POSTED UNDER Liposuction Reviews
Multiple Surgeries On The Same Day
ORIGINAL POST
Multiple Surgeries On The Same Day
WORTH IT
Why did I choose to get surgery?
I chose to get facial surgery because I felt that my face was very high contrast (sharp features) compared to the soft, feminine outfits I preferred to dress in. I chose to get liposuction to create better body lines. Even at 47 kg my upper thighs retained fat, making my legs appear shorter. I decided to get surgery in Korea because I align more with the Korean beauty standards rather than Western beauty standards.
Why did I choose Girin?
I chose to complete all of my surgeries with Girin (Gangnam Seoul). I found Girin initially through Purse Forum recommendations. From there, I looked for additional patient reviews using Unni, RealSelf, Reddit, YouTube, Girin’s site, and Girin’s Instagram. Compared to other clinics, Girin did not have aggressive “influencer” marketing. I felt that the reviews were unbiased and showed unaltered before and after photos. I also searched reviews and articles to be sure that there were no known accidents or deaths associated with the clinic. When researching Girin, I saw that they had their own method of v-line contouring. With other clinics, the bone is cut straight across into multiple pieces and reattached with pins. I preferred Girin’s method since it uses two curved cuts to contour each side of the jaw, producing a smooth jawline. Since a thigh gap is my goal, I was happy to see Girin produced good results in this area.
WhatsApp communication and pre consultation:
I reached out to Girin three months in advance of my preferred surgery month to secure my appointment and discuss the surgeries I wanted to get.
Communication with Girin was very smooth. Girin replied very quickly and answered each question I had in detail, checking with the surgeon(s) as needed. I knew that the surgeons were spending a deal of time looking at my before photos, as Girin regularly followed up with questions and requests from the surgeon for additional photos.
Pricing:
The price for each surgery was very reasonable (the same or cheaper than other clinics) and I didn’t feel overcharged as a foreigner. I kept in mind that after an in-person consultation, different and/or additional recommendations could be made, changing the total surgery cost. With additional procedures, the WhatsApp quote only differed from the actual surgery cost by an additional 4mil Won. When consulting with Girin through WhatsApp, they told me I qualified for their Diamond package, which includes airport pick-up and drop-off, 7 nights at their accommodation, 1 night aftercare at their clinic, and anesthesia fees. This relieved a lot of the perceived barriers I had to getting surgery in Korea since everything was handled by Girin. Girin also has several in-clinic translators available to help you communicate.
In-person Consultation & Surgeries:
I already knew that I wanted to proceed with surgery at Girin before the in-person consultation. Meeting the surgeons reassured my decision, as they have each performed these surgeries countless times with specialty in their area. I brought in a folder with printed photos of my desired results. When I met with each of the surgeons they provided realistic expectations and did not make recommendations for any unwanted or unnecessary surgeries.
Surgeries that I got, why I got them, and the surgeon:
Forehead reduction
Reason: I have a slight “M” shaped hairline along with a really strong front cowlick. My hair is also naturally light blonde so the baby hair is hard to see. This combination made it look like I had a receding hairline.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan: We would first reduce the height of my forehead by approximately 1 cm. After providing at least 2 months time for the incision to heal, we will follow up with a hair transfer to reduce the width of my forehead (NOTE: after reaching back out to Girin, it seems the wait time is 1 year to allow the scar to heal).
Brow lift
Reason: One of my brows was noticeably higher than the other and drew attention to the asymmetry of my face. While I didn’t initially plan to get a brow lift, I mentioned that I wanted my eyes to look brighter with more eyelid space (I had hooded eyes). A brow lift was appropriate since was not a candidate for double eyelid surgery, as I already had a prominent crease.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan: The brow lift would be performed with the forehead reduction using the same incision. A small dissolvable pin would be used to secure the skin.
Under-eye fat transfer
Reason: Doing makeup to try and mask the hollowness under my eyes felt like a chore. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t fully cover the dark areas and the concealer just made my makeup crustier. I knew doing an under-eye fat transfer would also help with the shadows created by overhead lighting, which couldn’t by corrected by makeup alone.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan: Fat collected during the liposuction procedure would be collected for this purpose. After the procedure it is expected that some of the transferred fat will not survive. Girin retains additional collected fat for 3 months, which allows you to return to the clinic and “top off” the area if needed (NOTE: be sure to communicate with the clinic that you want your fat retained - be sure this is written down or else the fat will be disposed of and you may not have enough fat in the future).
Rhinoplasty
Reason: I wasn’t particularly bothered by my nose until recently. As I grew up a hump in my nose became more prominent and my nose looked sharper and hollow.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan (Open Rhinoplasty): My CT scan showed that I had a good amount of septal cartilage, so an implant would not be necessary for my desired result. An osteotomy would be performed to narrow the width of my nose (bone); a hump reduction; extension of the nasal tip (to lengthen my overall midface - this was recommended by Girin since I had a short midface); and an alarplasty to make the base of my nose less wide.
