Make-over at Pitangui Medical &Beauty Clinic. Gangnam-gu, Seoul Korea. Step by step.

It's been 3 months since I had surgery at Pitangui and I can't thank Dr Yoo and his team enough! Thank you to all members of RealSelf who have been so generous with compliments.
There are 4 photos here taken this morning to show healing process. I have sunscreen and lip gloss on. Ready for 4th July celebrations near fairgrounds at Del Mar. Awesome! There is also 1 taken last week in Australia with makeup and pet.

A few members of RealSelf have asked about my experiences in South Korea and at Pitangui Medical and Beauty Clinic. I have put this together to give you a little more insight into my trip and how it was to be in Korea. It’s a trip that can be done alone quite easily. I missed sharing things like eating out as the food is amazing and sharing food is a really great thing to do. Wherever I travelled in South Korea was super clean, safe, modern and comfortable.
Dr Yoo’s education, affiliations, accreditations, experience etc are available on the website and take up a very large space in the reception area at Pitangui. WOW!!!! I couldn’t have had a better surgeon or more caring person looking after me.
Anyway, here’s a quick run through.
Contact
• Google Pitangui Medical and Beauty Clinic and make contact
• Pitangui has in-house translators
• Send photos for initial recommendation
• Arrange face to face consultation and prepare schedule for arrival, consultation, surgery and recovery period
Flights and Visa
• Booked airfares through Webjet
• No visa was required for Australian but check first online or through your travel agent
Accommodation
• Pitangui Medical and Beauty Clinic is located near the Sinsa station, exit number 1
• Sinsa station line is number 3 and orange on the subway map which is available on-line
• There is plenty of accommodation around this area
• Taxis are cheap and everywhere so as long as you have address for hotel and Pitangui (in Korean) you should be fine
• I booked through Expedia
• I stayed at E-Residence (formerly Ephphatha Residence) Rate was approximately US$60 per night. It is off the main street, quiet, small, friendly and walking distance to Pitangui
• COEX Mall is a taxi away and has restaurants and massive shopping area and hotels. This might be a good option to stay as everything you need is within walking distance
• Naver is the online map in Korea but other online maps are fine too
What to pack
• Pack light as lifting anything heavy and strenuous exercise is not permitted after surgery. Plus, shopping is fabulous!
• Scarves and a cap or hat for headwrap to cover compression bandages
• Sunglasses if surgery and bandages allow
Getting to hotel from Incheon airport
• There are English signs everywhere as well as Korean and other languages
• There are limousine buses running frequently from the airport to Gangnam. They cost approximately KRW16,000 and take about an hour to get there
• There are also trains and taxis
• Bus tickets can be bought at the airport and buses run about every half hour
• A taxi can take you to your hotel when you reach Gangnam if the bus doesn’t go directly to your hotel
Pitangui Dental
• I saw Dr Daniel Koo, Dr Yoo’s nephew at the Pitangui dental Clinic on the 5th floor. Dr Koo speaks perfect English, is really friendly and professional, and has a New York accent. He and his staff were amazing too! I am really happy with the veneers and teeth whitening. It’s made a huge difference to my smile. My appointments between dentist and doctor’s office couldn’t have been easier or so well timed. There’s also another couple of floors of Pitangui aesthetic and beauty treatments in the same building. I didn’t visit them so I’m sorry I can’t recommend any of their services. But, if you need dental work, Dr Koo is awesome!
Surgery and recovery
• Before travelling I had booked online with Pitangui for the time and date of consultation with Dr Yoo. Because I had sent photos prior to this I was able to research the procedures that were recommended so I wasn’t surprised by the unexpected
• Stock up on soft food, drinks etc if you don’t have room service
• On the day of surgery follow the instructions given and arrive at Pitangui. The operating room and recovery rooms are on Level 3. An overnight stay may be necessary but this will be arranged and discussed. I felt comfortable contacting Pitangui with any questions through Viber
• The recovery room in more like a hotel than a hospital. Very nice!
• The first night, sleeping with head elevated, compression bandages wrapped tight, drains in and anaesthetic wearing off is probably the worst you will feel
• The next day bandages are changed, medications given, prescriptions filled at chemist down stairs you are set to go back to hotel
• Dressings and stitches are going to need changing and removing so you will be in and out of taxis, subway or walking to Pitangui depending where you’re staying. You can get to explore the area, coffee shops, shopping etc
• Don’t feel to self-conscious about wandering around with bandages on. Wear a scarf in the beginning and a hat when initial bandages come off. Plenty of people in Gangnam-gu are doing the same thing. You will be eating out and shopping and sight-seeing in no time at all. No one knows you and everyone there is used to plastic surgery patients so don’t feel worried
Getting around
• Walking around is going to help healing and sitting around a hotel room is going to get pretty boring
• Taxis are everywhere and not expensive. Language could be an issue. Carry your destination’s address written in Korean
• Subways require a travel card which can be bought and topped up at the station. Signs and announcements are in English. The subway is clean, efficient and on time. Safe too
• The bullet train’s tickets can be bought at their stations. Seating is booked. Food and drinks can be taken on-board
Getting Home
• I caught a bus back to the airport, there are two at Incheon so listen out for which one to get off at
• The tax refund is given at the airport so the 10% charge can be refunded here. Bring along the two receipts you got from Pitangui

I hope this has helped.

Full incision face lift, neck lift, upper and lower blepharoplasty with eyebag repositioning.
I was asked to put photos of ear and under chin scarring. No incision was made under the chin. The ear scarring is healing well and goes around the rim of ear opening rather than near cheek. Rose hip oil is helping.