the whole nose structure clearly seeable during the operation. If you want to minimize troubles during your recovery period, I’d suggest you to include more fresh fruits and vegetables, vitamins and minerals, stop smoking and drinking alcohol at least a month before the surgery. It’s also important to tell your doctor about all medicaments you are taking as some of them affect blood coagulability. The day before the surgery I’d suggest to take shower and wash hair as it was extremely difficult for me the first two weeks. Rehabilitation wholly depends on how carefully you follow all instructions. The most difficult part for me was sleeping only on my back while keeping head over heart for a few weeks. The next trouble was when I caught cold a month later as blowing my nose was a bit problematic. And most importantly, I had to stop working out for three months as it was prohibited to lift weights and incline. Good and refreshed feeling returned quickly enough but swelling and bruising remained a bit longer. Rhinoplasty helped me to correct my asymmetrical nose and improved my huge tip. With changing my nose, I discovered more horizons and opportunities for myself, it helped me to get rid of unpleasant appearance and defects making me look happier, more presentable and handsome. It has dramatically increased my self-esteem and confidence.
