1 Month Post-Op Review — Deep Plane Facelift, Neck Lift, Brow Lift, Lower Blepharoplasty & Midface Lift in Korea
1 Month Post-Op Review — Deep Plane Facelift, Neck Lift, Brow Lift, Lower Blepharoplasty & Midface Lift in Korea
I usually only lurk on Reddit, but I spent months reading other people’s surgery reviews before deciding to go through with mine, so I wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone else considering facial rejuvenation surgery in Korea.
Doctor: Dr. Jinhyung Kim
Clinic: Sugar Plastic Surgery (Korea)
Procedures: Deep Plane Facelift, Neck Lift, Endoscopic Brow Lift, Lower Blepharoplasty, Midface Lift, Stem Cell Treatment
Surgery Date: April 2, 2026
For the past few years, I had been increasingly bothered by facial sagging, deepening nasolabial folds, heaviness around my lower face, and tired-looking eyes. Even when I felt well-rested, I constantly looked exhausted in photos. I also noticed my brows had gradually dropped over time, which made my upper face look heavier overall.
I researched clinics for a long time before deciding where to go. I contacted several clinics in Korea, but Sugar Plastic Surgery stood out because their communication felt much more personal and honest from the beginning. Instead of immediately pushing procedures, they asked detailed questions about my concerns, facial structure, previous treatments, and what kind of result I actually wanted. I was looking for something natural and refreshed — not overly tight or obviously “done.”
Before flying to Korea, I scheduled a virtual consultation with Dr. Kim. During the consultation, he analyzed my face very thoroughly and explained why certain areas were aging the way they were instead of simply listing procedures. Originally, I thought I mainly needed a facelift, but he explained that my midface descent, brow position, and under-eye aging were all contributing to the tired appearance. He recommended combining a facelift and neck lift with an endoscopic brow lift, lower blepharoplasty, and midface lift for a more balanced and natural result instead of over-pulling one area.
What I appreciated most was that he explained everything realistically and never promised exaggerated results. I never felt pressured into adding unnecessary procedures, and the entire consultation process felt thoughtful and honest.
Before surgery, the clinic staff were always responsive whenever I had questions about recovery, swelling, anesthesia, or aftercare. Since this was my first major facial surgery, I was naturally nervous, but they were patient and reassuring throughout the process.
On surgery day, the staff walked me through everything step by step, and Dr. Kim met with me again before surgery to confirm the overall design and plan. I was honestly extremely nervous right before entering the operating room, but everyone stayed very calm and kind, which helped me a lot mentally.
When I woke up after surgery, I could already tell my facial contours looked more lifted despite the swelling. The first week was definitely the hardest part. There was a lot of swelling and tightness, especially around my cheeks and lower face, and the bruising under my eyes looked pretty dramatic at first. Sleeping upright was uncomfortable, and I definitely had moments where I questioned why I voluntarily did this to myself.
That said, the clinic was extremely supportive during recovery. While I was in Korea, they scheduled daily deswelling treatments and monitored my healing progress very closely.
One thing that genuinely stood out to me was how caring the staff were even outside of the clinic itself. My surgery finished late at night, and even after such a long day, they helped me get a taxi safely back to my hotel while I was still groggy and overwhelmed after surgery.
Around 10 days post-op, one of the staff members even accompanied me to a hair salon to help with shampooing and interpretation. It was raining that day, but they still stayed with me the entire time and made sure I was comfortable and taken care of. As a foreign patient recovering alone in another country, that level of care honestly made me feel very reassured and grateful.
I also decided to do stem cell treatment together with the surgery, and I personally feel like it helped my recovery process quite a bit. My swelling and bruising improved faster than I expected, and my incision areas have been healing really well so far.
I’m currently about one month post-op now, and although I still have some swelling left, my recovery has honestly been faster than I expected. I can already see a significant lifting effect, especially in my overall facial contour and midface area, which makes me excited to see the final result once all the swelling fully settles.
Around the second to third week, things started improving noticeably. The swelling gradually softened, my facial line looked smoother and more defined, and my eyes looked much more awake without looking overdone. The brow lift result was especially subtle in a good way — I looked more refreshed rather than looking like I had obvious surgery.
Now that more time has passed, I’m genuinely happy I decided to do it. The overall result looks very natural, and most people around me simply say I look healthier, less tired, or younger without immediately realizing I had surgery. That was exactly what I wanted.
One thing I especially appreciated was Dr. Kim’s surgical skill and attention to detail. The results don’t look overly tight, my facial balance still looks like “me,” and my scars have been healing better than I expected, especially around the ears and hairline. You can tell he has very refined technique and a strong aesthetic sense when it comes to facial harmony.
The rest of the staff were also incredibly kind and supportive throughout the entire experience, which made a huge difference because recovery from facial surgery can honestly be emotionally overwhelming at times.
Of course, this was just my personal experience, and facial surgery is a huge decision that everyone should research carefully for themselves. Recovery definitely requires patience, especially with swelling, but overall I felt very safe and genuinely well taken care of throughout the process.
I’m really grateful to Dr. Kim and the staff at Sugar Plastic Surgery for making such a nerve-wracking experience feel much more manageable.