Smile line fat transfer
Reason: This was recommended by Girin rather than being something I was initially looking to fix. I had pretty prominent smile lines which contribute to looking older, so it was recommended to correct these since fat would be harvested anyways.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Chin reduction
Reason: My chin made my side profile very high contrast since it stuck out so far. It was unbalanced with the rest of my face and my most disliked facial feature for so many years of my life.
Surgeon: Dr. Yoon Seung Gyu
Surgery Plan: The chin reduction would be performed at the same time as the v-line surgery.
V-line
Reason: My face was very round and made me look like I weighed more than I actually did. I wanted a slight definition for a more mature (but not overly mature) look.
Surgeon: Dr. Yoon Seung Gyu
Breast fat transfer
Reason: I was okay with my breast size (A cup) but my breasts lacked volume on the top, making them seem lower on my chest. To me, it looked like I had gynecomastia as a female.
Surgery Plan: Fat would be transferred to the top of my breasts to create a better side profile and shape rather than to create a larger cup size. A round shape was referenced rather than a teardrop shape. From the fat collected, 100 cc would be transferred to each breast.
Liposuction (thighs, abdomen, love handles)
Reason: Recently I gained a lot of weight. When regularly going to the gym, I weighed 47 kg. Once I stopped regularly going to the gym, I went up to 58 kg despite no diet changes and Pilates (I wonder if it was a new medication that caused the weight gain). While I expected to gain some weight from no longer going to the gym, I felt the weight gained was excessive. Liposuction is not a weight loss method, and rather a body shaping method. Even when I was 47 kg, I held a lot of fat in my thighs and barely had a thigh gap. I wanted prettier leg lines, so I was happy to get thigh liposuction. Additionally, my abdomen always held a bit of fat and I found myself sucking in unconsciously. This created some rib flare. Ultimately, knowing how my body held weight when I was at my preferred weight helped me determine what areas I wanted liposuction.
Surgeon: Dr. Park Deok Joon
(Lip filler)
Reason: While this one isn’t surgical, I decided to get lip filler to balance out my face.
Surgery experience & recovery:
Despite receiving a lot of surgeries at once, each surgeon reassured me that the time under anesthesia would be safe. Even while I wanted arm liposuction, Dr. Park Deok Joon advised me it would be unsafe to perform liposuction in more than 2 areas at a time, so I knew the clinic wasn’t just agreeing to do a lot of surgery for financial gain.
On the day of the surgery, Dr. Yoon Seung Gyu (v-line) asked to take my reference photo into the surgery room for reference during the procedure (I noticed it hanging up when I came out of surgery! This made me feel reassured that the surgeon cared about what I wanted).
The staff at Girin had pleasant attitudes and always kept me informed of what to expect during the surgery process. I got quite nervous during the design process on the day of surgery and started dry heaving. My translator was really sweet and rubbed my back until I started feeling better. I was also taken to one of the recovery rooms to lay down. During this time, the surgeon had to stop mid-design and go into surgery. I thought the staff would be frustrated with me, but they continued to be pleasant and took as much time as needed for me to feel better.
After the surgery, each surgeon assured me the surgery went well. I felt no pain during my recovery, only some discomfort (I had drains in my mouth because of the v-line and that was the most uncomfortable thing - but they were removed around 19 hours after I got out of surgery). Girin included pain pills and antibiotics with the surgery as well as ice pack. There was no need to go to the pharmacy as it was provided directly in the clinic. I really appreciated this. NOTE: There is some nausea medicine Girin gives a script for - you can get it at the pharmacy across the street after your surgery if needed (extra cost I believe). I did get some bandages from the pharmacy before my surgery and I had no problem communicating with the pharmacy staffs.
Girin's accommodation/officetel:
The accommodation was very comfortable, with a large fridge and freezer, a microwave, stovetop, and a clothes washer and dryer. The bed was also spacious enough for my guardian and I to share, I think it is equivalent to a USA full size bed (NOTE: My guardian is a small person). The accommodation is less than a one minute walk to the clinic (they are both on the same street). As an officetel, it was super easy to get food delivered, and if I wanted I could even have packages delivered.
Included in the diamond tier package was also a night in Girin’s recovery room and my guardian was able to stay with me there too. If you want your guardian to stay with you in the recovery room, just let Girin know and have your guardian arrive before closing time (my surgery ended at 11pm so my guardian arrived before 9pm close).
In the recovery room (I stayed there from 11pm to 7pm the following day) Girin provided a porridge-like food to eat and some protein(?) drinks. I couldn't eat or drink much because of the v-line though.
