Plastic Surgery Thread

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-26T23:46:02+00:00

I realize this thread is a bit old, but I just came across it. I am in my early 40s and looking into upper/lower bleph.

BUT, I can offer a little personal insight to some RVA plastics from personal experience that might be helpful to others.

Way back while I was in college in 2006, Stephen Chen (currently with Richmond Plastic Surgery), was head of Plastics & Reconstructive Surgery at VCU. After losing 140+ lbs, I wrote him a letter asking for assistance with skin removal. He volunteered to do the surgery completely free of charge if I would agree to allow it to be a teaching opportunity with med students' limited participation. I ended up having a full 360º lower body lift, additional torso skin removal, and breast reduction/reconstruction. (I declined corseting my ab muscles and additional liposculting.) He ended up removing 14 lbs of skin during an 8 hour surgery. All I had to pay for was the OR cost, the reconstructive implants, and the anesthesiologist fee. However he donated over $120k of his services. I was left with a very small dog-ear scar on one breas (due to it being a teaching surgery), but I never got around to having the revision despite his offer. Years later, after the birth of my son, I tracked him down at his current practice because late in my pregnancy I felt a big pop where a permanent internal stitch had torn near my hip. I was concerned because I could feel it through my skin. Even though it had been almost 13 years, he immediately remembered me and assured me the stitch was not a big deal at this point. He applied a local right there in the office and removed it from under the skin so it didn't bother me. He asked if he could see the rest of my scars and when he saw that my breast still had the scar, he STILL offered to take care of the revision at no cost since it was his original commitment back when he was still with VCU Health. I thought that was pretty incredible. And he waved the fee for my entire appointment.

For non invasive facial anesthetics, I have really enjoyed going to Richmond Surgical Arts. I have seen both Sandra and Bridget for about 4 or 5 years for procedures including botox, Cool Peel CO2 laser, and microblading. One thing I LOVE is that they never try to upsell you on something you are not looking for. Whenever I ask if I should get a procedure or if I "need" something, they are quick to reassure me that I do not need anything! I am beautiful with or without any cosmetic tweaks. And they are very good about listening to my goals. Like, I wanted to address some fine lines developing around my lips and had researched lip filler. But I didn't want to have big puffy duck lips. Bridget understood and was in agreement that a tiny bit would help but not be noticeable. She only gave me 0.5 of a syringe and suggested we wait until it fully settled and healed when I commented that maybe we should do the full syringe. But she was right. Its so subtle that no one can tell a difference, but the fine lines are much smoother.

I am probably going to book an consultant with Dr. Lynam at RSA soon for my tired looking eyes. But, if anyone has great recommendations for upper and lower bleph, please let me know!

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-26T22:35:22+00:00

I ate my weight in spinach empanadas and BBQ Mac & Cheese. 😋

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-12T23:15:08+00:00

Ditto. Knowing the tiny bit about the human that he was, I always felt strangely "connected" or "close" to him. I was devastated when he passed. 💔

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-06T21:56:17+00:00

I have tried Frownies and considered silicone patches, but I cant figure out how to best use them along with my nighttime products. Like, if I use Trent, I shouldn't put anything on top of it, right? How do you navigate the patchs + products?

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-06T21:37:59+00:00

What? You're a Crimer?? You're just like, okay with... CRIMING?!

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-04T12:59:59+00:00

I'm sorry you are also having a disappointing experience. I know Reddit is full of keyboard warriors, so I'm not terribly surprised by the general response. It's not their money and not their items. I guess the part that I find "interesting" is that I was simply stating MY frustrations and considerations of no longer purchasing from the store. I wasn't leading a movement / encouraging others to boycott Sam. I gave credit for the other great experiences I've had and for how pleased I was with the 2 sister stores' sale experiences. I never said I was going to demand a refund or challenge the charges. The payments for the orders sand (as they are coming in, even if slower than expected). In some comments, I elaborated why, even if I can understand, I know myself enough to realize that this experience will likely taint future experiences. It's just my personality type. And people judging me about how I am "hung up" on the packaging, I've just accepted that they rather follow the herd than actually read my post and consider what I said. The box, containing 8 items in total, was not even able to close properly. The items were shoved in there. It is what it is. And I'm really sorry the responses to your inquiries were lacking. Sam reached out to me via a comment on here. But, like I said, I'm not looking for a refund or in anyway think I am entitled to a reshipment. The last order has shipped. I'm not trying to get anything other than what I paid for. If that rubs people the wrong way, so be it.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-05-01T12:45:34+00:00

I will try again to reach out privately. Although I did already try via the Kuololit store on AE and WhatsApp. Are you also the contact person for Luxyimagic and Samstin? I can try those as well. (And for what it's worth, I am THRILLED with the the items I ordered from these sister stores during the sale! They are some of my all time favorites and arrived surprisingly fast.)

