Tuesday 21 April 2015
Saturday 18 April 2015
Who will notice?
Sorry, no pics in this post. But read on if you're interested anyway :)
I think the common obstacles most people face pre-surgery are:
- No money
- No time
- Fear of what others will think (which may result in not being able to return to work or school)
- A combination/All of the above
I have experience with some of the above and I have managed to avoid some of the above too. Let me elaborate.
I was determined to have the surgery done when I was 20 years old. I took up a job during my holidays and managed to save up enough for a cheap procedure in Thailand. Unfortunately, I did not have the time. I had 1 big window open before university began for me but that window also happened to be a huge festive season (Dec-Jan) where the plastic surgeon I wanted was away.
Finally, I graduated and started working so it was also time to build my career. I had the income but I didn't have the time. To rest well for the surgery, I needed about 2 weeks to a month to look presentable again. I am the wallflower-type and I hate when the spotlight is on me so I didn't want to deal with 'Hey! What happened to your eyes?' in the office. My next plan was to have enough saved when I was ready to quit my job so that I can get the surgery done before I start my next job.
But during the 3 years that I was working, I was so happy making money that I was also happy spending on other stuff too :p
I will be honest and say that it took me a really long time to save enough (for the surgery and emergency expenses). And days have gone by where I really question myself, why did I wait till I was 25? Why was I not diligent enough in saving money?
So if you are in the same position as my 20 year old self, please, please, save up!!! And get it done quickly! (Unless your parents are paying then good for you!)
Okay, back to my title. Who will notice?
Since my swelling has gone down considerably and I no longer feel like a fish-eyed freak, I decided to bravely attend a family+relatives gathering without hiding behind my spectacles.
Since my surgery, the only people who have seen me are my immediate family members and my boyfriend.
I was very anxious to see who will notice but at the same time hoped that no one would (wow, who was I trying to kid...)
At the gathering of about 10 adults (the rest were babies, toddlers, kids, so they don't count!), 2 of my aunts noticed. The first one mentioned it RIGHT AWAY when she greeted me. The second one only mentioned it about half an hour later despite talking to me face-to-face plenty of times.
I was also amused that they knew it was plastic surgery right away. They didn't think I was using glue or tape or just had swollen eyes that day. It must've been pretty drastic huh?
I also felt a bit disappointed that none of them mentioned it was pretty. But then again, I don't think family are supposed to say 'Hey, you finally changed your eyes. Now you look SO much better'.
I guess I would feel better if they said 'The doctor did a really good job.'
But well, all I got was a 'TSK, you are SO VAIN'.
So, I guess it's safe to say, if your eyes were/are anything like mine... people will notice.
:(
Wednesday 15 April 2015
Day 15
After removing the stitches, I only used the ice pack once or twice. I also stopped applying the ointment 1 week after removing the stitches, as instructed by Dr Andrew Tay.
I just realised the bruising is mostly gone too!
Personally, I feel that my eyelids are still on the high side. Seems unnatural to me. But I don't know what a stranger who's seen me for the first time might think.
Despite choosing parallel lids, they seem to still be tapered. I don't really mind because at least it looks good, and it's possibly still swollen so the final results cannot be seen yet.
Some days, I look in the mirror and think to myself, this is not how I'm supposed to look like. Some days, I miss my monolids (WITH eyeliner, I could never stand them bare). It's not exactly the fault of my double eyelids but more that I am questioning my other facial features. I am now starting to find fault with other areas of my face, and feeling disappointed that after 1 surgery, I am still not the 'pretty' I wanted to be.
But, I am satisfied that I can leave my house, and to crowded spaces with NO eye make-up at all and feel that I look good enough :) This is a first for me. Back when I had monolids, and went out bare, I'd cringe when I caught sight of myself in a mirror.
I do feel prettier, I do believe I am prettier post-surgery. But just not pretty enough (in terms of my other features, I need sharper nose bridge, my eyes should be closer together, my face should be smaller, my complexion is horrible, etc).
I have STILL yet to apply make-up on my eye nor touch my eyelid with my bare fingers. I still feel squeamish. I don't know how some girls manage to do it after 2 weeks!
Oh yes, one more brilliant thing I adore post-surgery is how my eyelashes are sticking outwards!!! (They use to point straight downwards) I hope that this is not a side effect of still-swollen lids and I hope they permanently stay this way. I am dying to apply mascara and curl them upwards but as I'm still afraid of touching my lids, I do not want to deal with having to scrub the mascara off my eyelids.
Friday 10 April 2015
Day 10
4 days since the stitches have been removed.
