FAQ

A. There is no single best implant. Physical characteristics such as the amount of mammary tissue, skin thickness, and the shape of the ribcage differ from person to person, so implants come in many types and each has its own advantages. A few implants are well known, but an expensive one is not necessarily good, nor is an inexpensive one necessarily bad. Rather than deciding by cost or reputation alone, we recommend consulting thoroughly with a plastic surgery specialist and then finding the implant that suits you.

A. Choosing an implant that is too large for your body type can cause side effects such as nerve damage and displacement or deformation of the implant, and it can also look unnatural. Rather than making the breasts as large as possible, choosing a size that suits your own body is what matters. To select the ideal implant size, physical factors such as height and weight, breast size and the shape of the ribcage, and the amount and elasticity of the skin must be considered together with psychological factors such as the breast image you want and the incision site you have in mind. We therefore recommend visiting a clinic you can trust and consulting with an experienced plastic surgery specialist in person.

A. Breast surgery is legally possible from the age of 18 without the consent of a guardian. However, changes in mammary tissue caused by hormones and the development and growth of the breasts vary from person to person, so it is better to decide after consulting thoroughly with a specialist.

A. Breast augmentation does not directly affect pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. When the surgery is performed precisely and meticulously, submuscular or subfascial dissection does not affect the mammary tissue, and the implant is inserted safely as well.

A. Breast asymmetry can be caused not only by asymmetry in the amount and distribution of breast tissue but also by asymmetry in the shape of the ribcage. The degree varies, but everyone has some degree of asymmetry, and this is taken into account during surgery. If the asymmetry is significant, the size, shape, and position of each breast are analyzed to select an implant and improve the asymmetry as much as possible through surgery.

A. Eye surgery is perceived as simple, but it is in fact the most difficult surgery. The non-incision method uses a thread to connect the skin and the muscle that opens the eye, creating a double eyelid that looks congenital; because it leaves no scar it is in high demand, and it has been researched more than any other method. Its advantages are naturalness and safety, with almost no side effects. However, the eye is an organ that blinks more than ten thousand times a day, so even a congenital double eyelid can come undone or change over time. The recent trend in the incision method is also to create a natural eye. To make the fold crease naturally, the fixation must not be too strong. If the fixation is weak, the fold can come undone even with the incision method, and when the non-incision method is performed with complete technique the chance of loosening is similar for both methods. When a skilled doctor fixes 5–7 points firmly, finely adjusts the tension of the thread, and ties knots faithful to the basics, the result is a double eyelid that looks beautiful and is less likely to come undone.

A. If the skin has stretched and lost elasticity for various reasons, such as creating a fold artificially with double eyelid glue or tape or the effects of aging, it is often more effective to remove the sagging skin first with the incision method. An experienced plastic surgery specialist can perform even the incision method so that the scar is barely visible. However, depending on the patient's social circumstances, such as the recovery time available, and on the look the patient wants, the non-incision method may still be performed after considering the whole situation. We recommend choosing the surgery that suits you through a thorough consultation first.

A. Eyes in which the skin below the double eyelid line looks puffy like a sausage are commonly called sausage eyes. However, the incision method is used because it is necessary, and it is never recommended when it is not needed. The incision method does not always result in sausage eyes, nor does the non-incision method avoid them 100% of the time. If the fixation points are matched to each person's eye structure and the surgery is performed cleanly, this does not happen.

A. Double eyelid surgery literally creates a double eyelid fold. For someone who had no fold, the skin is folded once at the fold line and lifted away, so the eyes look larger (when the skin covers the eye). Ptosis correction adjusts how wide the eye actually opens and the shape in which it opens. Since double eyelid surgery alone can make the eyes look larger overall while the actual opening becomes slightly smaller, mild ptosis correction is now often performed together. Eyelid surgeries such as double eyelid surgery and ptosis correction are divided into incisional and non-incisional methods depending on whether skin is removed.

A. Epicanthoplasty is a surgery that adjusts the Mongolian fold at the inner corner of the eye. It is commonly thought of only as lengthening the eye horizontally, but it should really be viewed in terms of shape rather than length. When the Mongolian fold blocks the inner corner, the eye looks stuffy, and after double eyelid surgery the inner starting point of the fold is barely visible, so the fold does not look attractive. In that case, making the front of the fold visible without epicanthoplasty requires raising the line excessively, which looks unnatural. By adjusting the shape of the inner corner well with epicanthoplasty, the eyes can look open and the fold line more beautiful without the distance between the eyes becoming much shorter.

A. Raising the bridge of the nose a lot between the brows naturally tightens the skin and produces an epicanthoplasty effect. This is sometimes used to advantage, but if you do not want the space between the brows to look narrow, the height of the bridge is adjusted appropriately so that it harmonizes with the face as a whole.

