A Multi-Planar Facelift with Deep Plane, SMAS, and Endoscopic Muscle Repair for Natural, Harmonized Results
Dr. Michael BYUN is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, global expert, and leader in facial repair and enhancement procedures. Dedicating the last 25 years to perfecting his Nobel Prize worthy technique, he is the only one who offers the BYUN technique worldwide as the sole inventor at Northwestern.
Unlike the typical facelift surgery method, his Reverse Facelift Method enhances and restores the beauty from your youth.
The Reverse Facelift, or BYUN Facelift, is a multi-planar technique that combines deep plane, SMAS, ponytail, and vertical lifts using endoscopic guidance. By repositioning tissues toward the midline, it achieves more natural, balanced results.
Dr. Byun is a globally recognized leader in facelift and revision surgery.
Dr. BYUN’s expertise branches outside of surgery as he is also a teacher at Northwestern University, a Cell Biologist, Author, Artist, and Philanthropist.
Revision Facelift Surgery That Restores—Not Stretches
Unnatural results, widening, or overfilled features can be corrected. As a specialist facelift surgeon, Dr. Byun reconstructs the face using advanced, multi-planar techniques and muscle repair—lifting upward and toward the midline for natural, balanced results.
A Facelift Surgeon Focused on Muscle Repair, Not Just Skin Tightening
Dr. Byun urges your doctor to use his method to achieve a physiologically correct facelift
Before 2015
After 2025
“As a facelift surgeon, my Reverse Facelift— BYUN Facelift– restores facial harmony by repositioning tissue upward and toward the midline using a multi-planar approach—combining deep plane, SMAS, ponytail, and vertical facelift techniques with endoscopic muscle repair. Unlike a traditional facelift that can widen the face, this is not an ordinary facelift—it’s a true muscle repair procedure that reconstructs the face by returning structures to their original position.” — Dr. Michael Byun
Before – stoic and serious look
After (Patient Submitted) – refreshed, resurrected her own image with Byun’s reverse technique
4 Years After (Patient Submitted) – she is aging better than her old self with Dr. Byun
Best Facelift Surgeon in Chicago | Revision & BYUN Facelift Expert
Dr. Byun is recognized as one of the best facelift surgeons in Chicago, specializing in revision facelifts and the Reverse Facelift (BYUN Facelift).
Unlike traditional surgeons who pull skin outward, he lifts tissues upward and toward the midline using a combination of deep plane, SMAS, vertical lift, and endoscopic techniques—restoring natural facial harmony, correcting prior procedures, and achieving long-lasting, balanced results.
Best Facelift Surgeon in Chicago | Stop Overfilled Faces with Revision Facelift
Don’t Run Towards the Quick Fixes!
Dr BYUN reveals that face fillers and fat grafts result in old sutures from thread lifts, foreign body reaction from fillers, and calcified fat that lumps underneath the skin
Therefore: Don’t Start. Stop Everything.
Celebrity Facelift Gone Wrong? Restore Natural Beauty
Say it isn’t so… it’s hard to believe Madonna really wanted to change her look so drastically. The new face Madonna revealed at the 2023 Grammy Music Awards was the talk of the town. Probably the talk of every town everywhere across the globe. Fans expressed shock, sadness and very little support. Comments on social media became a mini-battle over what defines beauty.
Revision Facelift Expert | Correcting Previous Facelift Issues
Fat grafts should be stopped as they grow out of proportion. PDO threading that cause the smile line creates internal scarring. Fillers used under the eye make the eye appear puffy. Sideburn hair is lost with a traditional skin facelift.
BYUN Reverse Facelift delivers natural, youthful results—lifting inward and upward for a refreshed look, not the stretched or overdone appearance seen in celebrity facelifts.
“I don’t want to make you look like a different person.
I want to recapture your younger image.”
Dr. BYUN prides himself on providing patients with restoration of their natural, youthful look
10,000+ Facial Restoration Procedures Performed by Chicago’s Leading Facelift Surgeon
The BYUN Method for Natural, Ageless Results
20’s
There are some young patients who can benefit from Dr. BYUN’s Famous Muscle Restoration technique as early as their 20’s. You may be thinking about a ‘facelift’ due to early drooping which can be linked to genetics, major weight loss, congenital defects or unfavorable bone structure.
30’s
Dr. BYUN’s Famous Facelift and Muscle Repair Technique isn’t just for Grandma. If you’ve become dependent on filler or if you’re experiencing the normal signs of aging earlier than expected, then Dr. BYUN’s Face Restoration may be right for you. Set the tone for being able to age more gracefully from here on out.