10 days since the surgery.
Bruises have not subsided at all. They are still present along the lash line of my left eye, down the slants of both eyes and a small area below my right eye (visible in the photo).
The bruises are the only hindrance right now. Aside from that, I really like this (still swollen) crease height.
I have yet to touch and wash my eyelids (ewww, I know) because I am really fearful of touching and feeling the wound. I think I am pretty traumatised after seeing the stitches on my eyelids. I still feel quite icky thinking about the wound. It is all in my head because I am not actually suffering from any pain nor sensitivity now. I just feel so squeamish about it! But I'd really love to give my eyelids a good wash after 10 days.
Tuesday 7 April 2015
My Double Eyelid Surgery
Hi! I'm here to share about my double eyelid (upper blepharoplasty) surgery done in Singapore. I will update this blog as each month and year progresses. Leave a comment if you have questions!
Personal background
Doctor
Dr Andrew Tay (Full name: Dr Andrew George Tay) from The Plastic Surgery Practice, Singapore
Cost
Consultation - SGD$120 to SGD$180 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)
Incisional upper eyelid surgery - SGD$3,200 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)
Consultation
The doctor has plenty of well-known accreditation hanging in his office wall (National University of Singapore, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, Academy of Medicine, Singapore). He is very nice, patient and kind. He explained procedures to me slowly and thoroughly. He never pushed me to do the surgery nor ask me to consider other surgeries.
He shared with me everything he knew about double eyelid surgery - the 2 different types of procedures, the 2 different types of eyelids that can be achieved, the pros & cons, additional surgeries (if needed), etc. Then he used a metal wire on my eyelids to show me the different heights and types of eyelids that can be achieved on my eyes. He noted my answers and reaction to each version.
The doctor advised me to use double eyelid stickers but,
a) I don’t know how to use them properly without the plastic bits sticking out so I felt that it's not an accurate representation of what actual double eyelids will look like, and
b) I have an insane fear that peeling off the tape will cause the skin on my eyelids to be weak & saggy - and I need the skin on my eyelids to be healthy & plump to withstand the surgery!
So yknow what. This might not be the smartest decision before surgery but I am just gonna wing it. Because from blogs I’ve read by people who have went under the same doctor, he usually spends about half an hour, perfecting the crease. I think that should be enough time for me to determine what I want. Right… right? Well, I just want something simple so I believe it can’t be that difficult to achieve.
Of course, I’m also pretty damn worried since it’s irreversible!!!
The receptionist would be the one to advise on the costs, payment methods & booking of the surgery dates. I was quoted SGD$2,900 for the stitching method and SGD$3,200 - SGD$3,700 for cutting method (all excluding GST). The price for the cutting method is due to complications that may arise and more surgery needed to resolve the complications. Unfortunately, they do not accept credit card installments (hahaha). Also, a 20% deposit is required to secure your surgery date. Surgeries have to be booked 1 - 2 months in advance because he is rather busy.
I left pretty satisfied to have all my questions answered and I wasn’t in any hurry to get the surgery done because I was still saving up. On top of having to save up for the surgery, I also had to save up to survive a couple of months as I was planning to quit my job (and I expected to be jobless for 1 - 2 months to recover + find another job).
Eventually, I e-mailed the receptionist again to place my deposit. Yes, I was going to save-a-date!
Surgery
Procedure: Short or minimal incision method (Selected by the doctor)
"The incision is shorter compared to conventional cutting method. In addition to a shorter scar, recovery time may be shorter compared to conventional techniques, with swelling subsiding faster. This method would be preferred if no excess skin needs to be removed. This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia (sometimes with light sedation) and takes 1-1.5 hours."
My appointment was at 2:45PM, 1 April 2015, and I was told to fast (not eat and not drink) from 9AM onwards.
I arrived and was given all of my medication (anti-bruising pills, painkillers and eye lotion) first. I only had to take 2 pills first (to help with bruising). Waited for about 15 mins then went into the Doctor's room. He used the metal wire so that we can confirm the crease that I want. He was very patient and made sure I saw all options before I decided. I settled on a parallel crease with 8.3mm height. I felt that tapered crease made my eyes look damn round, almost tear-drop shape like and I hated it.
Then I lay down flat on the reclining chair (like a dentist chair) while he measured and drew the markings on my eyes. This took 20 - 30 mins. He was being extremely precise. Then he asked me to check in the mirror again before we started.
