Surgery · Volume

Best Facial Fat Grafting in Korea: Choosing a Clinic

Best facial fat grafting in Seoul, weighed on the regions, the plan and the follow-up

Gangnam, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
KHIDI-registered for international patients · Apgujeong Rewind

Choosing a Fat Grafting Surgeon Choosing a Fat Grafting Surgeon Choosing a Fat Grafting Surgeon Choosing a Fat Grafting Surgeon 
Volume

Choosing facial fat grafting

How do you choose a clinic for facial fat grafting in Korea?

The short answer

Choose the clinic whose surgeon first confirms that your face has lost volume, as opposed to tissue that has dropped, and names the regions that need it. Then ask where the fat will be taken from, how it will be prepared, how the surgeon talks about the share that may be reabsorbed, whether a second session might be needed, who operates, and for a quote that lists each region.

Part of any graft is reabsorbed and the amount varies between people. A surgeon who says so before surgery, and explains how the plan allows for it, is easier to trust than one who quotes a fixed survival figure.

Facts about Rewind on this page come from the clinic's fat-grafting price listings, its post-operative instructions and its registration details. Rewind publishes no step-by-step page for this operation, so the method details are left to the consultation.

Fat grafting uses your own fat to restore hollow areas such as the upper eyelid, temples and forehead, or the whole face. In Seoul it is offered widely, often next to fillers. The differences between clinics show up in how they plan the regions and how openly they discuss what stays.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi operating with loupes and headlight
Fig. 01 — The donor fat is harvested and placed in the same session
Check

Before you book

Best facial fat grafting in Seoul: five things to ask before booking

Each can be raised by message, with photos taken in good light, before you plan travel. Keep the written answers to compare clinics on the same basis.

check 01
Hollowing or descent?
Ask whether your concern is lost volume or tissue that has dropped. Grafting adds volume; it does not lift what has fallen, which may need a lifting operation instead.
check 02
Which regions
Ask which regions are planned and how each is priced. A quote by region shows exactly what you are paying for and lets you drop a region you do not want.
check 03
Donor site and preparation
Ask where the fat will be taken from and what bruising to expect there, and how the fat is prepared for volume, since finely processed fat adds little bulk.
check 04
What stays, and a second session
Ask how the surgeon explains reabsorption and whether your plan may include a second session. Be wary of any fixed survival percentage given before examination.
check 05
Who operates, and the quote
Ask for the operating surgeon's name and specialty certification, the clinic's KHIDI number for international patients, and a quote listing each region with VAT shown.
Types

Comparing providers

Four settings that offer facial volume in Seoul

Facial volume is offered in quite different settings. Each may suit someone; what matters is the question you open with.

01Specialist

A plastic surgery clinic offering grafting and lifts

The surgeon can add volume or reposition tissue. Ask how that surgeon tells hollowing from descent in your face, and whether both are present.

02Injectables

A cosmetic practice centred on fillers

Fillers and grafting are different decisions: one is an injected product, the other is surgery with your own tissue. Ask which suits the regions you want treated and why.

03Centre

A large centre with several surgical teams

Planning, harvesting and placement may involve different people. Ask who decides the regions, who performs the graft and who judges at review whether more is needed.

04Agency

A booking made through an agency

An agency does not perform surgery. Ask it to name the clinic and the operating surgeon, and compare its price with the clinic's own listed prices for each region.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi explaining a treatment plan to a patient at Rewind
Fig. 02 — Which regions have gone hollow is agreed at consultation
Rewind

The same checks, applied here

How Rewind answers the fat grafting checklist

Rewind publishes less about this operation than about most of its others. Below is what it does publish, and what it leaves to the consultation.

01Regions

Priced region by region

The price sheet lists the upper eyelid, one area with the forehead and temple excluded, the forehead and temple together, and the whole face as separate lines, so a quote follows the regions found at examination.