A. When the skin is thin, using a tall implant is likely to look unnatural or to show through the skin. It is better to insert a relatively low implant naturally; autologous dermal fat can be harvested in a long strip and used instead of an implant, or autologous tissue such as the temporalis fascia can be wrapped around the implant. Recently, implants made of acellular dermis are also used; after surgery the skin thickens and the height rises as if there were no implant, minimizing complications caused by an implant. Using autologous dermis, temporalis fascia, or acellular dermis may change the cost in detail.

A. For a hump nose, smoothing out the protruding part of the bridge is what matters. If the hump is not severe and a higher bridge is not desired, it can be corrected by lightly filing down the protruding nasal bone and cartilage without an implant, but if the hump is severe, surgery that reshapes the nasal bone and cartilage as a whole is required. If the bridge is also low, an implant or autologous tissue must be inserted to raise it. Raising the tip with autologous cartilage reduces the amount of hump that has to be removed and helps create a smooth, well-defined nasal line.

A. You can wear glasses from right after surgery, but lighter frames are preferable. Depending on the shape of the temples, some glasses affect the implant considerably while others have little effect. If you can wear glasses over the splint, there is no problem at all, and after the splint is removed the only effects are mild pain or marks where the nose pads press because of swelling, which hardly affect the outcome of the surgery. Avoid heavy glasses, but when you must wear them there is no need to put up with the inconvenience out of fear that the result will go wrong.

A. The three factors of aging are 1) sagging due to gravity, 2) stretching due to a decrease in the elasticity of the skin's soft tissues, and 3) changes in volume, in which the places that should gain fat lose it and the places that should lose it gain it. Proper anti-aging care requires being able to address all of these factors. A variety of methods must be tailored to each patient according to their condition and goals, such as what the main problem is and how much recovery time is needed; fitting the patient to a limited set of methods is not desirable. In the end, having every method available and approaching each situation appropriately means that a plastic surgery clinic, which can offer everything from the most invasive surgical methods to the lightest non-invasive ones, is the suitable choice.

A. It depends on the way the skin sags and on the size of the eye. For those with large eyes whose fold itself extends outward, upper eyelid surgery alone can improve the wrinkles around the eyes. Conversely, for those whose eyes are narrow horizontally and who have severe wrinkles around the eyes regardless of the fold, a sub-brow excision or a brow lift may help. Since it differs from person to person, we recommend an accurate examination for further details.

A. The representative complication of lower eyelid surgery is lower eyelid retraction. It is a condition in which the eye is pulled downward and appears turned outward, and it can occur through technical faults such as removing too much skin, excessive bleeding, creating an unsustainable structure, or a lack of experience on the surgeon's part; however, when the surgery is faithful to the basics it is very rare. That said, being greedy and trying to pull as much as possible and flatten every wrinkle raises the likelihood of problems, and scar contracture due to the patient's constitution is occasionally severe. Looking younger is good, but keeping oneself aging gracefully matters too. If the surgery makes you look about 5–10 years younger while keeping things as natural as possible and staying within a range that does not cause problems, problems generally do not arise. In unusual cases, such as issues due to constitution or problems arising from surgery at another clinic, the clinic monitors the course and uses every means available, beginning with medication, to make sure there is no problem.

A. Cheek sagging can occur in rare cases, and the reasons vary. It can occur when the bone becomes smaller and skin is left over, when skin elasticity has dropped considerably, when too much bone was reduced, or when there was already a certain amount of fat before surgery. If noticeable cheek sagging remains even after the swelling has fully subsided, it can be corrected with liposuction or a lifting procedure.

A. Aging usually progresses enough to start bothering people in the mid to late 30s, and it can be said that aging begins once the growth period ends. However, because of factors such as facial structure, elasticity, and individual constitution, signs of aging such as looking tired or older than one's age can appear even in the early 20s. We believe the right time for an anti-aging procedure is when resolving what bothers you makes you happier, gives you confidence, or helps in your social life. That said, once wrinkles turn into scar-like creases and are already etched in, they are hard to reverse, so it is better to consider a procedure before that.

A. The human body is never perfectly symmetrical to begin with, but if facial asymmetry is severe it is natural to think of orthognathic surgery first. Orthognathic surgery is originally a corrective procedure for treating jawbone abnormalities, a protruding mouth, an underbite, and malocclusion; improving appearance is secondary, and it must be considered carefully for functional improvement. Except when the occlusal plane itself is severely tilted, general asymmetry is more often adjusted with cheekbone reduction or V-line surgery that balances the left and right sides. Precise diagnosis according to each person's condition comes first, whether the muscle has developed from chewing on one side only or the asymmetry comes from a difference in the left and right development of the jawbone.

A. The elements that make a jaw look square are varied and combined, including bone, muscle, salivary glands, and soft tissue such as fat. Each requires treatment matched to the cause, such as surgery, Botox, liposuction, or a contouring injection. In most cases, however, a large bone is what makes the jaw look square, and it is rare for a jaw to look distinctly square without a large bone. So when the jaw clearly looks square, Botox alone can be expected to bring a slight improvement, but a slim face shape is hard to achieve. Botox also returns to the original state after a certain period, so it has to be repeated continuously. If you want a permanent effect, we recommend a surgical method.