The doctor wanted to insert a needle and plastic tube through the vein of my hand and I was so nervous! This was the part I dreaded the most because it’s supposedly the first and only pain you should feel before you become numb. And my friend told me it’d be a very thick needle. I couldn’t watch. It was indeed painful but bearable. Then the plastic tube was sticking out of my hand! Ewww!
After the nurse put in the sedation, I felt the sudden wave of sleepiness but it subsided really quick. I was still awake, I think? Because I totally didn’t feel and notice the doctor injecting the LA when I read that was supposed to be the most painful part. After 20 minutes or so, I began to be able to feel stuff especially something that felt and sounded like a laser? The Dr could see me grumbling a bit so he injected more LA for me.
When he started on my right eye, I was more aware and could sort of feel and imagine everything he was doing (cutting the eyelid, sewing...). Mostly just the sensation and not really the pain. But as for the sewing part, I did feel the needle poking and going through the skin, this part felt like ant bites but I was actually too lazy/relaxed to complain about it so I just kept quiet and tried my best to not move, hoping we are reaching the end soon. ALSO, I really did not want to distract him.
I guess maybe the sedation + LA doesn't really work for me? For reference, my pain threshold is rather high. Just that I am extremely squeamish and have a wild imagination so I tend to flinch a lot.
He asked me to open my eyes, look up, etc many times towards the end of the surgery.
Very quickly, it was all over. Only 1-1.5 hours! An ice pack was placed over my eyes and I had to lie down with it for almost 20 mins. I was fully conscious and active but the nurses refused to believe me, haha! I felt like a drunk person telling everyone I'm not drunk with no one believing me.
But I'm happy they made me use the ice pack for so long because when I looked into the mirror, aside from swelling, it wasn't red or bloody at all! It looked so clean! I couldn't even see the stitches which were hidden in my swollen lids.
The doctor said that my right eye was a little tough. He described the muscles as being "stuck up" and said that the right eye will swell more.
Because I have droopy eyes/ptosis, doctor asked me to train my eye muscles by opening my eyes big and looking up without help from my eyebrows.
My sister came to drive me home because we all thought I would be too drowsy to get a cab myself. In the car ride home, the area above my eyelids and my head started to feel achey. I popped the painkillers immediately.
Before
Day 1 - 3: I applied the ice pack 3 - 5 times a day, 15 minutes each time. I just laid down on the bed and put some music on. It was very relaxing!
Day 2 and 3, bruises started forming along my lash line and down the slant of my eyes. (Compare Day 1 to 2, it looks like I have eyeshadow!) It was a bit scary :(
I felt the swelling was kept under control, it didn't increase but maybe decreased slightly.
Day 3 and 4, my right eye started to have sharp pains. But still bearable. May be due to the extra work he had to do on this eye.
Day 5, I accidentally poked right into the stitches of my left eye as I was reaching to scratch the corner of my eye. Omg, it was so painful :( Thankfully, no blood.
On 7 April 2015 (6 days after), I went back to remove my stitches. First, the nurse placed wet cotton pads and dripped water onto the stitches to get them wet. Then the doctor slowly removed the stitches. I was really afraid of the pain. Yes, it was painful but I felt really silly then because how come I can endure threading, waxing and tweezing my eyebrows but I am making such a fuss over just this!? I told myself to imagine he was just plucking my eyebrows and yes, it did feel like pulling of hair, one by one - the only difference is the "hair" is really low on your eyelids and he was pulling really slowly.
After - Without stitches
The scars are actually skin-colour, maybe slightly pink-ish. The darkness you see in the photo is shadow because the skin above the scar is hanging over the scar.
The bruising is still pretty bad on both eyes, they extend to the outer corner of my eyes, giving me a super slanted, droopy-eye look.
I actually like this crease height but I know it's going to drop. The doctor said it will drop by at least half this height!
I was very happy to remove the stitches because it means I'm getting closer to healing and seeing how my eyes will finally turn out! I also feel cleaner and lighter. Can you imagine not being able to wash a wound filled with dried blood and caked with lotion for 6 days :/
Having the stitches out also makes me more confident to leave my house and even look people in the eye without hiding behind sunglasses. Actually I think I look quite decent now except for the bruises.
The doctor said I'm healing very well but my eyes still look super droopy so he asked me to do more eye exercise. He also said I can wash my face as per normal but to be extra gentle on my eye area. He warned me that this is the stage where the scars will start to get bumpy. If it gets too bumpy, he'll have to start me on scar treatment. If not, then it will heal by itself. Fingers crossed now. My review will be in 4 weeks time. In the meantime, he said I can continue with the ice pack just once a day for about a week.
