Why there's no "list price" for a facelift
A facelift isn't a fixed-price product — the extent of surgery differs from person to person. Four factors explain most of the variation between quotes.
① How far the sagging goes — and how far the surgery goes
Correcting mainly the cheeks and jawline is one operation; adding a neck lift because the neckline has loosened too is a considerably longer one. In practice, many of our patients combine a facelift with a neck lift, and when the brows have drooped as well, many add an endoscopic forehead lift — facial aging rarely happens in just one area. How much you choose to correct is the single biggest variable in any quote.
② Technique — we only perform deep-plane facelifts
Facelift techniques range from skin-only lifts to SMAS techniques to deep-plane dissection, and quotes differ accordingly between clinics. At ROI, we perform the deep-plane technique only. Dr. You performed the other methods extensively in the past, but concluded that beyond being simpler and faster to perform, they left too much to be desired in the result — so we no longer offer them. Every ROI quote is therefore a deep-plane quote; comparing it on price alone with a quote for a simpler technique means comparing two different operations.
③ Anesthesia
The type of anesthesia changes both cost and staffing, so it's one reason quotes differ between clinics. For reference, we perform facelifts under sedation anesthesia — we do not use general anesthesia. General anesthesia is what bone-contouring surgery requires, and we don't perform that type of surgery.
④ Your procedure history
Revision cases aren't the only complication. Thread lifts — and even past facial or chin liposuction — leave tissue adhesions that affect surgery more than most people expect. Adhesions make dissection more demanding and can change the surgical plan itself, so telling us your full procedure history at consultation is where an accurate quote begins.
This is why quoting a price before seeing your photos and history would be like prescribing without a diagnosis — and why we're careful about naming figures before a consultation.
What IS included — at ROI
Every clinic structures its quote differently. At ROI Plastic Surgery, your surgical quote includes all of the following:
- Consultation — detailed pre-operative consultation
- The surgery itself
- Anesthesia — including monitoring
- Post-operative care — dressing changes, suture removal, scheduled follow-ups
- Swelling management — swelling laser and similar care when we judge it will help recovery
And one principle: if unplanned treatment becomes necessary during your recovery, we do not bill extra for it. We consider aftercare part of the surgery. When healing takes a slightly different course than expected, no patient should be sitting in our waiting room wondering, "Is this visit going to cost me more?"
What is NOT included
In the interest of full honesty: prescription medication after surgery is not included in the quote. We provide the prescription and you purchase it at a pharmacy — antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and the like, generally not a significant expense.
Questions worth asking any clinic you compare
Wherever you consult, don't stop at the total. Ask these as well — two identical totals can carry very different real costs.
- How many post-op visits (dressing, suture removal, follow-ups) are included?
- If unplanned treatment is needed during recovery, is it billed separately?
- Is anesthesia included in the quote or charged separately?
- Is swelling management (laser, etc.) included?
- If a combined procedure like a neck lift is needed, how does the quote change?
Why we don't compete on price
ROI is not the cheapest clinic in Seoul, and we don't aim to be. Rather than spending heavily on marketing, we invest in better materials, safer equipment, and unhurried one-on-one care — the conditions that careful surgery depends on. If the lowest possible price is your top priority, we may honestly not be the right fit.
Curious what your own quote would look like?
Send a few photos and your questions on WhatsApp or KakaoTalk. Dr. You reviews them personally and replies with an individual assessment and surgical direction. You'll know the exact total before you decide — and it will not change on the day of surgery. For trip planning, payment and stay length, see our international patients guide.
※ Surgical methods and recovery vary by individual.
Need a consultation?
Reach us anytime via KakaoTalk, WhatsApp, or phone.