Gained the confidence I never had

I did my primary asian rhinoplasty with Dr Jin 3 weeks ago and I’m very satisfied with my results. I still look like myself, but better!
I’ve always noticed the appearance of my nose is off and detracted from the rest of my face. Even though getting a rhinoplasty is something that I’ve thought about for years, I never really thought about it seriously until a year ago when I started going to college. I began getting extremely self conscious about my appearance, especially when it comes to meeting new people at school and interviewing for competitive internships. Let’s not fool ourselves- appearance matters even in a professional setting. I decided that I wanted to improve my appearance and thereby gaining more confidence in myself.
For the past year I’ve been digging around online for information on Asian rhinoplasty, such as implant materials, techniques, different types of grafts, different clinics/doctors etc. I first considered rhinoplasty in the US, but then I realised Western surgeons did not fully understand the Asian aesthetics. Most results I’ve come across online were either underwhelming for the exorbitant costs or straight up did not harmonise with the Asian face. The few California based plastic surgeons with more experience in Asian rhinoplasty also had mixed results and didn’t fully align with what I wanted.
At this point I turned to Korea, knowing Asian rhinoplasty is much more commonly performed over there. Through my research, I’ve realised foreign implants such as silicone/goretex has a higher rate of complications. Even though it is my primary surgery, I decided that I wanted to use autologous materials only. That quickly narrowed down my list of doctors to consult with, as most Korean clinics prefer silicone/goretex for primary rhinoplasty. I came across Dr. Jin earlier this year through his extensive publications in Asian rhinoplasty and his experience in rib cartilage rhinoplasty.
By the end of March, I finally decided to move forward with actually getting a rhinoplasty that I’ve thought about for years. I emailed Dr. Jin’s clinic with a couple of pictures just to get an opinion. By the next day I already received a response with a couple of surgery recommendations coming from Dr. Jin himself, not a consultant which I prefer. Oftentimes communication with the doctor is an issue when it has to go through multiple consultants/interpreters and things can often get lost in translation (quite literally), leading to mismatched expectations and subsequently unsatisfactory outcomes between the surgeon and patient. Luckily, Dr. Jin communicated easily in English through emails and was responsive to all the questions I had regarding rib cartilage rhinoplasty and surgery methods.
I had a delay in my arrival to Seoul due to airport issues from New Orleans, but the clinic was also accommodating and rescheduled my consultation at a later time as Dr. Jin was headed to surgery in the morning. Again, all my questions were answered during the in person consultation the day before surgery as well as the preop consultation, and the grafts and surgery methods were explained. I communicated my desired outcomes (more defined bridge, less upturned nose and maintaining projection) to Dr. Jin once more before surgery to make sure we are on the same page.
Following the preop consultation, the surgery process itself went smoothly. Surgery waivers and consent forms were signed, and an IV drip was administered before heading for the operating room.
The surgery itself took about ~3 to 4 hours and I was laying down in the recovery room until the anaesthesia has worn off. I have a decent pain tolerance, but the only uncomfortable part of the process was the soreness from the rib cartilage harvest. Think doing the most intense core workout of your life, multiply that sensation by 500 but it’s concentrated on one spot on your abs only. After the 3rd day the soreness gradually went away. The nasal packing was removed the following day, and the cast was removed a week later. I had a nose bleed the day after cast removal (due to sneezing) and had to stop by the clinic without an appointment. Thankfully, the clinic was accommodating and addressed the issue immediately.
Overall, it has been an easier experience than I imagined thanks to his team. I’m very happy with the outcome currently, and excited to see the final result once the residual swelling settles down over the next few months. Dr. Jin’s clinic doesn’t offer fancy post op treatments compared to other Korean clinics, but Dr. Jin and his clinic staff were professional from start to finish. He is also very realistic with what could be achieved and what suits the patients face the most. I would highly recommend at the very least a consultation with his clinic or online if anyone is thinking of undergoing Asian rhinoplasty.