02Sessions

A second session listed in advance

A further listing includes a second session within one price, set lower than two separate sessions. Whether your plan needs it is decided at review once the first graft has settled.

03Surgeon

Details confirmed by the operating surgeon

Dr. Choi, a board-certified plastic surgeon, examines the face, performs the graft and holds the reviews. The donor site, preparation, anaesthesia and operating time are not published and are set out at the consultation.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi operating under loupe magnification at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 03 — The graft is placed by the surgeon who planned the regions
Apgujeong

The clinic

Where facial fat grafting at Rewind takes place

Preparation of a draped patient in the procedure room at Rewind

Fig. 04 — Harvest and placement happen in the clinic's own rooms

Recovery room at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 05 — Patients rest here before going home

Rewind Plastic Surgery is on the fourth and fifth floors of the Richro Building in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Consultation, surgery and reviews for fat grafting take place there by appointment, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 16:00.

The patient's own fat, no implant
Priced by facial region
Second-session plan listed separately
Donor site set at examination
Aftercare sheet for grafted fat
Messages answered as soon as possible
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon at Rewind

Board-certified plastic surgeon

Facial fat grafting at Rewind is performed by Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon. KHIDI registration for international patients: M-2025-01-08-09288.

Quote

Pricing

Facial fat grafting prices at Rewind

Each region has its own listed price. A plan that includes a second session is quoted at consultation as its own listing.

Upper-eyelid fat graftingA hollow upper lid
₩650,000
Fat grafting, one areaExcluding the forehead and temple
₩650,000
Forehead and templeQuoted together as one region
₩1,510,000
Full-face fat graftingThe whole face in one plan
₩1,970,000

Prices are listed excluding VAT (10% VAT is added at payment). The written quote names each region in your plan, any second session and every additional line before a date is fixed.

Fit

Suitability

Who facial fat grafting tends to suit, and when to reconsider

Often a good fit when

  • Your upper lids look sunken or hollow
  • Your temples or forehead have flattened
  • Several areas of the face have lost volume
  • You prefer your own tissue to an injected product
  • You can accept that a second session may be advised

Worth reconsidering when

  • The main change is sagging, not hollowing
  • You want a set amount of volume promised from one session
  • You have little fat available to harvest
  • You cannot avoid exercise, alcohol and saunas for a month
  • You have a bleeding tendency, an infection, or are pregnant or breastfeeding
Stay

Planning the stay

Facial fat grafting aftercare to plan around your trip

Rewind's post-operative sheet has an entry written for grafted fat. Its four instructions are below; the review date is set by the surgeon.

One to two weeks
Bruising and swelling
Bruising and swelling at the grafted regions usually ease within one to two weeks. Volume seen in this period is partly swelling.
Daily
No friction
Avoid rubbing or strong stimulation of the grafted areas, and keep the skin moisturised.
Outdoors
Sunscreen
Use sunscreen to prevent pigment changes, on the face and the donor area alike.
At least a month
Exercise, alcohol, heat
Strenuous exercise, alcohol, saunas and steam rooms are avoided for at least a month after grafting.

Risks described in the surgical literature include bruising, prolonged swelling, asymmetry, over- or under-correction, lumps, oil cysts, fat necrosis, contour irregularity, infection, donor-site changes and rare vascular events. How much of a graft remains cannot be promised, and results vary by individual.

Doctor

Professional

A fat graft is judged region by region, before and after it settles. At Rewind both judgements are made by the surgeon who performs it.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Journal of Craniofacial Surgery article co-authored by Dr. Jonghwan Choi
Fig. 06 — The surgeon's published work can be checked by anyone

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

Restore what has gone hollow,
one region at a time.