A. First, an X-ray taken before surgery identifies the path of the nerve, usually the position of the nerve line. Bone cannot be resected above the nerve line, and if the nerve line is very low, excessive cutting is not possible. Even so, adjusting the amount and extent of the cortical osteotomy can achieve the best result under the given conditions. Above all, the purpose of what you want to improve through surgery has to be clear, because the surgical method can change according to that purpose. We strongly recommend consulting an experienced plastic surgery specialist to find the correction method that suits you.

A. If the cheekbone is fixed properly after surgery so that it does not descend, cheek sagging does not occur, and it must never occur. If it does, it has to be corrected with revision surgery. However, as the cheekbone becomes smaller, it is to some extent inevitable that the soft tissue resting on it moves inward and downward toward the position of the anterior cheekbone. In that case, a moderate inward and downward shift is actually cosmetically helpful and is one of the goals of the surgery. However, if the amount of cheekbone reduction is large, if the skin lacks elasticity, or if there was sagging to begin with, the cheek sagging can be more pronounced than desired. When excessive cheek sagging is certain, a lift is performed together with the surgery to prevent it; when it is uncertain, the course is observed after surgery and a lift is performed to improve it.

A. Tooth alignment, the condition of the teeth, crooked teeth or cavities, implants, prosthetics, and laminates do not interfere with facial contouring surgery. However, the gums and the alveolar bone must be healthy at the time of surgery. If there are problems such as gingivitis or periodontitis in the gums or the alveolar bone, or if severe cavities have been left untreated, it is better to have them treated before surgery.

A. Choosing a clinic on the basis of cost can lead to complications along with unsatisfactory results. What comes first is consulting a plastic surgery specialist with proven skill and experience at a professional medical institution and having your body type and condition assessed accurately. If the clinic also proposes care such as diet and exercise with your life after surgery in mind, you will be able to maintain beautiful body lines, and it will be a choice well worth the cost.

A. Scars are bound to be a concern with full-body liposuction. However, because very small incisions of about 2–3mm are made in the creases where the body folds, scars are barely noticeable and rarely remain large. In addition, combining dermatological care, scar laser treatment, and scar ointment management from one month after surgery to minimize scarring is a great help.

A. It is literally surgery that suctions out fat cells, so the number of fat cells does not increase further. However, weight management is still essential after surgery, and consistent exercise along with diet control is needed to maintain your shape for a long time. Rather than vigorous activities that stimulate the surgical site, such as running or strenuous strength training, we recommend starting with light aerobic exercise such as simple stretching and walking.

A. A hot summer does not make the surgical site become inflamed or slow down recovery. Having surgery from an experienced plastic surgery specialist and combining a proper diet with appropriate exercise and rest allows a quick recovery, so you can have a great body in time for the summer break and holiday season.

A. We suggest an abdominoplasty together with liposuction. It removes stretch marks while cutting away the stretched skin, and the abdomen and waistline become firm, so it is effective at improving the sagging skin and stretch marks left after childbirth. The incision is made below the bikini line so the wound is not easily seen, and because the incision is kept to a minimum, scarring can be reduced as much as possible. Scar care with a range of laser devices is also available, so the condition of the scar can be improved markedly.

A. A plastic surgery specialist, who frequently looks inside the human body through surgery, knows the important anatomical structures very well and is therefore relatively safe. What also matters is the skill to treat only as much as is needed for each situation, rather than injecting a purchased volume like a factory, and the technique to add any necessary touch-up. We recommend receiving treatment from an experienced plastic surgery specialist who treats accurately and safely for the patient above all.

A. Fillers are generally absorbed within 12–18 months. A filler injected before then is unlikely to have an effect, but since there are occasionally long-lasting fillers or fillers that are not absorbed, it is better to check in advance which type of filler you received and let the medical staff know. If you received a hyaluronic acid filler or the filler can still be felt, it can be dissolved before the fat grafting.

A. Botox does not make tissue hard. It is the procedure with the rarest side effects and the highest safety, and its purpose is to partially paralyze muscle in order to 1) alter muscle movement somewhat, 2) block muscle movement completely so as to reduce muscle mass, or 3) affect the skin and its appendages to bring about a change. The effect appears gradually between right after the procedure and two weeks later, and is strongest after 2–3 months. An additional session every 4–6 months makes the effect last longer.

A. If filler and Botox are enough, laser treatment is not necessary. Of course, doing them together can improve skin elasticity and brighten the facial tone, maximizing the effect, so it can be a good choice. However, although the procedures look simple they are by no means light, and the results and the satisfaction that follows differ greatly depending on who performs them. We recommend consulting a specialist in person and then finding the method that suits you.

A. Etonne Plastic Surgery does not graft frozen fat, and fat grafting aims to be completed in a single session in 70–80% of cases. In rare situations, such as a poor survival rate due to the patient's constitution, 2–3 sessions may be required, but in principle PRP or stem cell therapy is combined so that patients are satisfied with a single visit.