ACE PDO Thread Lift Korea: Is It Right for You? Cost, Recovery and Who It Suits
Dr. Kim Jong Seon Β· Filler Specialist8 min readLast updated 
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Are you wondering whether an ACE PDO thread lift Korea booking will lift your cheeks and jawline, and what your face will look like on the flight home?
It's worth reading on before you book or decide anything.
After reading, you'll know what a PDO thread does, who it suits and who should skip it, what drives the cost, and how recovery goes from the same day to two weeks, so you can decide whether threads fit your trip.
Hello, I'm Dr. Kim Jong Seon, Director, Gangnam HERA Plastic Surgery Clinic.
At HERA, Custom Thread Lifting takes 20β30 minutes with topical numbing cream and local anesthesia, and the thread directions are set for each face. My colleague Dr. Lee Jong Hoon co-authored LIFTINGOLOGY, a book on lifting in aesthetic medicine.
I write this because many people assume "ACE" is a special thread that decides the result, when the material, the number of threads and their direction matter far more.
In short, an ACE PDO thread lift is an absorbable PDO thread procedure that suits early sagging along the cheeks and jawline, and the lift generally holds 12β24 months depending on your skin.
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Send us your question or a photo on WhatsApp and we will reply in English.
Send a lower-face photo and your Seoul dates on WhatsApp β
What does a PDO thread actually do under the skin?
PDO is polydioxanone, an absorbable material long used for surgical sutures. Threads with small cogs grip the tissue and hold it a few millimeters higher; smooth threads mainly prompt collagen to form around them.
Think of a hook catching fabric rather than a cut that removes it. Nothing is excised, so a thread lift can reposition tissue that has started to drop, but it can't take away excess skin. The body breaks PDO down over several months, and what holds the lift after that is the collagen laid down along the thread path.
My Custom Thread Lifting uses absorbable threads (PDO, PCL or PLLA), with the thread directions planned for each face, and it is paired with Ultherapy and Titanium RF so energy-based tightening works alongside the mechanical lift. Premium Thread Lifting uses PLA threads with 360Β° cones and takes 30β60 minutes under local anesthesia. For both, the lift generally holds 12β24 months, with thread count and skin condition moving it either way.
Who is a PDO thread lift right for, and who should skip it?
Threads suit a face where tissue has started to drop but the skin still has some thickness and spring: a jowl that is just beginning, a cheek sitting a little lower than it did, a jawline that has lost its edge. They don't suit heavy, loose skin, and they don't remove fat.
The first thing I want to know is the cause. Softness along the jaw can come from sagging tissue, from a pocket of fat, or from the way the jaw is built, and each one points somewhere different.
| What the face shows | What usually fits | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early sag along the jaw and cheeks | Custom Thread Lifting | Threads reposition tissue and support collagen |
| Local fat under the chin or along the jaw | Sok-Sok Face Injection | Injection-only; slimming appears over 2β4 weeks |
| Laxity without much drop | Premium Lift Combo | Ultherapy, Thermage and Titanium work on firmness |
| Heavy, loose skin | A surgical facelift consultation | Threads can't remove excess skin |
Two of those rows matter for a short trip. Sok-Sok Face Injection is often planned as 2β3 sessions a few weeks apart, which one visit can't complete. A facelift is a larger operation, and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists surgical risks such as bleeding, infection and scarring, along with a longer recovery.
I'd also slow down if your skin is very thin, where a thread can be easier to see or feel, if you take blood thinners, if you have an active skin infection on the face, or if you're pregnant. Threads are used beyond the jaw too: there's a separate post on PDO threads for a loose neck and one on PDO threads around the eyes. For the jaw itself, how jawline PDO threads change over the months picks up where the first weeks end.
Say you're 41, you're in Seoul for five days, and you've noticed the line from your cheek to your jaw softening in photos. Your skin is still fairly firm, and you mostly dislike the early heaviness near the jawline. I would look at how much loose tissue there is, and in a case like this, absorbable PDO threads can be a reasonable fit because the sagging is mild.
If instead you had a lot of loose skin under the chin, I would talk with you about whether threads alone make sense or whether another lifting option fits better. You'd also tell me when you fly home, because that decides how we plan the first days of swelling or small bruises near the insertion points.
What happens on treatment day at HERA?
Every treatment here starts with a 1:1 consultation with the specialist who will treat you, and the consultation can be held with an English interpreter. That's where I look at whether the cause is sagging or fat, and where thread direction is planned for your face.
Numbing cream goes on the skin, then local anesthesia at the insertion points. Many people describe pressure and tugging while the threads go in, and a tight feeling once the anesthesia wears off. I use only genuine, approved products, and you can see the treatment pages for each lifting option on the HERA Gangnam clinic homepage.
The calendar matters more than people expect. Saturday hours end at 5 pm and we're closed on Sundays and public holidays, so a weekday treatment leaves more working days before your flight if you want to come back in with a question.
Why the person placing the threads matters
The same thread placed at a different depth or angle gives a different result, and many of the problems people post about online, such as a dimple or a thread end they can feel, come down to placement. That's why I'd weigh who places the threads ahead of the name on the thread.
