My initial estimate was in the form of phone photos sent to the surgeons via Whatsapp. The quote was inaccurate due to lack of details in the images, so that initial quote was considerably higher in person. By agreeing to full face before/after pics, they were able to meet my budget. I think it's great that they were able to work with me and my budget, and the exchange for full face photos was a small price to pay considering I no longer look like my before pic. Additionally, I am working on my own vlog post, which was not part of the agreement. It's a bit cringey to put myself out there in that way, but hopefully it can help others who are considering this journey.

I am 8 weeks post-op for facial contouring and v line surgery from AB Plastic Surgery in South Korea. Specifically, I had facial liposuction, lipo for double chin, under eye fat grafts and full face lift. The v line surgery was a 3 point surgery that included: cheekbone reduction, jawline and chin reduction. Additionally, the surgeon projected my chin forward to achieve a more flattering profile. I am already very pleased with the results I have seen in this short of a time.

I was told that it would be 2 weeks of follow up appointments to include stitch removal and deswelling treatments. My assumption was that it would mean 2 weeks of downtime, but I would say that in my case I was only on bed rest for 3 days. I felt zero pain and my only discomfort was in the form of nausea to the antibiotics. Increasing the amount of food I was consuming quickly resolved this. As far as communication goes, I never felt anything was ever lost in translation. They have in-house interpreters and the doctors communicated to me in English. My interpreter, Jessica, was with me the entire way and felt more like a companion and a guide than a medical interpreter.

I still have residual swelling and numbness in the cheeks and I should be seeing the full effects of my procedures in the coming months (up to 6 months) In the end, I feel that it was the right thing for me to have these procedures and that they should be done in South Korea.

Why I chose Korea over doing this procedure in the States:

1) Lower cost, along with ability to travel to a new country
South Korea is the plastic surgery capital of the world. I didn't know this beforehand, but that really solidified the decision to travel overseas for my surgery. For my procedures, flights, Airbnbs, food, and sightseeing during my boyfriend's 2 week and my 1 month visit, I was under $20k.

2) Familiarity of my facial features
I am of Korean descent and wanted surgeons who are familiar with my facial bone structure.

3) Higher volume of v line procedures
I would have had to research surgeons who specialize in v line. It likely would have brought me to Beverly Hills, which would have resulted in $$$
Additionally, any time I discussed v line surgery to friends and coworkers not a single one knew what I was talking about. In Korea, v line is a very common procedure.

Maybe patients would consider plastic surgery in Korea to be like "factory clinics". I am 45 and I am not without intrusive thoughts. The concern of not surviving being under anesthesia for 6 hours had popped into my head. It was to the point where I had my living trust drawn up before flying out. However, during my in person consultation the reception, the staff and the surgeons all treated it like it was just another Monday. Everything felt streamlined and my questions with answered with such ease that I found soothed my nerves. At the end of the day, I trusted AB Plastic Surgery with my face and my life.