Nova Plastic Surgery — Gangnam, Seoul
A face is not pulled. It is rebuilt.
Focused on the facelift · Dr. Kang Hong-dae, board-certified plastic surgeon
Pulling a sagging face upward and rebuilding a structure that has settled are two different things.
We look beneath the skin for the layer where time has actually settled, and we rebuild that structure.
Never too much. Only as much as needed. That is how Nova thinks about the facelift.
01 · Philosophy
Time settles beneath the skin,
not on it.
Restoration, not transformation — how Nova understands the facelift
Skin is only the finish of the face. Time settles beneath it, in the structure where the fascia (SMAS) and the ligaments lie.
So instead of pulling the finish, we aim for the structure to find its place again. The structure carries the tension; the skin follows.
What Nova sets out to do is not to make a new face. Our aim is to return the structure to where it originally was, in harmony with the features you already have.
“A facelift is not simply a matter of lifting a sagging face; what matters above all is restoring, as far as possible, the areas that have sagged with age to the face of one's younger years.”Dr. Kang Hong-dae — lecture, 2018 Honam–Yeongnam Regional Congress of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons — translated from Korean press
- NOVAnoun · astronomy
- A star that already existed, brightening again. Not a newly born star.
- Restorationnoun
- A return to the original state. Distinct from making anew or adding on.
Pulling
Works on the surface (the skin). The skin carries the tension.
Rebuilding
Works on the fascial layer (SMAS) and the retaining ligaments. The structure carries the tension; the skin follows.
Schematic — a diagram to aid understanding; it may differ from the actual anatomy and surgical method.
02 · Anatomy — Three Layers, One Ligament
Beneath the skin:
three layers, one ligament.
The triple-plane lift, in cross-section
Aging does not happen in a single layer. The dermis, the subcutaneous fat, and the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) each sag to a different degree, and between them lie the retaining ligaments that anchor those layers to the bone.
That is why a Nova facelift does not pull a single sheet. It is a triple-plane lift, raising the dermis, the subcutaneous fat, and the SMAS each with a different force according to how far it has sagged, together with a decisive release of the retaining ligaments to lower the likelihood of recurrent sagging. A different answer for every layer.
The heart of aging is the SMAS. Not pulling the surface skin alone, but dissection, lift, and fixation of the SMAS itself. We believe this is what decides how natural the result looks.
01
Dermis
The shallowest layer. The lifting force is set by the degree of sagging.
02
Subcutaneous fat
The layer that holds the face's volume. The force applied is set by the degree of sagging.
03
SMAS (fascial layer)
The key layer in aging. Rebuilt in three steps: dissection, lift, fixation.
—
Retaining ligaments
The ligaments that anchor the layers to the bone. Released decisively to lower the likelihood of recurrent sagging.
Schematic — a simplified diagram of the actual anatomy.
03 · Invisible Craft
The hand should
leave no trace.
The design of the incision, the design of direction, and restraint
The precision of a surgery shows in where the scar hides, in which direction the face is raised, and in how much was left undone.
The incision follows the hairline and the curves of the ear, then continues behind the ear into the scalp, designed to keep the scar out of sight. The direction of the lift and an even dissection are the foundation for reducing asymmetry and unevenness; improving the contour without shaving bone is restraint — a way of protecting the features that make a face its own.
The process you never see is half the result.
Schematic — actual incision placement and surgical method may differ.
- 01
Incision design
Along the hairline and the curves of the ear, then from behind the ear into the scalp. An incision line is not a scar. It is a blueprint.
- 02
Minimal incision · Deep-plane lift
The incision kept minimal; the dissection carried to the depth required (the SMAS). The size of the incision and the depth of the lift are separate questions.
- 03
Direction and evenness
Setting the direction of the lift, and an even dissection. Reducing asymmetry and unevenness is decided here.
- 04
Restraint
Never too much — only as much as each person's degree of sagging requires. The contour is improved without shaving bone.
“Surgery should be performed with a minimal incision, keeping scarring, swelling, and the like down, in a way that can lead to a faster recovery and a high level of satisfaction.”Dr. Kang Hong-dae — from press interviews and columns — translated from Korean press
Drafting tools on paper — Nova’s approach to planning.
04 · Director
Precision begins in thought,
before the hand.
Dr. Kang Hong-dae · Board-certified plastic surgeon
Dr. Kang Hong-dae is a board-certified plastic surgeon known for his work in facelift surgery. He has been reported to have developed the conventional SMAS lift into an “SMAS sculpting lift” with improved firmness and longevity, and he has presented the minimal-incision deep-plane facelift and the extended SMAS facelift at academic conferences.
A sculptor does not overpower the material. The surgery Dr. Kang has in mind is no different.