At HERA we don't rush through high volumes. My colleague Dr. Lee Jong Hoon co-authored LIFTINGOLOGY: Science and Clinical Practice in Aesthetic Medicine, was a clinical instructor at the 2023 KAFC Cadaver Workshop, and has conducted more than 20 thread-lifting seminars and live demonstrations for physicians. At the Korean Society of Aesthetic Surgery in 2018, his conclusion was that both a quality thread and a skilled practitioner are needed.
Dr. Han Jin Yi was congress faculty and session chair at the 8th KAFC Congress in 2026, speaking on threads and fillers for telling midface descent apart from lower-face laxity.
What can go wrong after a thread lift?
Risks and side effects to know
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists these thread-lift risks: swelling and bruising, infection, extrusion of a thread, difficulty opening your mouth (usually temporary), pain that could persist, sensitivity to sun or bright light, anesthesia risks, and an unfavorable result.
Its authors noted that swelling usually resolves on its own within about two weeks, and that some dimpling comes with the technique and often settles.
If something changes once you're home, watch for redness that spreads, warmth, rising pain, fever or discharge near an insertion point. Those are reasons to see a doctor locally the same day and to take photos. The US CDC's medical-tourism guidance suggests bringing copies of your records home and planning follow-up care before you travel. How your face responds is individual, and the final plan is made at the in-person consultation.
For a sense of what a full-face thread lift changes over time, see how a thread face lift settles.
Recovery: the same day, day 3, day 7 and two weeks
On the day, numbness fades over a few hours and the face feels tight, most of all when you smile or open your mouth wide. Mild swelling is common. You can walk around Seoul that evening; most people just prefer a quiet dinner.
By day 3, the mild swelling, tightness and small bruises near the insertion points usually ease, which is the window I'd want you still in Seoul for.
By day 7, many people look ordinary in conversation, though chewing or yawning can still pull. Small puckers that were visible early often flatten as the tissue settles.
Before you fly
don't book threads for the day before your flight home. Leave a few days so the first swelling settles while you're still in Seoul.
Once your flight home is booked, send that date on WhatsApp and ask which treatment day leaves you the most room before it.
Book a consultation
Send us your question or a photo on WhatsApp and we will reply in English.
Send a lower-face photo and your Seoul dates on WhatsApp β
What decides the cost of an ACE PDO thread lift in Korea?
The cost depends on the thread material (PDO, PCL or PLLA), the number of threads and the area being lifted, such as the cheeks, jawline or under the chin. It also changes with whether threads are used alone or paired with Ultherapy or Titanium RF, and with how many days you can spend in Korea for the treatment and a follow-up check. Anesthesia is local with numbing cream, so it's a smaller factor than the thread count.
To get the figure for your own face, send a front and side photo of your lower face on WhatsApp and ask what your case would involve.
Visiting HERA in Gangnam
We're on the 4th floor at 9 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, about three minutes from Gangnam Station. Hours are Monday and Friday 10:00β20:00, Tuesday to Thursday 10:00β19:00 and Saturday 10:00β17:00, with lunch from 13:00 to 14:00; we're closed on Sundays and public holidays. HERA is registered with Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare to receive international patients.
Send a front photo and a side photo of your lower face, taken in daylight, on WhatsApp, along with the dates you'll be in Seoul. Then ask one thing: "Would threads or something else fit what bothers me in the mirror?" One photo is enough to start, and you can ask before booking anything. When you come to the clinic, I examine your face and recommend what fits you.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1Is an "ACE" thread different from a PDO thread?
I can't speak for a label I haven't examined. My Custom Thread Lifting lists the material (PDO, PCL or PLLA), not that name. Whichever clinic you ask, the useful questions are the thread material, whether the threads have cogs, and how many are planned.Q2How long does a PDO thread lift last?
On our treatment pages, Custom Thread Lifting and Premium Thread Lifting generally hold 12β24 months, varying with thread count and skin condition. PDO itself is absorbed over several months; the collagen formed along the thread path carries the effect after that.Q3Do the threads need to be removed later?
No. PDO, PCL, PLLA and PLA threads are absorbable, so the body breaks them down over time. A thread end that pokes through the skin is a different situation and should be seen by a doctor.Q4Can a chin or nose be treated with threads?
Threads under the chin and along the jaw can help define the line from jaw to neck when sagging is the cause. If fat under the chin is the cause, Sok-Sok Face Injection is the usual alternative. For the nose, Nose Filler is a non-surgical option with no incisions.Q5Can threads be combined with other lifting on one trip?
Custom Thread Lifting is already paired with Ultherapy and Titanium RF, and the Premium Lift Combo combines Ultherapy, Thermage and Titanium. Whether your face needs a combination or one treatment is decided at the in-person consultation.
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The Doctors Who Will Treat You
Board-certified doctors. The doctor you consult with is the one who treats you and checks your result.
Dr. Kim Jong Seon
βI am a doctor you can trust, dedicated to enhancing your natural beauty.β
Career & Credentials
- Director, Gangnam HERA Plastic Surgery Clinic
- Board Member, Korean Society of Aesthetic Surgery (KSAS)
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Dr. Lee Jong Hoon
βI dedicate myself to achieving the best results with minimal need for revision.β
Career & Credentials
- Co-author, LIFTINGOLOGY: Science and Clinical Practice in Aesthetic Medicine
- Recipient, Minister of Health and Welfare Award for Outstanding Contribution to National Health Improvement
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