Things I prepared for the surgery:
Personal background
- 25 years old (at time of surgery)
- Female
- Singaporean Chinese, residing in Singapore
- Why I wanted the surgery: I did not like my monolids and disliked the way I looked without eyeliner. I relied on eyeliner A LOT. Not that I drew it very thick but doing a winged-tip made a huge difference for my eyes. I have only experimented with false eyelashes, eyelid tape and glue a handful of times so actually I am not used to seeing myself with double eyelids. I also wasn't sure if having double eyelids would make me look better but I figured that if almost every girl wanted it, then it must be able to help me right?
Doctor
Dr Andrew Tay (Full name: Dr Andrew George Tay) from The Plastic Surgery Practice, Singapore
Cost
Consultation - SGD$120 to SGD$180 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)
Incisional upper eyelid surgery - SGD$3,200 (excluding 7% GST aka tax)
Consultation
The doctor has plenty of well-known accreditation hanging in his office wall (National University of Singapore, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, Academy of Medicine, Singapore). He is very nice, patient and kind. He explained procedures to me slowly and thoroughly. He never pushed me to do the surgery nor ask me to consider other surgeries.
He shared with me everything he knew about double eyelid surgery - the 2 different types of procedures, the 2 different types of eyelids that can be achieved, the pros & cons, additional surgeries (if needed), etc. Then he used a metal wire on my eyelids to show me the different heights and types of eyelids that can be achieved on my eyes. He noted my answers and reaction to each version.
The doctor advised me to use double eyelid stickers but,
a) I don’t know how to use them properly without the plastic bits sticking out so I felt that it's not an accurate representation of what actual double eyelids will look like, and
b) I have an insane fear that peeling off the tape will cause the skin on my eyelids to be weak & saggy - and I need the skin on my eyelids to be healthy & plump to withstand the surgery!
So yknow what. This might not be the smartest decision before surgery but I am just gonna wing it. Because from blogs I’ve read by people who have went under the same doctor, he usually spends about half an hour, perfecting the crease. I think that should be enough time for me to determine what I want. Right… right? Well, I just want something simple so I believe it can’t be that difficult to achieve.
Of course, I’m also pretty damn worried since it’s irreversible!!!
The receptionist would be the one to advise on the costs, payment methods & booking of the surgery dates. I was quoted SGD$2,900 for the stitching method and SGD$3,200 - SGD$3,700 for cutting method (all excluding GST). The price for the cutting method is due to complications that may arise and more surgery needed to resolve the complications. Unfortunately, they do not accept credit card installments (hahaha). Also, a 20% deposit is required to secure your surgery date. Surgeries have to be booked 1 - 2 months in advance because he is rather busy.
I left pretty satisfied to have all my questions answered and I wasn’t in any hurry to get the surgery done because I was still saving up. On top of having to save up for the surgery, I also had to save up to survive a couple of months as I was planning to quit my job (and I expected to be jobless for 1 - 2 months to recover + find another job).
Eventually, I e-mailed the receptionist again to place my deposit. Yes, I was going to save-a-date!
Surgery
Procedure: Short or minimal incision method (Selected by the doctor)
"The incision is shorter compared to conventional cutting method. In addition to a shorter scar, recovery time may be shorter compared to conventional techniques, with swelling subsiding faster. This method would be preferred if no excess skin needs to be removed. This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia (sometimes with light sedation) and takes 1-1.5 hours."
My appointment was at 2:45PM, 1 April 2015, and I was told to fast (not eat and not drink) from 9AM onwards.
I arrived and was given all of my medication (anti-bruising pills, painkillers and eye lotion) first. I only had to take 2 pills first (to help with bruising). Waited for about 15 mins then went into the Doctor's room. He used the metal wire so that we can confirm the crease that I want. He was very patient and made sure I saw all options before I decided. I settled on a parallel crease with 8.3mm height. I felt that tapered crease made my eyes look damn round, almost tear-drop shape like and I hated it.
Then I lay down flat on the reclining chair (like a dentist chair) while he measured and drew the markings on my eyes. This took 20 - 30 mins. He was being extremely precise. Then he asked me to check in the mirror again before we started.
The doctor wanted to insert a needle and plastic tube through the vein of my hand and I was so nervous! This was the part I dreaded the most because it’s supposedly the first and only pain you should feel before you become numb. And my friend told me it’d be a very thick needle. I couldn’t watch. It was indeed painful but bearable. Then the plastic tube was sticking out of my hand! Ewww!