40’s
It can be tough to find the perfect time for surgery, but Dr. BYUN will always encourage patients to have procedures done sooner rather than later, because not only will you curb the aging process, but you will also be able to bounce back sooner and enjoy results longer. You will age more slowly than your twin sister or cousin. (plus the ‘reset’ will be less dramatic of a change – so your friends and family will ask what you’ve been eating and your personal trainer’s name)
50’s
Is life just starting to settle into place where you’ve had a second to actually stop and look in the mirror? Noticing stress and life’s wear and tear on your face? With kids away and retirement right around the corner, now may be the best time to plan a ‘reset’ with Dr. BYUN and his team. Repair your facial muscles back up and into their original location – where they were when you were 29.
60’s
Turn back the hands of time with Dr. BYUN’s Famous Facelift Muscle Repair Technique. Challenge him with a photo of your younger self and let him get to work. With results so natural, your friends will ask what you’ve been eating.
70’s
Does your face no longer match up with your personality and energy? You belong at Dr. BYUN’s office where age is TRULY, just a number. Restore your ‘mansion’ in the most natural and physiologically correct way possible. Look like YOU after surgery, NOT a cookie-cutter pulled apart version.
80’s
Is this the start of a new chapter for you? At Dr. BYUN’s office, it’s never too late to take out a new lease on life. Continue to inspire the people around you. Dr. BYUN loves being a part of restoring his patients’ youth and witnessing them achieve their goals.
BYUN Reverse Facelift | Precision Facial Re-Proportioning
Using the Fibonacci Sequence, Dr. Byun, one of the best facelift surgeons in Chicago, applies the BYUN Method to restore natural facial harmony. This advanced revision facelift approach repositions tissues inward and upward, combining deep plane, SMAS, vertical lift, and endoscopic muscle repair to achieve balanced, youthful results.
Longevity Matters
Dr. Byun’s method withstands the test of time
Dr. BYUN’s signature muscle repair technique is a true reset of the aging trajectory. That’s exactly why is he proud to showcase not only his before and after photos, but also the way his patients age years after his surgery. This is a major factor in what separates Dr. BYUN from the rest.
Before
1 Year After
15 Years After
This patient had the world famous BYUN Expression Lift, where her expression and image are kept the same, and just given a youthful boost. This procedure was focused on the midface, below the eye, and at the zygoma. She had a very droopy “bag” by her mouth which was created by the buccinator muscle. Since the procedure focuses on the extended lower face, on the lower eye, and next to the mouth or jowls, Dr. BYUN defines it as Zone II and III. This patient also received a “no implant chin lift” due to Dr. BYUN relaxing that muscle. Her chin projection is better now without an implant because of the muscle repair (Zone II). She has very thin skin, and it would have been a horrible outcome if she selected the ordinary skin lift (subcutaneous). Her mouth would have been pulled all the way to the outside of her face, giving her a very unnatural appearance. The technique that skilled plastic surgeon Dr. BYUN used was his signature Endoscope Assisted Vertical Midface Lift and Muscle Repair at the midface. Since her initial procedure in 2005, the patient has been under Dr. BYUN’s care (almost 20 years!) She has been utilizing the BYUN Age Well program to her advantage. Treatments such as Dermal Spin/Microtunneling are used to stimulate the already repaired muscle fibers. This helps Dr. BYUN’s patients maintain their surgical results. PRP is introduced, which gives better healing power by introducing those platelets.
Before
10 Years After
15 Years After
This patient received Dr. BYUN’s famous Central Facelift (Zone III). The key point of this facelift is that all of the components of the muscle and tissues are centralized at the midpoint of your face. Hence why Dr. BYUN calls it the central facelift. He is not terribly concerned with the brow in this case because the central part of the face needs to have the tissues in the right place in order for you to look youthful and natural, giving you a more normal looking face post operation.
Dr. BYUN Focuses on 4 Areas of the Face (4 Zones):
- Zone I is the neck and lower face (best for someone with a “turkey neck”).
- Zone II is the mouth area (best for someone with a marionette line, or a sad/mean look).
- Zone III is the midface (best for someone with a tired look/dark circles, heavy smile lines).
- Zone IV is the upper face (best for someone with a hooded brow, forehead lines, upper eye)
Image Matters
“I don’t want to make you look like a different person. I want to recapture your younger image” – Dr. Byun
Here is an example of Dr. BYUN’s patient, who is 70 years old.
In her 30s, you can immediately notice the firmness of muscle projection of the chin in this photo. She had not used fillers, and didn’t get any cosmetic surgery.
40 years after the first photo was taken, with no use of filler, and no cosmetic surgeries done.
