A facelift in Korea costs roughly 8 to 25 million KRW (about 6,000 to 18,700 USD) depending on whether the surgeon works in the SMAS layer or the deep plane, and how much of the neck is included. Stitches come out between day 7 and 10, swelling settles over 4 to 8 weeks, and the result continues to refine for six months.
A 6-floor practice built around three things: deep plane facelift by a 32-year surgeon, autologous SVF cell work processed in its own laboratory, and body contouring. Held JCI accreditation 2015 to 2018.
Cheongdam practice on 720 Seolleung-ro listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Positions itself on facelift and regenerative cell work rather than a general surgical menu.
Small Cheongdam practice built around multi-knot buried suture eyelid technique and omega lifting.
Apgujeong practice on 121 Dosan-daero listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Eye, nose and lifting procedures from the third floor above Younggwang Books.
Runs eye, nose and lifting surgery across four levels of the Gukje Building.
Director Choi Dong-il states he personally handles every consultation and every operation, with 23 years of clinical practice.
Apgujeong practice on 51 Apgujeong-ro 30-gil listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Cheongdam practice on 7 Hakdong-ro 4-gil listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Three floors focused on eye surgery, implant-free rhinoplasty and lifting.
Covers facial contouring, jaw and cheekbone reduction alongside eye and nose surgery.
Restricted to lifting: mini lift, full facelift, thread lift, brow lift and facial fat work.
Eye and nose surgery with facial lifting, directly outside Apgujeong Rodeo Station Exit 3.
Covers nose, eye, contouring, breast and body from a single floor, with Friday consultations running to 21:00.
One of the broader Seomyeon practices, covering nose, eye, lifting and body contouring.
Rhinoplasty and nose revision are the core, with 3D CT diagnostic imaging used at consultation.
A single-suite practice covering eye, nose, breast and lifting without a large surgical floor.
Wide surgical menu covering eyelid, nose, contouring, lifting and body work.
Ground-floor clinic combining eye surgery, lifting and skin treatment, with weekday hours to 20:00.
Eye surgery and facial lifting across three floors, including mid-life eye procedures.
Apgujeong practice on 134 Dosan-daero listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Gangnam practice on 18 Gangnam-daero 94-gil listed for liposuction, abdominal liposuction, thigh liposuction. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Sinsa & Garosu-gil practice on 812 Nonhyeon-ro listed for liposuction, abdominal liposuction, thigh liposuction. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Apgujeong practice on 5F and 6F listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Built around lower eyelid work: fat repositioning, dark circle correction and mid-life eye surgery.
The largest practice in this Busan set, spanning eight floors of the Ace Medical Tower.
Apgujeong practice on 107 Dosan-daero listed for facelift, smas facelift, mini facelift. Smaller than the headline names in the district, with address and website verified.
Year-round opening with weekday hours to 21:00, which is the practical draw for patients who cannot take time off.
A facelift repositions sagging tissue rather than pulling skin tight. The distinction matters because a skin-only lift looks stretched within a year, which is why almost every Korean surgeon working at this level operates on the SMAS, the fibrous layer beneath the skin that carries the facial muscles. A deep plane lift goes further, releasing the ligaments that tether the midface so the cheek and jawline move as one unit. Korean practices tend to combine the lift with fat grafting, since removing laxity without restoring lost volume produces a hollowed result.
Korea's facelift market matured later than its eyelid and nose markets, and that timing shows in the technique mix: deep plane and extended SMAS work is standard rather than premium at the clinics that specialise in it. Surgeons here also operate on a younger patient base than in Western markets, where the average facelift patient is in their sixties. That produces a different aesthetic target, closer to restoring the face of ten years ago than to a wholesale change. Pricing sits well below North American equivalents, though the gap narrows at the top of the market where named surgeons carry waiting lists.
Price is driven by depth of dissection and by how many zones are included. A mini lift addressing the lower face alone sits at the bottom of the range; a deep plane lift with a neck lift and fat grafting sits at the top. Ask specifically which layer the surgeon works in, because clinics price SMAS plication and true deep plane release very differently and both may be advertised as a facelift.
| Procedure | Typical range (KRW) | USD estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Mini facelift (lower face) | 6.0M - 12.0M | $4,500 - $9,000 |
| SMAS facelift | 8.0M - 15.0M | $6,000 - $11,200 |
| Deep plane facelift | 15.0M - 25.0M | $11,200 - $18,700 |
| Neck lift (add-on) | 3.0M - 7.0M | $2,200 - $5,200 |
| Brow / forehead lift | 4.0M - 9.0M | $3,000 - $6,700 |
| Facelift with fat grafting | 12.0M - 22.0M | $9,000 - $16,400 |
Prices are indicative ranges collected from public clinic pricing and consultation quotes. Updated February 2026. USD conversion at 1,340 KRW/USD.
Compare this against every other procedure on the cost comparison hub, or browse the full clinic directory.
Apgujeong and Cheongdam hold the surgeons with the longest facelift track records, and this is one procedure where the district premium is defensible: the operation is long, technically unforgiving, and revision is difficult. Sinsa and Gangnam Station clinics offer competitive pricing on mini and thread-assisted lifts. For a full deep plane lift, prioritise the individual surgeon's annual case volume over the clinic's marketing, and ask to see before-and-after photos at the twelve-month mark rather than at three months when swelling still flatters the result.
A facelift is the longest recovery of any procedure in this guide. Plan for three weeks before you look unremarkable to a stranger.
Plan a minimum of 14 days in country. Stitch removal at day 7 to 10 has to happen at the clinic, and most surgeons want a further check before clearing a long flight. Book accommodation with a kitchen and stay close to the clinic: chewing is uncomfortable for the first week and taxi rides are unpleasant. Ask in advance how the clinic handles a haematoma, the most common early complication, because that is an emergency that needs the operating surgeon rather than a video call.
It depends on where the laxity sits. SMAS techniques work well for jowling and lower face descent. Deep plane release addresses the midface and nasolabial fold, which SMAS plication alone tends to leave behind. A surgeon who offers only one of the two will recommend that one.
Presentable with makeup at two to three weeks, natural to a casual observer at two months, and final at four to six months. Numbness around the ears and along the incision line can persist longer and is expected.
Most surgeons quote 8 to 12 years before the same degree of laxity returns, though aging continues from the new baseline rather than stopping. Skin quality, weight stability and sun exposure move that number more than technique does.
Yes, and it is common. Upper and lower blepharoplasty are frequently performed in the same session as a lift, since the recovery windows overlap and a lifted lower face next to untouched eyes reads oddly.
Threads reposition tissue temporarily and suit mild laxity in patients not ready for surgery. They do not substitute for a facelift where laxity is moderate or severe. A clinic that offers threads as an equivalent to surgery is overselling them.
Head-to-head comparison of the two planes on outcome and complication rates.
Khoury S, Almubarak Z, Khan H, Boldt G, Villemure-Poliquin N, et al. The Deep Plane versus SMAS Facelift: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2025
This guide is editorial information, not medical advice. Cosmetic surgery carries risks and outcomes vary by individual. Always consult a licensed specialist and review the clinic's credentials before booking. We do not perform procedures and are not affiliated with the clinics listed unless explicitly marked.