“I hope that surgery will be planned with each person's skin thickness, degree of sagging, and even their overall image in mind, so that a more natural result can be achieved.”Dr. Kang Hong-dae — from press interviews and columns — translated from Korean press
RECORD
- 2017.04Presentation at an international congress — Facial autologous fat grafting
- 2017.09Invited presentation, Anti-Aging Plastic Surgery Research Society symposium — Minimal-incision deep-plane facelift
- 2018.05Invited lecture, Honam–Yeongnam Regional Congress — Extended SMAS facelift
- 2026Nova Plastic Surgery opens in Gangnam, Seoul
- Areas of focus
- Facelift · Minimal-incision deep-plane facelift · Extended SMAS facelift
- Societies
- Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery · Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand · Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association · International Society of Plastic Surgery
05 · Scope of Practice
No two faces sag alike.
So no two surgeries are.
Scope of practice at Nova Plastic Surgery
“Because the optimal method can differ with each person's condition — the degree of skin sagging, facial structure, skin thickness, and so on — it is important to decide carefully, through consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive clinical experience.” — Dr. Kang Hong-dae — from press interviews and columns — translated from Korean press
A facelift is not only for older patients. Satisfaction tends to be higher while the skin still has elasticity, and it also applies to sagging after contouring or double-jaw surgery in one's twenties and thirties. Nor is it a once-and-done procedure: a revision may be considered after ten years or more.
Non-invasive treatments and surgical approaches each have their advantages and drawbacks. Nova explains that difference first.
01
Extended SMAS facelift
A structural approach: wide dissection, lift, and fixation of the SMAS, the key layer in aging.
02
Minimal-incision deep-plane facelift
The incision kept minimal; the lift carried to the deep plane. Designed with the aim of reducing scarring and swelling and shortening recovery.
03
Facial autologous fat grafting consultation
A subject presented at an international congress in 2017. Whether it is appropriate is decided in consultation, based on the individual's condition.
04
Revision facelift
Considered six to twelve months after a previous surgery. Because the difficulty is higher, we begin by reading the structure again.
05
Sagging after contouring or double-jaw surgery
Sagging can appear after contouring or double-jaw surgery, even in one's twenties and thirties. We plan while elasticity remains.
06
Pre-surgical consultation · Comparison with non-invasive options
Non-invasive treatments and surgery each have their advantages and drawbacks. We start by discussing what suits the individual's condition.
Results may vary from person to person.
06 · On Record
Not claims.
Records.
Only what was presented before fellow surgeons is listed here.
We show records instead of photographs. We believe a facelift method should be reviewed, shared, and refined at academic meetings.
On why presenting at conferences matters, Dr. Kang puts it this way.
“Because a facelift is a highly demanding procedure in plastic surgery, it helps to have the operation performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon — one with many years of surgical and clinical experience, who is active in presenting at academic conferences, and who has a wealth of surgical and anatomical knowledge and know-how.”Dr. Kang Hong-dae — from press interviews and columns — translated from Korean press
“It was a meaningful occasion, being able to share the various techniques and know-how of the facelift field through the congress.”Dr. Kang Hong-dae — remarks after the 2018 congress — translated from Korean press
Source: public press reports
07 · Process & Recovery
Structure is finished
in recovery, not surgery.
From consultation to recovery
If the process you never see is half the result, recovery care is the other half. To help prevent hematoma, Nova uses meticulous hemostasis during surgery, compression dressings, and a drain (Hemo-Vac), and explains the importance of recovery care — such as abstaining from alcohol and smoking before and after surgery — from the consultation onward.
The pace and outcome of recovery differ with each person's skin thickness, degree of sagging, and lifestyle. That is why we explain the process instead of making promises.
01Consultation · Reading the structure
We look together at skin thickness, degree of sagging, facial structure, and harmony with your existing features. The advantages and drawbacks of non-invasive and surgical options are explained first.
02Design
The placement of the incision, the layers to be lifted and their direction, and the extent that is actually needed. Never too much.
03Surgery · Hematoma prevention
A triple-plane lift with a different force for each layer, release of the retaining ligaments, meticulous hemostasis. Compression dressings and a drain (Hemo-Vac) are used to help prevent hematoma.
04Recovery care
No alcohol for two weeks before and four weeks after surgery; no smoking. The pace of recovery differs from person to person.
05As time passes
A restored face goes on living through time. That is why we do not say “forever.” Results vary from person to person and may change again over time. A facelift is not a once-in-a-lifetime surgery; a revision may be considered after ten years or more. A revision following a previous surgery is assessed after six to twelve months.
All surgery carries the possibility of side effects, including bleeding, infection, hematoma, scarring, and asymmetry; please be sure to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Results may vary from person to person.
08 · Visit
A consultation that begins with thought.
Nova Plastic Surgery · Gangnam, Seoul
A consultation is not where surgery is recommended; it is where we decide together what is needed — and what is not.
We begin by reading the structure of your face together. The decision can come later. It will not be too late.
- Address
- 376 Gangnam-daero, 6F (Yeoksam-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul · 06232
- Phone
- Details coming soon
- Hours
- Details coming soon
- Business registration no.
- 587-05-03697 · Representative: Kang Hong-dae
