Facial Surgery in Korea and the Healing Months at Home

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Food is where facial operations differ most. Eyelid work barely affects eating. Nose surgery adds a blocked nose and mouth breathing for several days. Chin, jaw angle and cheekbone operations often use incisions inside the mouth, so the diet starts with liquids and soft food until the surgeon clears normal chewing.

Speech is usually clear, though a swollen lower face makes long conversations tiring, so plan quiet days in week one.

Swelling peaks around the second or third day and then falls slowly. Sleeping with the head raised on two pillows or a wedge for the first week helps fluid drain. Side sleeping is usually postponed, especially after nose or bone work, because pressure can shift tissue that is still setting.

Short cold-pack sessions help during the first two days; after that, gentle walking does more than ice. Chin and jaw compression bands are worn as instructed, often most of the day at first, then only at night. Saunas, alcohol and heavy lifting wait until the surgeon clears them.

Reduced feeling is expected after most facial operations. Small nerves in the skin are stretched or cut during dissection, so the cheeks, lips, chin or nose tip can feel wooden or tingly. Feeling usually returns over weeks to months, often with itching or brief zaps as nerves recover.

Sudden one-sided swelling, worsening pain after day three, fever, discharge or a change in vision needs the surgeon the same day. Weakness when smiling or closing an eye should also be reported promptly.

Fat grafting moves fat from the belly or thighs into hollows of the face, so there are two healing areas: the face and the donor site, which can be bruised and firm for weeks. Part of the transferred fat is reabsorbed in the first months, so the face often looks fuller at first than it will later.

Many clinics offer additives such as platelet-rich plasma or cell-enriched fat to improve how much stays. In a 2022 systematic review in Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Schipper and colleagues found that 13 of 22 studies reported better volume retention with supplements, but 20 of 27 studies were rated weak in quality, and the authors concluded the benefit remains unclear.

Complications are uncommon but real. A 2024 review by Brown and colleagues in Plastic and Aesthetic Research lists lumps and uneven contour, too much or too little volume, long swelling, fat necrosis and infection, and, rarely, fat entering a vessel, which can cause vision loss or stroke.

Return dates depend on the operation and on how visible swelling is in your job. Typical milestones for facial plastic surgery in Korea are below; your surgeon's instructions come first.

• Desk work: about one week after eyelids, one to two weeks after nose, two to three weeks after bone work or lifts
• Makeup: on unbroken skin once stitches are out and wounds are closed, usually after about a week
• Glasses: often avoided or taped after nose surgery for several weeks
• Light exercise: walking from day one; sweating workouts after roughly three to four weeks
• Sun: protect scars with shade and sunscreen for several months to limit darkening