Facelift Cost in Korea: More Than Just the Price Tag

Hematoma – The Most Common Complication

A hematoma is a collection of blood under the skin due to ruptured blood vessels.
Studies show an incidence of 1.8%–9%.

✅ How to prevent it:
• Stop smoking and control blood pressure pre-op
• Gentle surgical technique and precise hemostasis
• Use of surgical drains to prevent fluid accumulation

If hematoma occurs, prompt drainage prevents it from affecting the final result—especially in the hands of an experienced plastic surgeon.

Visible or Thick Scars

Over-tightening the skin can lead to hypertrophic scars.
We often see patients who had a mini facelift elsewhere and now seek scar revision.

✅ How to prevent it:
• Place incisions discreetly behind the tragus and ear
• Balance skin tension during closure
• Post-op scar care: laser, steroid injections, topical treatments

Hairline Distortion and Sideburn Loss

Improper incision design can cause visible scars or loss of sideburns (face lift sideburns).

This patient came to Noonopi for hyperbaric oxygen therapy after a poorly placed incision by unknown surgeon.
Although HBOT wasn’t necessary in this case, her sideburn had been cut unnaturally short.

✅ How to prevent it:
• Tailor the incision to the amount of skin sagging
• Design incisions that preserve natural hairline and sideburns

Pixie Ear and Attached Earlobe Deformity

Pixie ear

It refers to downward-pulled earlobes due to excessive skin tension.

She underwent three times of face-lift. Noonopi re-do 4th rhytidectomy and corrected the earlobe shape.

Attached earlobe

This is a milder form where the earlobe appears fused to the cheek.

A natural earlobe has a defined angle between point S (bottom of the lobe) and point O (where the ear meets the cheek).

S and O point should not overlap—otherwise, the ear appears abnormal.

In addition, according to Loeb’s dangle angle, the earlobe should tilt about 15 degrees backward, so its direction is slightly different from the main axis of the ear

If the patient is born with attached earlobe, Noonopi recommend to correct it during the rhytidectomy procedure.

Below case is where Dr. Park reshaped the earlobes in early post-op period into a more aesthetically pleasing form.

✅ How to prevent it:
• Lift both skin and SMAS layers in separate
• Consider earlobe angle during incision design
• Add earlobe reshaping surgery if needed

Tragus Deformity (Chopped-Off Tragus)

The tragus is the cartilage flap in front of the ear canal.
Cutting in front of the tragus(pre-tragal incision) makes surgery easier but can leave visible linear scars (blue arrow) or keloid-like hypertrophy (red arrow).

Properly done, the incision should be hidden behind the tragus. But if done incorrectly, retro-tragal incision can cause chopped-off tragus.

Skin Necrosis

Lack of blood supply after surgery can cause skin death (necrosis).
🎥 Watch: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Seoul

✅ How to prevent it:
• Quit smoking (at least 4 weeks prior)
• Avoid recent thread lift, Ultherapy, or Thermage
• Use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to promote blood circulation

Facial Nerve Injury and Asymmetry

If nerves are injured, it can cause asymmetry in facial expression, especially while smiling.

✅ How to prevent it:
• Use nerve monitoring tools during surgery
• Avoid excessive tissue dissection
• Choose a board-certified and experienced plastic surgeon