Here’s where Dr. BYUN’s world-famous, unique muscle repair comes into play to bring this patient back to her vibrant self. He performed his muscle repositioning technique to the patient’s muscles, to put them back where they came from, or Up and In. Dr. BYUN uses this special technique, to fold the telescope back in to itself. He puts the multiple layers back into each other, then places it all back onto the bone, or “back onto the table” where they belong. You can truly see a remarkable transformation in her before and after photos.
Now, let’s really appreciate this patient’s after photo. Facelifts are not about eliminating all fine lines and wrinkles. Dr. BYUN’s goal is to put the features of the face back Up and In where they belong, making the patient look like their younger self. 99% of plastic surgeons have been performing an improper technique for the last 100 years. Skin should not be tented and pulled outward. A facelift should be done to restore the patient’s image.
Zone I (Neck Area): Yes, she still has wrinkles. But, you can see her neck is narrow and matches the rest of her face.
Zone II (Mouth Area): Look at the diamond shape of her smile (“Now” photo) it’s almost matching her younger photo (30s photo).
Zone III (Midface + Lower Eye): When reviving the structure, he always talks about the “midface triangle.” The midface zygoma, also called the midface triangle should be petite & firm, on the table, like you see in her “Now” photo.
Leading Revision Facelift Surgeon in Chicago
Dr. Byun is a recognized expert in repairing unsatisfactory or failed facelifts performed by other surgeons. Patients travel from across the U.S. and around the world to Chicago to restore their natural facial harmony and achieve long-lasting, balanced results.
Dr. Byun never pulls neck to the hairline. Rather, he teaches that the platysma neck muscle should never be pulled away from its own anatomical path– it should only go up and back to the midline
This patient had a bad surgery in Dallas Texas. Dr Byun fixed issues of fat grafts, lateral pull of deep plane rhytidectomy, and cheek implant- all big NOs. see 3 weeks after from repair, removal and reconstruction and restoration with BYUN muscle based facelift
Afterwards, you can see that the patient’s face isn’t heavy or dropping, nor is it stretched and abnormal looking. The BYUN facelift repair put all the botched pieces back together, toward the midline.
Leading Expert of the Revision Facelift
Becoming BYUN
Learn more about the BYUN Family and their very long and established history of forging new pathways in finding revolutionary creative and scientific solutions. Explore what has made Michael BYUN into the spectacle he is today.
Admire His Art
When medical genius meets mindful artist, you get a talented surgeon like Dr. Michael BYUN. Did you know that Dr. BYUN actually paints portraits of many of his surgical patients? Does he paint their pre or post surgery image, or both? Explore the gallery to see more of both his Art & Surgical works.
Be Taught His Technique
After creating the BYUN Reverse Facelift surgical technique over 25 years ago, Dr. BYUN has spent his time perfecting it. Read how he has carefully broken it down in a way for patients to understand what sets his technique above all the rest.
Learn His Legacy
Once you truly get to know Dr. Michael BYUN, you will agree that there’s no end to his creativity and ability to raise the bar when it comes to quality and holistic approaches. With his continued leadership in medicine, he hopes to someday win the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
“When you look at a flower or fine art, it’s a very biologically inclined notion of what is beautiful. For me, it’s all about maintaining the right proportions.”
– Michael BYUN, MD
The Price Tag
While a facelift is an investment, the cost reflects the quality and longevity of Dr. Byun’s work. Rather than opting for a quick, temporary solution, his meticulous approach ensures results are a beauty investment that stands the test of time.
And Now, the $200,000 Face-Lift
Luxury cosmetic procedures reach next level prices.
As the famous F. Scott Fitzgerald line goes, the rich are different from you and me — and apparently so, too, are their face-lifts.
Dr. Michael BYUN’s Philosophy
If you want to look young there’s two ways to do it. Either you can stretch your face to pull away the wrinkles, or put the slipping layers underneath the skin back to their rightful place. While other doctors opt for the quick and easy solution of making you look like someone else, Dr. Byun is someone who can confidently say “he makes you look like your younger self.”
Dr. Byun’s method is not only for those who are dissatisfied with the mainstream, mass-produced facelift-look from Hollywood, but for individuals who miss their younger beauty. Rather than making you look like a complete stranger, Dr. Byun’s midface method truly makes the patients’ look from the cherished past come alive again.
So, the question is: What are you waiting for?
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In The Media
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When the Young, Bright Prodigy Evolves into the Great Seasoned Master
Dr. Michael BYUN is a serious doctor with seriously comprehensive experience unlike many of his peers, setting him heads and shoulders above the rest.
