I had an endoscopic deep plane facelift last month, and these photos were taken around 20 days post-op. I still have quite a bit of bruising and swelling, and I’m just waiting for things to settle.
Full Disclosure: I received a discount in exchange for writing a review. That said, everything below reflects my genuine, honest experience.
Doctor: Dr. Heo
Clinic: IPCHE Plastic Surgery, Seoul, Korea
Procedure Date: April 2026
Procedures & Cost:
Hi everyone! I wanted to share my overall experience now that I’m about 3 weeks out from surgery in Korea. I had an endoscopic deep plane facelift, endoscopic brow lift, fat grafting, and some soft tissue contouring.
I spent several months thoroughly researching plastic surgery clinics in Seoul before deciding on IPCHE Plastic Surgery Korea. As someone who wanted subtle, natural-looking rejuvenation without anything drastic or “overdone,” I focused on specialists in endoscopic techniques and natural results. After looking through countless before and after photos, patient reviews, and international forums, I really liked Dr. Heo's work. His results were incredibly natural so I booked both an zoom and in-person consultation.
Alisa is the clinic english coordinator. She is wonderful and I met with her on whats app and she coordinated everything from my consults to my follow up appointments and any questions I had. Dr. Heo speaks very good English. He took the time to understand my specific concerns and explained what options would work for me. He answered all of my questions (and I had many!) without ever rushing me. He never purshed any procedures on me. He was honest about what was realistic for me and made me feel completely confident and cared for.
I ended up booking an inperson consultation as well. Again Dr. Heo was very patient and answered the myriad of questions I had both during the consult and after in whats app with Alisa. I went back and forth trying to decide whether surgery was right for me, even up to the last minute and Dr. Heos team was so kind and patient and never rushed me. Him and his team were supportive on whatever decision I made and never made me feel like a burden.
I had my surgery and stayed overnight at the clinic. Although I didn’t come to Korea alone, that one night at the clinic was incredibly reassuring and helpful. The nurse took excellent care of me throughout the night, which made the immediate post-op period much more comfortable.
The following morning, I had a follow-up with Dr. Heo along with wound care for the surgical areas. He said everything looked good, and I was cleared for discharge. He took the time to answer all of my questions in a very kind and thorough manner. After I was discharged, Alisa checked in with me several times and reminded me to eat well at the hotel and take my medications as directed, which I really appreciated.
In the days that followed, I returned to the clinic a few times for light therapy treatments. My Hemovac drain was removed on the second day after surgery. It wasn’t painful, but I could definitely feel it. Dr. Heo was very reassuring throughout the process—he encouraged me to take deep breaths, relax, and let me know everything was going smoothly as he gently removed the drain. The nurses assisting him were also incredibly kind and attentive. My stitches were removed in stages, on day 7 and day 10 after surgery.
Recovery has been a bit challenging for me since I tend to bruise and swell easily. I unfortunately bruise and swell very easily, so the first week and a half were tougher than I expected. There was quite a bit of swelling and bruising, especially around the jaw and cheeks. I was a little worried and had many questions during that time.
Dr. Heo and his team were fantastic about answering every single one of my concerns promptly and reassuringly. They quickly arranged laser treatments at the clinic specifically to help reduce the swelling and bruising. They also provided IV treatments to further support recovery. In addition, they gave me the contact information for O2ON Hyperbaric, where I completed 7 hyperbaric oxygen treatments. All of these treatments together made a noticeable difference, I could feel the swelling going down and the bruising fading faster after starting them.
Dr. Heo is incredibly detail-oriented, patient, and skilled. His work looks natural and refined, and the care from the entire IPCHE team has been excellent. They truly go above and beyond to support their patients through the recovery process.
I’m now just 3 weeks post my endoscopic brow/facelift, fat transfer, and soft tissue contouring at IPCHE Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul. The bruising has mostly improved and is now barely noticeable, which is a big relief. However, I’m still quite swollen (especially around jaw, under chin. Cheeks and around the eyes), though it is slowly improving. As someone who bruises and swells easily, I knew this was likely, but am hopeful making steady progress.
Dr. Heo and his team continue to be outstanding. They’ve remained responsive to all my follow-up questions and have been proactive with aftercare recommendations. Even with the remaining swelling, I can already see promising signs of the beautiful, natural results to come. I’m really excited for the next few weeks to months as the swelling continues to go down and the final outcome reveals itself.
I remain extremely happy with my decision to go with Dr. Heo at IPCHE. His attention to detail, clear communication, and the high level of patient care from the entire team have made this experience positive overall. I’ll share another update soon!