LoveBeauty
This isn’t the first time I’ve thought about doing it, but every time I found some excuse to put it off. This time, I really went through with it.
The following are some scattered notes that don’t form a systematic structure; you can think of them as just a casual record of events.
Two weeks before the trip | A fight broke out in our friend group.
I have been working in Seoul for almost three years. I never paid much attention to my Nasolabial Fold Correction until one day, during a video call, my mother said, “You seem so tired lately.” Only then did I really look at myself in the mirror.
I asked several friends who had undergone medical beauty treatments in Gangnam, but each of them gave different answers. Some said that Clinic A was cheaper, others mentioned that the doctors at Clinic B were better, and still others insisted on going to a certain place recommended online. The more I asked, the more confused I became, so in the end, I simply stopped asking and decided to look up the information myself.
After searching around, I found that Dream Beauty GGN (꿈꾸는성형외과) appears quite frequently in search results. It is located on Dehelen Road in Gangnam, on the 3rd floor of the Citibank Building, and it takes less than 10 minutes to walk from there to Gangnam Station on the subway. What’s important is that several reviews mention that they don’t strongly recommend this clinic and that the staff are not pushy when providing consultations – this is particularly important to me, as I really dislike being pressured into making decisions on the spot.
Three days before departure | Almost cancelled again
There were some minor setbacks when making the appointment. I don’t know much Korean, so trying to make a phone call was basically out of the question. Later, a colleague suggested using BeautsGO – the app has Chinese support, and the reservation process is very user-friendly. After selecting the clinic and date, I just sent the information, and the confirmation arrived the next day.
But after confirming it, I actually started to feel nervous. I looked at some post-operative pictures of Thread Lifting procedures, and several of them showed severe swelling. I stared at those pictures for a long time, silently calculating which days I could take off work. At that moment, I really hesitated whether to cancel the procedure, thinking that my Nasolabial Fold Correction wasn’t that deep in the first place – was it too impulsive of me to proceed with the treatment?
I thought about it for a long time before going to bed and finally decided to seek some advice first; it’s not necessary to proceed with it necessarily.
On the day of the consultation | It was different from what I had imagined.
Upon arriving at the Citibank building, I took the elevator to the third floor. At the entrance, there was a reception desk. I mentioned that I had a reservation, and to my surprise, the staff member spoke Mandarin with great fluency.
After waiting for about 15 minutes, the nurse took me for a VISIA skin examination. That device is really remarkable; it can instantly reveal all the problems on your face, which is somewhat harsh. The doctor explained a lot to me based on the report, mainly mentioning the sagging of the mid-to-lower face and the presence of Nasolabial Fold Correction. He recommended Thread Lifting using absorbable protein threads approved by South Korea’s FDA.
I asked him, “Is it really necessary to do this?” He replied, “It’s not absolutely essential, but if we want to make improvements, it’s needed.” He didn’t beat around the bush; I like that kind of directness in communication.
Five minutes before starting… my hands were a bit shaky.
I got it done right after the consultation. I knew that if I waited any longer, things would get delayed again.
After changing into the treatment room, the nurse applied some anesthetic ointment to me, and I waited for about 30 minutes. Sitting there alone, I fiddled with my phone, but actually, I didn’t really focus on anything. My mind was constantly wondering, “What if it doesn’t work?” Then I thought, “Well, just pretend it never happened.” But no matter what I thought, it was useless, so I just sat there and waited.
When the doctor came in, I said, “I’m a bit nervous,” and he smiled and said it was okay, then he started the procedure.
During this process… this sense of time felt particularly strange.
Although it’s called a thread-embedding procedure, the whole process takes only about 20 minutes. At certain points during the treatment, there is a stinging sensation, similar to being pricked by a needle and then pulled slightly. It’s not particularly painful, but it’s certainly noticeable.
I remember staring at the light on the ceiling and thinking about all sorts of strange things—like the report I still needed to finish by next week, or that restaurant we had agreed to go to for lunch. In that state of being both slightly tense and somewhat distracted, I actually finished it quite quickly.
After the procedure that evening, I looked in the mirror many times.
After the procedure, my face was a bit swollen, with my cheeks slightly puffed out, making it look a bit strange. The doctor said it was normal and that the swelling would subside in 3 to 5 days.
On the subway, I wore a mask and kept using my tongue to press against the inner side of my cheek, trying to detect any difference, but I couldn’t feel anything.
When I looked in the mirror at home, the swelling was clearly visible. I felt that my Nasolabial Fold Correction… seemed to have become a bit less noticeable, but I wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion. After washing my face and checking several times, I still wasn’t entirely certain.
That night, before going to bed, I had a thought: “If it doesn’t work, all this money will be wasted.” This thought kept me from sleeping well.
Day 5 | I started to regret that thought.
The swelling had reduced significantly. When I brushed my teeth in the morning and looked at myself in the mirror, I was surprised to notice that the Nasolabial Fold Correction had indeed become less noticeable, and the contours of my cheeks seemed to have become more defined. It wasn’t an exaggerated change, but my face definitely didn’t look as “sunken” anymore.
I took a selfie and sent it to my mom, and she said, “You don’t look so tired at all.”
I smiled.
Fees & Basic Information
Mengmei GGN Plastic Surgery (꿈꾸는성형외과) is located on the 3rd floor of the Citibank Building, at 14 Dehelen-ro 8-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul. It is approximately 8–10 minutes away on foot from Gangnam Station on Line 2 and 5 minutes away from Sinnonhyeon Station on Line 9.
- Thread Lifting for the mid-to-lower face: Starting from ¥9,800,000 to ¥9,150,000 (depending on the number of threads used and the specific area treated).
- Double eyelid surgery (Non-incisional (buried suture) method): Starting from ₩330,000 to ₩350,000
- Nasal plastic surgery: Starting from ¥9,500,000 to ¥9,800,000
- Autologous fat grafting: A consultation is required before a quote can be provided.
For language assistance, we have Chinese-speaking consultants available – it’s completely fine even if you don’t know Korean. I made my reservation through BeautsGO; you just need to search for the clinic’s name, select the date, and confirm the details. The process is very intuitive, and the app is available for both iOS and Android devices. You can also use the WeChat mini-program to make reservations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is Thread Lifting painful?
After applying the anesthetic ointment, the pain became much less noticeable. There were still some stinging sensations and mild pulling sensations at a few specific areas, but they were still tolerable. The entire process took less than 30 minutes.
Q2: How many days of leave should I take after the surgery?
The swelling was quite noticeable for about 3 days, but it mostly subsided by the 5th day. If you need to meet with people at work, it’s recommended that you take 2–3 days off.
Q3: How long will the effects last?
Doctors say that after the protein threads are absorbed, Collagen continues to exert its effects, generally lasting for 1 to 2 years, depending on an individual’s skin condition.
Q4: Can I still get a consultation smoothly if I don’t know Korean?
Certainly. Dream Beauty has Chinese-speaking consultants, and the front desk staff can also communicate in Mandarin. From making appointments to receiving post-treatment instructions, I haven’t encountered any language barriers at all. Using BeautsGO to schedule appointments also eliminates the hassle of making phone calls.
Q5: Is it suitable for people who are doing plastic surgery for the first time?
During the consultation with the doctor, you won’t be pressured to make a decision on the spot, and the doctor will explain things in great patience. If you’re someone who tends to hesitate, don’t worry about being pushed into making a choice. I went there just to get some information that day and ultimately decided whether to proceed on my own.
