Central Facelift | BYUN Facelift

The BYUN Central Facelift: Why the Central Face Holds the Key to Authentic Restoration

In the traditional landscape of plastic surgery, the “facelift” has long been synonymous with the perimeter. Surgeons focus on the hairline, the jawline, and the skin around the ears, pulling horizontally to mask the effects of time. But this approach ignores a fundamental biological reality: the face does not age from the outside in; it collapses from the center out.

Since I developed the VECS (Vertical Endoscopic Composite Suspension)technique in 1998, my mission has been to shift the focus of aesthetic medicine back to where the “soul” of the face resides—the central zone. To achieve a result that is truly restorative and not merely “tight,” we must move beyond the skin-deep philosophy and address the complex muscular intersections that define the human countenance.

What is the S-Curve?

The most critical landmark in the aging face is not a wrinkle; it is a boundary. The basic jugal line is the anatomical junction where the orbicularis oculi (the muscle surrounding the eye) meets the mid-face musculature at the zygomaticus major.

In a youthful state, these muscle groups work in harmony, creating a seamless, convex “S-Curve.” The transition from the lower eyelid to the cheek is smooth and uninterrupted. However, as the structural integrity of the mid-face begins to fail, these muscles pull apart. The zygomaticus major—the primary driver of our facial expression—begins to migrate downward.

When this separation occurs, the jugal line deepens into a hollow valley. This is the true etiology of the “tired” look. It is not a lack of skin; it is a detachment of the mid-face composite tissues from their original foundation.

Nasolabial Fold Myth: Gravity vs. Aging.

Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding in modern aesthetics is the treatment of the nasolabial fold, or “smile line.” Patients are often told they need fillers to “fix” these lines. But a smile line is not an aging feature—even a child has one. The problem is not the line itself; it is what is happening above the line.

The “aging” we see in the lower face is actually the malar cheek composite tissues dangling over the smile line. Like a heavy curtain that has slipped from its rod, the mid-face tissues cascade downward, pooling over the nasolabial fold and eventually creating jowls. If a surgeon attempts to fix this by pulling skin around the ear, they are simply tensioning the surface without lifting the weight. If an injector adds filler, they are merely adding mass to a dangling structure, causing it to sag further.

The Byun Facelift (VECS) was designed to solve this specific structural failure. Instead of focusing on the skin around the ear, we go directly to the central face using an endoscope. We “open the box” from the inside to address the muscles where they have actually failed.

By accessing the deep planes, we are able to relocate the zygomaticus major and the associated malar tissues back “up and in.” We aren’t just stretching the surface; we are re-integrating the orbicularis oculi with the mid-face musculature. We are closing the gap at the jugal line and lifting the weight off the nasolabial fold.

This is a vertical restoration. By bringing the “engine” of the face back to its original origin, the S-Curve is restored naturally. The face regains its convexity at the top, and the heaviness at the bottom vanishes.

One of the most profound realizations of the VECS technique is that the “extra” skin seen in an aging face is an illusion. When the internal “box” of the face collapses, the skin (the wrapping paper) appears to be in excess.

However, a convex, youthful face requires more surface area to cover it than a flat, aged one. In my technique, we do not throw the paper away. Once the internal muscles are restored to their high, convex positions, that “extra” skin is suddenly required to wrap the newly revived structure. This is why VECS results look so natural—the skin is draped over a healthy foundation rather than being pulled tight over a broken one.

Restoration Through Precision

The central face is a masterpiece of complex muscle interactions. When these muscles dangle, the face loses its light, its curve, and its character. True rejuvenation requires a surgeon who understands that the smile line is a victim of the mid-face, and the jugal line is the marker of structural separation.

By focusing on the vertical repair of the zygomaticus and orbicularis muscles, we stop the “U-shape” collapse and return the face to its authentic S-Curve. We don’t need to pull the skin around your ears to find your youth; we simply need to restore the center.

Dr. Michael Byun is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the pioneer of the VECS technique, dedicated to the structural and endoscopic restoration of the human face since 1998.

