Facial Contouring Q&A 7. Facial Contouring Surgery from a Plastic Surgery Specialist

Hello. I am Director Jo Hyun-woo of Idea Plastic Surgery.

Today, I will talk about the seventh installment of Facial Contouring Q&A, facial contouring surgery.

Q1. What exactly is facial contouring surgery?

A. Facial contouring surgery is, literally, plastic surgery that corrects the contours of the face.

It is broadly divided into cheekbone reduction, square jaw reduction, chin surgery, and so on. Facial contouring surgery is performed when the cheekbones and square jaw are overly developed, or when there is a recessed chin, underbite, or facial asymmetry.

Through contouring surgery, the face can be improved to have smaller and softer lines, and at the same time, the facial features can appear more distinct.

Q2. I heard the face can sag after facial contouring surgery?

A. Having facial contouring surgery does not automatically cause the facial skin to sag.

If you are younger and have good skin elasticity, it is fine, but if you are older, have poor skin elasticity, or even if you are young but have a lot of facial fat, slight sagging may occur.

In such cases, the extent of dissection during surgery can be minimized, and methods to improve elasticity through lifting procedures after surgery can be considered.

Q3. Can I smile or move my facial muscles right after contouring surgery?

A. Having contouring surgery does not mean you must avoid smiling or moving your muscles.

However, after surgery, movement may feel unnatural due to facial swelling, but this will gradually improve, so there is no need to worry too much.

Q4. Why do I need to wear a compression band after contouring surgery? When should I wear it?

A. Different doctors may explain differently why it is necessary, but the reason for wearing a compression band is to help prevent severe swelling in the surgical area.

Wearing a compression band does not make the surgical outcome better or prevent sagging, so in my case, I usually tell patients to wear it mainly in the evening or when sleeping.

Q5. The swelling is going down after contouring surgery, but the skin under my jaw looks loose and like a double chin!

A. After square jaw and chin surgery, swelling tends to move downward, so in the early stage it often looks like a double chin.

Depending on the surgery, if the jaw bone has been moved backward or shortened, a double chin can actually occur, but in many cases this can be sufficiently addressed even with liposuction. If that is not the case, it is likely swelling, so it would be good to wait a little longer.

Q6. What should be considered when choosing a hospital for facial contouring surgery?

A. First, it is most important to check whether the surgeon is a plastic surgery specialist with extensive clinical experience.

You should have surgery performed by a plastic surgery specialist who has handled a wide range of facial contouring cases, so that side effects can be minimized and a high level of satisfaction can be expected.

In particular, for surgeries involving bone, an anatomical analysis process using advanced 3D-CT equipment to examine the bone structure, bone density, and the positions of nerves and blood vessels that make up the face is essential. Surgeries such as facial contouring surgery that require general anesthesia are performed through collaboration between a plastic surgery specialist and an anesthesiology specialist, so emergency medical equipment should also be available in every operating room in preparation for any possible emergency.

Thank you.^^