You can see my 1 month post op photos. At 3 months post op, my forehead reduction scar is almost the same color as my skin and no one has pointed it out.
I chose to get facial surgery because I felt that my face was very high contrast (sharp features) compared to the soft, feminine outfits I preferred to dress in. I chose to get liposuction to create better body lines. Even at 47 kg my upper thighs retained fat, making my legs appear shorter. I decided to get surgery in Korea because I align more with the Korean beauty standards rather than Western beauty standards.
Why did I choose Girin?
I chose to complete all of my surgeries with Girin (Gangnam Seoul). I found Girin initially through Purse Forum recommendations. From there, I looked for additional patient reviews using Unni, RealSelf, Reddit, YouTube, Girin’s site, and Girin’s Instagram. Compared to other clinics, Girin did not have aggressive “influencer” marketing. I felt that the reviews were unbiased and showed unaltered before and after photos. I also searched reviews and articles to be sure that there were no known accidents or deaths associated with the clinic. When researching Girin, I saw that they had their own method of v-line contouring. With other clinics, the bone is cut straight across into multiple pieces and reattached with pins. I preferred Girin’s method since it uses two curved cuts to contour each side of the jaw, producing a smooth jawline. Since a thigh gap is my goal, I was happy to see Girin produced good results in this area.
WhatsApp communication and pre consultation:
I reached out to Girin three months in advance of my preferred surgery month to secure my appointment and discuss the surgeries I wanted to get.
Communication with Girin was very smooth. Girin replied very quickly and answered each question I had in detail, checking with the surgeon(s) as needed. I knew that the surgeons were spending a deal of time looking at my before photos, as Girin regularly followed up with questions and requests from the surgeon for additional photos.
Pricing:
The price for each surgery was very reasonable (the same or cheaper than other clinics) and I didn’t feel overcharged as a foreigner. I kept in mind that after an in-person consultation, different and/or additional recommendations could be made, changing the total surgery cost. With additional procedures, the WhatsApp quote only differed from the actual surgery cost by an additional 4mil Won. When consulting with Girin through WhatsApp, they told me I qualified for their Diamond package, which includes airport pick-up and drop-off, 7 nights at their accommodation, 1 night aftercare at their clinic, and anesthesia fees. This relieved a lot of the perceived barriers I had to getting surgery in Korea since everything was handled by Girin. Girin also has several in-clinic translators available to help you communicate.
In-person Consultation & Surgeries:
I already knew that I wanted to proceed with surgery at Girin before the in-person consultation. Meeting the surgeons reassured my decision, as they have each performed these surgeries countless times with specialty in their area. I brought in a folder with printed photos of my desired results. When I met with each of the surgeons they provided realistic expectations and did not make recommendations for any unwanted or unnecessary surgeries.
Surgeries that I got, why I got them, and the surgeon:
Forehead reduction
Reason: I have a slight “M” shaped hairline along with a really strong front cowlick. My hair is also naturally light blonde so the baby hair is hard to see. This combination made it look like I had a receding hairline.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan: We would first reduce the height of my forehead by approximately 1 cm. After providing at least 2 months time for the incision to heal, we will follow up with a hair transfer to reduce the width of my forehead (NOTE: after reaching back out to Girin, it seems the wait time is 1 year to allow the scar to heal).
Brow lift
Reason: One of my brows was noticeably higher than the other and drew attention to the asymmetry of my face. While I didn’t initially plan to get a brow lift, I mentioned that I wanted my eyes to look brighter with more eyelid space (I had hooded eyes). A brow lift was appropriate since was not a candidate for double eyelid surgery, as I already had a prominent crease.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan: The brow lift would be performed with the forehead reduction using the same incision. A small dissolvable pin would be used to secure the skin.
Under-eye fat transfer
Reason: Doing makeup to try and mask the hollowness under my eyes felt like a chore. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t fully cover the dark areas and the concealer just made my makeup crustier. I knew doing an under-eye fat transfer would also help with the shadows created by overhead lighting, which couldn’t by corrected by makeup alone.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan: Fat collected during the liposuction procedure would be collected for this purpose. After the procedure it is expected that some of the transferred fat will not survive. Girin retains additional collected fat for 3 months, which allows you to return to the clinic and “top off” the area if needed (NOTE: be sure to communicate with the clinic that you want your fat retained - be sure this is written down or else the fat will be disposed of and you may not have enough fat in the future).
Rhinoplasty
Reason: I wasn’t particularly bothered by my nose until recently. As I grew up a hump in my nose became more prominent and my nose looked sharper and hollow.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Surgery Plan (Open Rhinoplasty): My CT scan showed that I had a good amount of septal cartilage, so an implant would not be necessary for my desired result. An osteotomy would be performed to narrow the width of my nose (bone); a hump reduction; extension of the nasal tip (to lengthen my overall midface - this was recommended by Girin since I had a short midface); and an alarplasty to make the base of my nose less wide.
