Illustrative imageStage 1 · Device lifting
Ulthera · Thermage · Onda
Skin firmness has dropped slightly
AUVEL Clinic signature · Board-certified dermatologists · MD Codes filler
AUVEL Ligament Design
Nasolabial folds · sagging cheeks — AUVEL filler ligament liftingWe don't just fill.
We support.
We choose the points that support your face first, then use dissolvable filler only, in the amount you need. A dermatologist assesses and injects from start to finish.
Ask about ligament lifting
We choose the points that support your face first, then use dissolvable filler only, in the amount you need. A dermatologist assesses and injects from start to finish.
Ask about ligament lifting
Signature
Why AUVEL filler ligament lifting
Ligament lifting is AUVEL Clinic's signature treatment. Even with the same filler, where it goes, how much and why are decided by AUVEL's treatment principles.
- Support firstBefore filling hollows, we choose the points that support your face.
- Never overdoneMore volume isn't better. We place only what's needed, in small portions.
- Dissolvable onlyWe don't use non-dissolvable fillers — only reversible hyaluronic acid.
Ask about ligament lifting
Sound familiar?
Ever heard comments like these?
Illustrative image
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Illustrative imageYour expression hasn't changed — the structure that supported your face may have.
Cause
Sagging isn't lost volume — it's weakened support
Beneath the facial skin are firm fibrous bands running from bone to skin, called retaining ligaments. Like the poles of a tent, they hold the skin and fat in place.
With age, the support around these poles weakens. Cheek fat moves downward and shadows form around the nasolabial folds and mouth corners. The structure supporting from below has weakened.
- Ligaments from the bone firmly support fat and skin
- Ligaments loosen and fat moves downward
- Supporting over the bone where the ligament begins, to restore structure
Expression check
30-second check — how does your face come across?
Pick the photo that looks most like your resting face
The face map will light up the points we check first. This is a self-check; a dermatologist makes the diagnosis.
3 common myths about filler
Options
Each stage of sagging has its own approach
AUVEL looks at sagging in four stages. Stage 2 — where devices fall short but treating beneath the skin isn't yet needed — is where AUVEL filler ligament lifting fits.
Illustrative imageStage 2, when support starts to weaken
Illustrative imageStage 2 · AUVEL filler ligament lifting
Choosing support points and placing filler in portions
Jawline softening and shadows forming
Illustrative imageStage 3 · Renuvion
Directly contracts tissue beneath the skin
Jawline edge has blurred
Illustrative imageStage 4 · Facelift surgery
When sagging is pronounced
Incisions and recovery time
Design
AUVEL's 4-step design
The same doctor sees you from consultation to injection, so the map drawn at your assessment becomes the treatment itself.
Illustrative imageExpression assessmentWe look at your face at rest, smiling and talking — starting with why it looks the way it does, not just where it sags.
Illustrative imageFace mapWe mark the support points and the areas to fill minimally directly on your face.- Illustrative imagePlacing in portionsStarting with the support points, we place small portions at the depth and amount set for each area.
Illustrative imageExpression check · recordWe check symmetry and expression together, and record the amount used in each area for your next visit.
MD Codes
The name of that map: MD Codes
MapAn injection framework that divides the face into coded areas
3 criteriaDepth, tool and amount set for each area
ExpressionDesigned around impressions such as tired, saggy or sad
Dissolvable fillerBased on hyaluronic acid filler
MD Codes™ is a trademark of Allergan Aesthetics (maker of Juvéderm). The injection framework was devised by Maurício de Maio of Brazil, introduced in international journals, and is used in Allergan Aesthetics' training. AUVEL uses this map as a diagnostic language. Fillers are used within each product's approved indications (improvement of facial wrinkles · volume restoration).
Face map
The MD Codes face map AUVEL uses
A map that divides the face into coded areas, setting in advance where, how much and at what depth to inject. At your consultation, we mark your face's support points on this map.
Illustrative image- Ck · Jw — cheekbones and jawline, the points that support the face
- NL · M · C — nasolabial folds · mouth · chin, only as much as needed
- T · O · Tt · F · G — temples · eye area · forehead · between the brows
Support · minimal · expression
- Support — we start with the points that support the face, like the cheekbones and jaw angle
- Minimal — hollows get only what's needed, in small portions
- Expression — we watch the muscles that pull the mouth corners down before choosing where to inject
Compare
A filled-only face vs. a supported face
Drag the center bar left and right. Illustrative images to aid understanding — not actual treatment results.
