Key takeaways
Eye bag surgery case: allergies and eye rubbing made her eye bags and dark circles worse year by year, and hyaluronic acid and under-eye injections lasted only a few months. After an assessment with Dr. Po-Ying Lee, surgery was done under IV sedation. There was no pain, bruising or conjunctival bleeding afterward; she was back at work the next day and had her stitches out after about a week, avoiding washing her face and rubbing her eyes in the meantime.
Contents
"I'm Yi-Jie, I'm 29, and I work as a consultant. I've always had quite heavy eye bags, plus allergy-related dark circles and tear troughs, so since childhood I've looked like I had serious panda eyes. In college I had hyaluronic acid and under-eye injections, but those only last so long. After hesitating for 10 years, I finally decided on surgery..."
Makeup turned cakey under my eyes, and injections didn't last
I've always had fairly heavy eye bags, but they aren't hereditary. Because of allergies and rubbing my eyes too much, they got worse over time. I searched online for all kinds of ways to get rid of them, and none worked!! The only thing that helped was makeup, but when I kept layering concealer, it built up into a thick patch under my eyes, the fine lines got more obvious the more I covered, and it even turned cakey and wore off. Doing makeup every day was exhausting, and once I took it off I still saw the eye bags, which was so annoying. Since I started working, the things I heard most were "Why do you look so tired?" and "Did you stay up late again?" I got so tired of it I stopped arguing. I was even told I looked like a ghost or Sadako, because the eye bags really made me look tired; even I thought so.
In college, wanting to look good, I tried hyaluronic acid and under-eye injections, but those only last so long. Hyaluronic acid lasted about 6 months, and the under-eye injections only 2 to 3 months, haha. The under-eye injections hurt so much; I'm not usually afraid of pain, but I still screamed, haha. I was happy with the results each time, but eventually the eye bags and dark circles came back. Later I started working at an aesthetic clinic and saw many clients and colleagues have eye bag surgery with great results and short recovery, so I decided on surgery
Eye smile fold or eye bag? The secrets of eye bag surgery
Dr. Po-Ying Lee gave a detailed consultation and professional analysis
I wasn't really nervous on surgery day, haha; I was more excited. I chose IV sedation, so it was like taking a nap. And I really trust Dr. Po-Ying Lee. He's very professional, speaks gently and has done many cases. His pre-op consultation was thorough; he described everything that might happen during and after surgery. I was also thinking about other procedures then, and he professionally analyzed whether they suited me and how he would approach them. What I find most endearing about Dr. Lee is that he's a bit shy, haha, and very approachable (a lot like my dad, hahaha). Since I work at the clinic, whenever I run into him at work, he always checks on how I'm doing.
I chose NAISS CLINIC because I already work here, so I knew the operating rooms are new and very advanced. Also, the environment and recovery rooms are comfortable, and I'd seen many clients' and colleagues' results turn out great, so I decided to have it done here. A big reason I finally went ahead was the recovery time, because recovery is really fast. I've seen many clients come back to have their stitches out already looking back to normal!
Zero pain, zero bruising, recovered in 7 days
When I woke up on surgery day I was just really sleepy; maybe the sedation hadn't worn off yet, hahaha. But I wasn't uncomfortable at all and it didn't hurt. On day one there was only slight swelling, with no bruising or conjunctival bleeding, and I was back at work on day two. You couldn't tell I'd just had surgery, and with a mask and sunglasses when going out, strangers won't know either. After the stitches came out at about one week, I was back to normal.
After surgery the clinic provides an anti-swelling IV drip, anti-swelling medication and painkillers. Since I wasn't uncomfortable, I only took the anti-swelling medication. The only painful part for me: no washing my face for a week!!! Only being able to wipe my face with facial towels was torture, but I put up with it for a good result. During recovery: no alcohol, no intense exercise, go to bed early, don't rub your eyes, and hold your phone at eye level instead of looking down. Apart from not washing my face, my biggest struggle was not rubbing my eyes, because people with allergies love rubbing their eyes. The doctor strongly warned me not to, hahaha; it was pure torture.
Very satisfied after surgery, and now my clients and family want it too
I'm three months post-op and I give it a 9. I'm very happy with the result; everything went smoothly from the moment I decided on surgery to full recovery. I don't need concealer anymore, I can get out the door faster, and I can sleep a bit longer, haha. It's not a 10 only because I didn't think of adding fat grafting at the time. I'd quite like to fill my cheeks and smile lines; it would mean harvesting fat from elsewhere, but I still want it.
When I first decided on surgery, everyone around me said it wasn't that bad, but I felt that was because they weren't me. My family was actually quite against it, since I'd never had cosmetic surgery. After the surgery, though, my whole family said it was a great success and even wanted to come for a consultation, and friends and colleagues all said what a difference it made. The most common reactions were: "You should have done it sooner, hahaha" and "Your dark circles are gone!" Since surgery, nobody has told me I look like I haven't slept. Many of my clients, after hearing about my eye bag surgery, got won over and said they want it too. I've noticed everyone who has eye bag surgery feels strongly about it; they all feel like a new person.
Struggling with allergies? Causes of dark circles and how to fix them
My advice for anyone afraid of surgery...
I sincerely recommend that anyone bothered by eye bags get eye bag surgery soon, because it really doesn't hurt. Many people may be scared of surgery like I was, having never experienced it. If you're afraid, look at more case stories or ask friends with similar experiences; I can share what the process was like for me. If you're afraid of surgery or pain, or don't want to be aware of the procedure, I always recommend IV sedation. It really is like going in for a nap. Many people worry about anesthesia risks, but a professional anesthesiologist is with you the whole time, so there's no need to worry too much. For all I've said, I hesitated for 10 years myself. If I could have done it earlier, I'd have had surgery the day I turned 18.
I think most women feel some appearance anxiety, and it gets worse after 25. Looking in the mirror, you think this part isn't great, that part has a flaw. I really like Kim Ji-won, so I want to gradually look more like her. This is where aesthetic medicine can really help, letting you look your best at any age!
This story reflects one patient's experience. Results and recovery vary from person to person; please consult a doctor in person about your own treatment plan.