Smile line fat transfer
Reason: This was recommended by Girin rather than being something I was initially looking to fix. I had pretty prominent smile lines which contribute to looking older, so it was recommended to correct these since fat would be harvested anyways.
Surgeon: Dr. Han Ji Hyun
Chin reduction
Reason: My chin made my side profile very high contrast since it stuck out so far. It was unbalanced with the rest of my face and my most disliked facial feature for so many years of my life.
Surgeon: Dr. Yoon Seung Gyu
Surgery Plan: The chin reduction would be performed at the same time as the v-line surgery.
V-line
Reason: My face was very round and made me look like I weighed more than I actually did. I wanted a slight definition for a more mature (but not overly mature) look.
Surgeon: Dr. Yoon Seung Gyu
Breast fat transfer
Reason: I was okay with my breast size (A cup) but my breasts lacked volume on the top, making them seem lower on my chest. To me, it looked like I had gynecomastia as a female.
Surgery Plan: Fat would be transferred to the top of my breasts to create a better side profile and shape rather than to create a larger cup size. A round shape was referenced rather than a teardrop shape. From the fat collected, 100 cc would be transferred to each breast.
Liposuction (thighs, abdomen, love handles)
Reason: Recently I gained a lot of weight. When regularly going to the gym, I weighed 47 kg. Once I stopped regularly going to the gym, I went up to 58 kg despite no diet changes and Pilates (I wonder if it was a new medication that caused the weight gain). While I expected to gain some weight from no longer going to the gym, I felt the weight gained was excessive. Liposuction is not a weight loss method, and rather a body shaping method. Even when I was 47 kg, I held a lot of fat in my thighs and barely had a thigh gap. I wanted prettier leg lines, so I was happy to get thigh liposuction. Additionally, my abdomen always held a bit of fat and I found myself sucking in unconsciously. This created some rib flare. Ultimately, knowing how my body held weight when I was at my preferred weight helped me determine what areas I wanted liposuction.
Surgeon: Dr. Park Deok Joon
(Lip filler)
Reason: While this one isn’t surgical, I decided to get lip filler to balance out my face.
Surgery experience & recovery:
Despite receiving a lot of surgeries at once, each surgeon reassured me that the time under anesthesia would be safe. Even while I wanted arm liposuction, Dr. Park Deok Joon advised me it would be unsafe to perform liposuction in more than 2 areas at a time, so I knew the clinic wasn’t just agreeing to do a lot of surgery for financial gain.
On the day of the surgery, Dr. Yoon Seung Gyu (v-line) asked to take my reference photo into the surgery room for reference during the procedure (I noticed it hanging up when I came out of surgery! This made me feel reassured that the surgeon cared about what I wanted).
The staff at Girin had pleasant attitudes and always kept me informed of what to expect during the surgery process. I got quite nervous during the design process on the day of surgery and started dry heaving. My translator was really sweet and rubbed my back until I started feeling better. I was also taken to one of the recovery rooms to lay down. During this time, the surgeon had to stop mid-design and go into surgery. I thought the staff would be frustrated with me, but they continued to be pleasant and took as much time as needed for me to feel better.
After the surgery, each surgeon assured me the surgery went well. I felt no pain during my recovery, only some discomfort (I had drains in my mouth because of the v-line and that was the most uncomfortable thing - but they were removed around 19 hours after I got out of surgery). Girin included pain pills and antibiotics with the surgery as well as ice pack. There was no need to go to the pharmacy as it was provided directly in the clinic. I really appreciated this. NOTE: There is some nausea medicine Girin gives a script for - you can get it at the pharmacy across the street after your surgery if needed (extra cost I believe). I did get some bandages from the pharmacy before my surgery and I had no problem communicating with the pharmacy staffs.
Girin's accommodation/officetel:
The accommodation was very comfortable, with a large fridge and freezer, a microwave, stovetop, and a clothes washer and dryer. The bed was also spacious enough for my guardian and I to share, I think it is equivalent to a USA full size bed (NOTE: My guardian is a small person). The accommodation is less than a one minute walk to the clinic (they are both on the same street). As an officetel, it was super easy to get food delivered, and if I wanted I could even have packages delivered.
Included in the diamond tier package was also a night in Girin’s recovery room and my guardian was able to stay with me there too. If you want your guardian to stay with you in the recovery room, just let Girin know and have your guardian arrive before closing time (my surgery ended at 11pm so my guardian arrived before 9pm close).
In the recovery room (I stayed there from 11pm to 7pm the following day) Girin provided a porridge-like food to eat and some protein(?) drinks. I couldn't eat or drink much because of the v-line though.
You can see my 1 month post op photos. At 3 months post op, my forehead reduction scar is almost the same color as my skin and no one has pointed it out.
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