What is ligament lifting, and how is it different from ordinary filler?
Ligament lifting is a filler technique that supports the retaining ligaments beneath sagging skin, rather than filling the fold or hollow directly. Using a face map called MD Codes, a dermatologist places small, measured amounts of dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler at specific support points, which is why it tends to look less puffy than filling a nasolabial fold on its own.
- What is being treated
- Weakened support beneath the skin, not the fold or hollow itself
- Filler used
- Dissolvable hyaluronic acid only
- Design method
- MD Codes face map of support points
- Usually suits
- Early jawline softening and nasolabial folds that look puffy when filled directly
- Less likely on its own
- Pronounced sagging, where Renuvion or surgery is usually discussed instead
- How it is decided
- In-person assessment of where support has weakened
- Tell the clinic beforehand
- Pregnancy, blood-thinning medication, previous filler elsewhere and its location
Filling the fold is not the same as supporting the face
Beneath facial skin are firm fibrous bands running from bone to skin, called retaining ligaments. They work like tent poles, holding skin and fat in position. With age, the support around these points weakens, fat moves downward, and shadows form around the nasolabial folds and mouth corners.
Filling the fold itself treats where the shadow shows up, not where the support gave way. Done repeatedly, it can leave the midface looking puffier rather than lifted, because the extra volume sits on top of a structure that is still unsupported.
Ligament lifting works from the other direction: find the point where support has weakened, and place filler there instead, so the fold or jawline it was pulling on has less reason to show.
What the MD Codes map actually decides
MD Codes is a face map that divides the face into points corresponding to these support structures, each with a defined depth and typical amount. It is a planning tool, not a treatment in itself — what matters is which points your face actually needs.
At AUVEL Clinic, a board-certified dermatologist assesses in person where support has weakened before choosing points from the map. The same tired, saggy or heavy-looking face can trace back to different support points in different people, which is why the plan is built around what is seen and felt rather than a fixed formula.
Only dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler is used, placed in small, measured portions rather than a single large volume, and the amount used in each area is recorded for future visits.
When ligament lifting is a reasonable place to start
In practice, this is most often discussed with people who recognise one or more of the patterns below. These describe who tends to be a reasonable candidate for assessment, not a guarantee of outcome.
- A jawline that has started to soften without a heavy fat layer beneath it
- Nasolabial folds that look puffier, not better, after direct filler elsewhere
- A tired or heavy look in photos that doesn't match how you feel day to day
- Wanting a filler-based option that can be dissolved if needed
- Not yet at the point of considering a surgical facelift
When it usually is not the whole answer
Where sagging is pronounced, or where the jawline edge itself has visibly blurred, filler-based support tends to under-deliver on its own. In that situation, the clinic's honest recommendation is usually a treatment that works beneath the skin directly, or surgery, rather than adding more filler.
A consultation that recommends a different treatment, or a combination, is a normal outcome rather than a wasted visit.
- A jawline edge that has clearly blurred, not just softened
- Sagging that is pronounced rather than early
- A change driven mainly by descended fat rather than weakened support
What to tell the clinic before you book
Filler carries real risks that are worth understanding before you book, not after. Swelling, bruising and pain can occur after treatment, and in rare cases filler can affect a blood vessel — around the eyes in particular, this carries a risk of vision loss, and in other areas a risk of skin damage. This is why assessment and injection are done by a board-certified dermatologist rather than treated as routine.
The points below are also worth raising when you first make contact, since they can change the plan or the timing. None of them automatically rule the treatment out by itself; they are what allow the doctor to plan around it properly.
- You are pregnant, or think you may be
- You are taking blood-thinning medication or have a bleeding disorder
- You have had filler elsewhere, including where and roughly how much
- You have had an unexpected reaction to filler in the past
Getting an assessment at AUVEL Clinic, Gangnam
AUVEL Clinic is on the 12th floor at 138 Dosan-daero in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a one-minute walk from Sinsa Station Exit 1.
If you are planning a trip from Singapore or Malaysia, describing your concern over WhatsApp in English or Chinese beforehand helps the visit get planned around it. Which support points, if any, are used is confirmed at the in-person assessment.
International credit cards are accepted.
- Address: 12F, 138 Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 1 minute from Sinsa Station Exit 1
- Hours: Weekdays 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Saturday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM · Lunch 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
- Closed on Sundays and public holidays · Valet parking available in the building
- WhatsApp consultation in English and Chinese: +82 10-5924-4401 · Clinic line +82 2-548-5007
Frequently asked questions
How is ligament lifting different from regular filler?
Regular filler usually adds volume where a hollow or fold appears. Ligament lifting places filler at the support points that have weakened beneath the skin, using the MD Codes map, so the fold or sag that was pulling on those points has less reason to show.
What are MD Codes?
A face map that divides support points into coded areas, each with a defined depth. It's a planning reference, not a fixed formula — which points are actually used depends on the in-person assessment.
Does the doctor inject it personally?
Yes. A board-certified dermatologist assesses, chooses the support points, and injects from start to finish.
I've already had filler elsewhere. Can I still get this?
Tell the clinic where and roughly how much before you book. Existing filler is checked first, and dissolved if needed, before a new plan is made.
Can the filler be dissolved if I don't like the result?
Only dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler is used, which can be reversed with a dissolving injection if needed.
Can ligament lifting be combined with Renuvion?
Depending on your stage of sagging, support (ligament lifting) and contraction (Renuvion) are sometimes planned as separate steps rather than in the same session. This is decided at assessment.