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How the Central Facelift Works

• Repositions displaced muscles and tissues back to their midline, natural positions.
• Corrects asymmetry or tension from previous surgeries.
• Uses endoscopic visualization for precise, minimally invasive repair.
• Redistributes tissues vertically, following the natural direction of aging.
• Ensures results are stable, natural, and long-lasting, unlike superficial lifts or filler-based revisions.

Benefits of a Central Facelift

Patients choose Dr. BYUN’s method to:

• Restore natural facial symmetry and youthful contours
• Avoid the “pulled” or hollow appearance common with conventional facelifts
• Correct results from previous procedures
• Rejuvenate the face while preserving authentic expression
• Achieve results only possible with Dr. BYUN’s exclusive BYUN Method

Who Is a Candidate?

Ideal candidates include:

• Patients unhappy with previous facelift results
• Those with sagging, hollowing, or displaced facial tissues
• Individuals seeking long-lasting, natural restoration
• Patients in good health with realistic expectations

Customization: Each patient is evaluated to determine whether a full Central Facelift, deep plane revision, or a targeted repair of facial zones is optimal.

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Patient Spotlight: Natural, Youthful Restoration

Patient Profile:

• Healthy female seeking subtle rejuvenation
• Wanted to maintain natural eye shape and avoid drastic changes
• Concerns: lower eye ripples, sagging cheeks, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, chin appearance, and overall tired look

Key Observations Before Surgery:

• Brow ptosis: upper eyelid skin touching eyelashes, hiding crease
• Prominent nasojugal line and deep nasolabial folds
• Marionette lines and lower lip “dumbbells” creating heaviness
• Chin fold making it appear short
• Ripples and slight volume loss in central face

Techniques Used:

• BYUN Muscle Repair Lift:
  • Endoscopic-assisted lift of brow, midface, cheeks, mouth, and chin muscles
  • Restores muscles to their original positions on the periosteum
  • Tightens muscles within their natural compartments (no sideways pulling)
• Cheek and Mouth Muscles:
  • Buccinator lifted to smooth marionette lines
  • Mentalis relaxed to improve chin projection without implants
• Skin & Layer Management:
  • Skin repositioned to hold newly restored muscles naturally
• Fat Grafting:
  • Abdominal fat added to cheeks and nasolabial folds for subtle volume restoration

Results (3½ Months Post-Op):

• Brow released naturally, eyelid crease restored
• Nasojugal and nasolabial folds shallower
• Midface triangle lifted, cheeks firmer
• Marionette lines less prominent
• Lower lip and chin appear lighter and better defined
• Overall look: relaxed, youthful, and natural

Philosophy Highlight:

“Muscles should stay where they start and end. Tighten within their space, don’t pull sideways. The BYUN facelift restores natural anatomy for results that last.”

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Recovery

• Mild swelling and bruising: 1–2 weeks
• Return to normal activities: 2–3 weeks
• Subtle improvement continues over several months
• Recovery is smoother and more natural due to the inside-out repair of all facial layers

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Why Dr. BYUN Is Different

• Only surgeon in the world performing the BYUN Method
• Restores muscles, fat, and connective tissue to their midline positions
• Preserves natural expression and facial balance
• Corrects previous surgical errors while ensuring long-lasting, physiologically correct results

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Why Choose the Central Facelift

Dr. BYUN’s method ensures:

• Natural, long-lasting results
• Structural restoration of displaced tissues
• Facial balance and harmony
• Outcomes that cannot be replicated anywhere else

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Facelift Hesitancy? We Know Why!

Have you been thinking about restoring your image for quite some time now, but are terrified of ending up with that ‘cookie cutter’ bad facelift look? The reason why you haven’t done a facelift yet is because you haven’t found a surgeon that is able to restore your image. As you look through before and after photos, you notice that muscles are still heavy, faces look wider, mouths are pulled sideways and large scars on the sides of the face are impossible to hide. You don’t want your facelift to be obvious, you just want to look beautifully restored. Let’s dive a little deeper into what that means.

Can Your Doctor Do This?