Eye Surgery and First Impressions: Eyes or Nose First?

You want to change both your eyes and your nose, but you can only do one at a time. Where should you start? Dr. Jung Woo Hu, Chief Director of Ruby Plastic Surgery, answers without hesitation: the eyes. Here is his reasoning, illustrated with a real consultation case.

Facial planning means deciding the order of surgery

The doctor admits he is cautious about using the word "design," but says deciding which procedures to do, and in what order, is extremely important. That is why his first piece of advice is to meet a board-certified plastic surgeon in person and get a consultation on the surgery or treatment that fits your own face.

Sleepy-looking eyes and a flat nose: one patient's case

The patient in the video came in because their eyes and nose looked heavy and undefined, and they wanted a clearer, more refined look. Before surgery, the patient's eyes looked sleepy yet also gave a sharp impression, and the nose felt small and flat. The patient ultimately had eye surgery and nose surgery together, and afterward the overall look became clear and refined. Still, the doctor uses this case to pose a hypothetical.

If this patient had told me they wanted to do only one of the two first, I would have chosen eye surgery without question.

Why the eyes come first

The eyes are the feature that leaves the strongest impression when you meet someone for the first time. The doctor notes that this is the same reason many women put the most effort into eye makeup. In his view, this patient's sleepy yet sharp impression also came from the eyes. The flat-looking nose was a concern too, but what defined the first impression was the shape of the eyes. So, he concludes, if the patient could have done only one procedure, he would have recommended eye surgery first.

If you are torn between eye surgery and nose surgery, start your consultation by finding out which feature is shaping your impression right now.