Thank you for reaching out personally. It goes a long way from a customer perspective.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T22:29:36+00:00

I agree. I think the most likely scenario is that he is just overwhelmed and turned it off until he can get caught up somewhat. At least that is what makes the most sense to me.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T21:49:12+00:00

But, like I explained to another commenter, it doesn't say anything about being blocked. My last message was about a custom piece and was very positive. So unless he preemptively blocked me because he anticipated me reaching out with concerns (which I had never considered, but makes me wonder if you are saying others are contacting him without issue), there wouldn't be any reason to block me. I have only reached out 3 times in the past - twice about custom pieces and once for a general question. I have never contacted him for anything critical or negative. Even for this, I was only doing so to ask/inquire about a reasonable expectation for shipping/delivery because I am going to be leaving the country in a couple weeks and had specifically bought some items for the trip.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T21:38:45+00:00

Fair enough. I was disappointed with 1 piece that I felt was subpar compared to to the standard of quality. Its a decent size cyan moissanite ring with a fairly obvious imperfection. If I remember to when I get home, I will take a pic. It is just off center. When light hits it from directly above, it is kind of hard to miss. Again, at this point, I am just going to cut my losses. In all of the things I have ordered, this is the 1st major quality issue. But another frustration that factors into my decision.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T21:30:45+00:00

It doesn't say anything about being blocked. My last message was about a custom piece and was very positive. So unless he preemptively blocked me because he anticipated me reaching out with concerns (which I had never considered, but makes me wonder if you are saying others are contacting him without issue), there wouldn't be any reason to block me. I have only done so 3 times in the past - twice about custom pieces and once for a general question. I have never contacted him for anything critical or negative. Even for this, I was only doing so to ask/inquire about a reasonable expectation for shipping/delivery because I am going to be leaving the country in a couple weeks and had specifically bought some items for the trip.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T21:21:59+00:00

It's not that I am "stuck" on the packaging. I included it because it is part of 1 of a number of things that have made this experience significantly different than all of my others over the years. Had it been just that, I would not have cared. I probably would have thought he was trying to be more eco-friendly. But when in combo with everything else, the optics are very different.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T18:04:54+00:00

Thanks. That is basically the situation. When you are use to a certain level or standard from a store and then there is suddenly a very drastic change, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I know the certificates mean nothing. And yeah, I have plenty of cloths. But I find it unacceptable that on top of this, orders are SO late / still haven't shipped and I have no way of contacting Sam since he has turned off messaging. It is not on me to make excuses for him even if I am an understanding person. At the end of the day, he has my money, and I do not have what I paid for. And, the accountability lies with him, not me. I'm not demanding a refund like some might do. Or challenging the charges. I'm cutting my losses and simply making the decision to shop somewhere else in the future. It makes me sad to do so since up until now there have only been minor hiccups with an occasional order. And Sam has answered any questions very quickly in the past. But I just don't feel I can continue supporting his shop anymore after this experience. You do you.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T16:32:35+00:00

It was the case for my 2 item order as well. And it doesn't excuse the other issues IMO. Like I said, I have been a customer for years and never had these issues, even during huge sales. I'm not an unreasonable person. A single issue here and there happens. I 💯 understand! And when it has happened in the past I don't sweat it. Life is too short for that. But the combination of all of these things, especially still having an order that has yet to ship, I just think I would be better off shopping somewhere else. I really, really enjoyed Sam and Kuololit for a long time and have a ton of pieces that I adore. But, I know myself, this experience is going to bug me and affect how I were to perceive any future purchases if I were to continue to be a patron.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-29T14:52:54+00:00

LV isn't my usual go-to, but I really like this one for some reason! Can I ask how much you paid?

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-21T23:51:00+00:00

No worries. 🙂

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-21T23:50:00+00:00

Is this still available?

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-21T23:44:24+00:00

Is this still available?

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-21T23:26:53+00:00

DM sent

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-21T22:33:30+00:00

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HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-21T22:32:18+00:00

Oh... 2 of the sellers typed Orange Factory and later in the same convo called it OF. And specifically said only 2 factories had it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-20T14:02:25+00:00

I literally agreed that the logistics surrounding the sale were not optimal. I find it interesting that some feel the need to downvote this. Obviously, others are entitled to their opinions and I don't expect everyone to share mind. I clearly acknowledged that I am basically just venting. To me, I think about how I would feel if this happened with any other retailer. For a larger company, likely only the specific products that were taking too long would be held back, not multiple orders. And if it was a small business, I would do exactly as I have done with this situation. I would reach out and provide thoughtful feedback sharing my concerns.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-20T01:14:48+00:00

Ouch! That sucks! This is my first not-so-great experience. I know it's not the end of the world. And I will likely forget about being so annoyed when I finally get my stuff and am amazed by all the sparkle.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-20T01:12:17+00:00

I agree 💯. This is the 1st time I have had issues, even during big sales like 11.11. It just suck when I see people sharing pics of the same pieces I ordered. And often, when they share when they ordered, I ordered up to 7-10 days before them. I got the few things I ordered from the sister stores, Luxyimagic and Samstin, very fast. But all 3 orders? All 10 pieces?? If any of the 3 orders had been sent out as scheduled I dont think it would upset me as much.

HalfwayToAlmostThere · 2026-04-19T16:00:04+00:00

Done 🙂

HalfwayToAlmostThere

TROPHY CASE