Board-certified plastic surgeon and medical director, author of ten peer-reviewed papers in craniofacial surgery and medical science journals.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
Ask

Questions

Choosing a fat grafting surgeon: common questions

How do I know whether I need fat grafting or a lift?
Grafting adds volume to areas that have gone hollow; a lift moves tissue that has dropped. Many faces show some of both, so the examination looks at each region in good light and in profile before a plan is made.
How much of the grafted fat will stay?
Part of any graft is reabsorbed, and published studies report different proportions. Rewind does not publish a retention figure for its own technique, so treat any fixed percentage given before examination with caution and ask how your plan allows for it.
Will I need a second session?
Possibly. Rewind lists a plan that includes a second session at one price, lower than two separate sessions. Whether you need one is decided at review, once the first graft has settled.
Where is the fat taken from?
From a donor site on your own body. Rewind does not publish which site it uses, so the surgeon discusses it with you at the examination, along with the bruising to expect there.
How long should I stay in Seoul after fat grafting?
Bruising and swelling usually ease within one to two weeks. Agree the review date with the surgeon before booking your flight, and remember that exercise, alcohol and saunas are avoided for at least a month.
Why are the forehead and temple priced together?
Rewind lists them as one region with its own price, separate from the single-area line used elsewhere on the face. That means the upper face is quoted as a unit.
Is fat grafting better than filler?
They are different choices. A graft is surgery using your own tissue, part of which is reabsorbed; filler is an injected product with its own consultation. Which suits you depends on the regions and on your preferences.
Can I send photos before booking?
Yes. Send front and side photos of your face in good light through the form below or WhatsApp, and Rewind replies as soon as possible. Any view given from photos is provisional until the in-person examination.
Voices

Google Reviews

What our patients say.

G 5.0 ★★★★★ 51 Google reviews · Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong — live-synced from Google Business Profile
★★★★★

Came to REWIND to get my facial treatment and i'm absolutely obsessed about it💞 the doctor is so kind and is an expert! Everyone must visit!

YunHee Hong2 weeks ago
★★★★★

There are just way too many cosmetic clinics in Korea and I'm so happy I found Rewind Clinic in Gangnam. Dr. Choi was so kind and patient while explaining the different face-lifting options, from threads to mini-lifts to deep-plane lifts…

J. S.5 months ago
★★★★★

I found Rewind clinic through a Korean chat forum and many local clients highly recommended it. The clinic is brand new, featuring large, clean rooms and many private waiting areas so it doesn't give off that "factory" clinic vibe. All the…

J. Siou5 months ago
★★★★★

Really nice environment. Doctor is easy to communicate and understands my visions. Waited two weeks to make a review and I confirm the results exceeded my expectations and I am super happy with it. Can't wait to come back!! :))

Kristie Chu5 months ago
★★★★★

I received a thread lift at Rewind Plastic Surgery. The clinic was clean and the atmosphere was comfortable. The consultation was thorough, and I felt confident because they kindly explained everything tailored to my facial condition. They…

한주연2 weeks ago · Translated by Google
Booking

Reservation

REWIND,booking

Send front and side photos of your face in good light, with any earlier filler or facial surgery, and we reply as soon as possible.

Visit

REWIND,visit

For international patients — interpreter-assisted, from your first message to your follow-up.

Location
Apgujeong, Gangnam
4F & 5F, Richro Building,
812 Nonhyeon-ro,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Hours
Mon·Tue·Wed·Fri 10:00–19:00
Sat 10:00–16:00
Closed Sundays & Thursdays
Lunch 12:00–13:00
Consultation
In your language
WhatsApp · Instagram
Interpreter-assisted
consultations available
Registration
KHIDI Registered
Registered institution for
international patients
Reg. M-2025-01-08-09288

Scientific evidence

Research behind the fat grafting clinic checklist

The first paper reports long-term volume retention after facial fat grafting; the second describes nanofat grafts for facial rejuvenation; the third reports correction of the sunken upper eyelid; the fourth measures eyebrow position after grafting to the temple and forehead; the fifth reviews infections after cosmetic surgery abroad. Their patients were not Rewind patients, and their findings describe groups rather than any one person.