After the nurse put in the sedation, I felt the sudden wave of sleepiness but it subsided really quick. I was still awake, I think? Because I totally didn’t feel and notice the doctor injecting the LA when I read that was supposed to be the most painful part. After 20 minutes or so, I began to be able to feel stuff especially something that felt and sounded like a laser? The Dr could see me grumbling a bit so he injected more LA for me.
When he started on my right eye, I was more aware and could sort of feel and imagine everything he was doing (cutting the eyelid, sewing...). Mostly just the sensation and not really the pain. But as for the sewing part, I did feel the needle poking and going through the skin, this part felt like ant bites but I was actually too lazy/relaxed to complain about it so I just kept quiet and tried my best to not move, hoping we are reaching the end soon. ALSO, I really did not want to distract him.
I guess maybe the sedation + LA doesn't really work for me? For reference, my pain threshold is rather high. Just that I am extremely squeamish and have a wild imagination so I tend to flinch a lot.
He asked me to open my eyes, look up, etc many times towards the end of the surgery.
Very quickly, it was all over. Only 1-1.5 hours! An ice pack was placed over my eyes and I had to lie down with it for almost 20 mins. I was fully conscious and active but the nurses refused to believe me, haha! I felt like a drunk person telling everyone I'm not drunk with no one believing me.
But I'm happy they made me use the ice pack for so long because when I looked into the mirror, aside from swelling, it wasn't red or bloody at all! It looked so clean! I couldn't even see the stitches which were hidden in my swollen lids.
The doctor said that my right eye was a little tough. He described the muscles as being "stuck up" and said that the right eye will swell more.
Because I have droopy eyes/ptosis, doctor asked me to train my eye muscles by opening my eyes big and looking up without help from my eyebrows.
My sister came to drive me home because we all thought I would be too drowsy to get a cab myself. In the car ride home, the area above my eyelids and my head started to feel achey. I popped the painkillers immediately.
Before
After - With stitches
Day 1 - 3: I applied the ice pack 3 - 5 times a day, 15 minutes each time. I just laid down on the bed and put some music on. It was very relaxing!
Day 2 and 3, bruises started forming along my lash line and down the slant of my eyes. (Compare Day 1 to 2, it looks like I have eyeshadow!) It was a bit scary :(
I felt the swelling was kept under control, it didn't increase but maybe decreased slightly.
Day 3 and 4, my right eye started to have sharp pains. But still bearable. May be due to the extra work he had to do on this eye.
Day 5, I accidentally poked right into the stitches of my left eye as I was reaching to scratch the corner of my eye. Omg, it was so painful :( Thankfully, no blood.
On 7 April 2015 (6 days after), I went back to remove my stitches. First, the nurse placed wet cotton pads and dripped water onto the stitches to get them wet. Then the doctor slowly removed the stitches. I was really afraid of the pain. Yes, it was painful but I felt really silly then because how come I can endure threading, waxing and tweezing my eyebrows but I am making such a fuss over just this!? I told myself to imagine he was just plucking my eyebrows and yes, it did feel like pulling of hair, one by one - the only difference is the "hair" is really low on your eyelids and he was pulling really slowly.
After - Without stitches
The bruising is still pretty bad on both eyes, they extend to the outer corner of my eyes, giving me a super slanted, droopy-eye look.
I actually like this crease height but I know it's going to drop. The doctor said it will drop by at least half this height!
I was very happy to remove the stitches because it means I'm getting closer to healing and seeing how my eyes will finally turn out! I also feel cleaner and lighter. Can you imagine not being able to wash a wound filled with dried blood and caked with lotion for 6 days :/
Having the stitches out also makes me more confident to leave my house and even look people in the eye without hiding behind sunglasses. Actually I think I look quite decent now except for the bruises.
The doctor said I'm healing very well but my eyes still look super droopy so he asked me to do more eye exercise. He also said I can wash my face as per normal but to be extra gentle on my eye area. He warned me that this is the stage where the scars will start to get bumpy. If it gets too bumpy, he'll have to start me on scar treatment. If not, then it will heal by itself. Fingers crossed now. My review will be in 4 weeks time. In the meantime, he said I can continue with the ice pack just once a day for about a week.
Things I prepared for the surgery:
- Vitamin C supplements to be consumed before and after surgery
- Cold packs
- Fresh pineapples (gave me killer ulcers though)
- Fresh pumpkin/pumpkin juice for de-swelling and healing
- Stayed away from salty food, seafood and dark sauce (Chinese beliefs)
- Facial wipes in case it's difficult to wash face
- Get eyebrows done before surgery!!! You don't want to have ugly eyes and brows.
Leave a comment if you have any questions! I will continue to update this space with pics.
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