Did past filler make you look puffy? Tell us your concern first
Send a photo and we can guide you before your visit. The final decision is made at your consultation.
You leave with your own face map
Your doctor records what went where and how much. Your next visit — and any other treatment — starts from this map. Useful if you come back to Seoul.
AUVEL · Ligament DesignMy treatment map
- Side of cheekbone
- Support
- Jaw angle
- Support
- Above the nasolabial fold
- Minimal fill
- Mouth corners
- Expression check
- Doctor
- Your doctor (board-certified dermatologist)
Example only. We explain the record format at your visit.
Which areas do we look at?
Illustrative image
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Illustrative imageDissolvable hyaluronic acid filler only
- We use hyaluronic acid filler only — it can be reversed with a dissolving injection if needed
- We open genuine products in front of you
- We record the amount used in each area for your next visit
Before filling, we look for where to support.
How AUVEL Clinic practicesDoctors
AUVEL Clinic's doctors
Two board-certified dermatologists see patients. A dermatologist who reads skin thickness and expression muscles assesses and injects from start to finish.
AUVEL Clinic · Board-certified dermatologist
Dr. Ko Young-wook Medical Director
Lifting · RenuvionUnder-eye · BellutiFiller ligament lifting
- Board-certified dermatologist · Dermatology residency, Hanyang University Hospital
- Member, Korean Dermatological Association · Korean Association of Dermatologists
- Member, Korean Society for Skin Anti-aging · Korean Society for Clinical Dermatologic Treatment
- Current) Medical Director, AUVEL Clinic
AUVEL Clinic · Board-certified dermatologist
Dr. Song Chang-hwa Director
Skin texture · firmnessRejuran · skin boostersUnder-eye · Belluti
- Board-certified dermatologist · M.S. in Dermatology, Hanyang University College of Medicine
- Member, Korean Dermatological Association · Korean Association of Dermatologists
- Current) Director, AUVEL Clinic
Ask about ligament lifting
Please check before treatment
Swelling, bruising and pain may occur after filler treatment. Muscle paralysis, allergic reactions or inflammation may occur. Injections around the eyes, such as between the brows, carry a risk of vision loss or blindness if a vessel supplying the eye is blocked, and blocking vessels in other areas carries risks such as skin necrosis. Results and duration vary by person.
12th floor, Sinsa — a clinic built around one patient at a time
- 2
- board-certified dermatologists
- 1:1
- private consultation and treatment rooms
- English
- consultation on WhatsApp
Message us
- Message us — tell us your concern, your dates in Seoul and send a photo if you like
- Doctor's consultation — we assess your stage and suggest another option if this isn't the right fit
- Then decide — the amount needed is set after the assessment
Ask about ligament lifting
Frequently asked questions
What is ligament lifting?
A filler design that places filler in portions, taking into account the support points around the retaining ligaments that support the face. It is not a treatment that pulls the skin with filler.
What are MD Codes?
A filler injection map that divides the face into coded areas and sets the depth, tool and amount for each area.
Does the doctor inject it personally?
Yes. A board-certified dermatologist assesses, designs and injects.
I've had filler elsewhere.
We first check where your existing filler is and how much remains. If needed, we dissolve it and design again.
Can it be dissolved?
We use hyaluronic acid filler only, which can be reversed with a dissolving injection if needed.
Swelling or bruising? Can I carry on with my plans right away?
Swelling or bruising may occur, so tell us your travel dates or any important events in advance. We explain the details at your consultation.
Can I combine it with Renuvion?
Depending on your stage of sagging, we plan support (ligament lifting) and contraction (Renuvion) in separate steps.
How is it different from nasolabial fold filler?
Filling only the fold itself can easily make the cheeks look puffy. Ligament lifting first builds support points in the cheek and cheekbone above the fold, so the fold creases less.
Where do you inject to treat nasolabial folds?
Every face sags at different points, so we decide after assessing with the MD Codes map. We look first at reducing the amount placed directly in the fold.
How much does ligament lifting cost?
It depends on the areas and extent. Message us and we'll let you know.
3 minutes' walk from Sinsa Station (Line 3 · Shinbundang) · 12F, 138 Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea · valet parking
Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00 · Sat 10:00–16:00 · closed Sundays and Korean public holidays (KST)