Facial Contouring Surgery Cost: Is More Expensive Better? - Explained by a Specialist

Facial Contouring Surgery Cost: Is More Expensive Better?

Hello, this is Director Jo Hyun-woo of Initive Plastic Surgery.

Today, I’d like to talk about the cost of facial contouring surgery.

There are many important factors when deciding on surgery, and I think the cost of facial contouring surgery is something patients cannot help but consider.

Is a higher cost for facial contouring surgery always better?

To give you the conclusion first: ‘A surgery with a higher cost is not necessarily more effective.’

In the case of zygoma reduction, the price varies depending on whether the incision is made in the scalp or inside the mouth, and it also varies depending on whether a fixation method or a non-fixation method is used.

As you may already know, I perform the 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction through a scalp incision, and the 3D three-dimensional zygoma reduction through an intraoral incision.

During consultations, many patients often ask, ‘Doesn’t the 3D zygoma reduction have a higher cost, so isn’t it more effective?’ and ‘Doesn’t the 230-degree zygoma reduction have a lower price, so isn’t its effect weaker?’

It seems patients tend to think that if they are going to have surgery once, they might as well pay more and make sure it’s done properly. ^^

But what I’m saying is that just because the 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction costs less than the 3D procedure does not mean it is less effective.

To explain the difference between the two procedures:

The 3D three-dimensional zygoma reduction is a procedure in which the zygoma is fully cut, the bone fragment from the developed area is removed, and then the zygomatic bone is repositioned.

And the 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction is a method of grinding down the bone without removing a bone fragment. After smoothing the 45-degree zygoma area, the side zygoma is pushed inward.

The 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction can produce an effect equivalent to more than 80% of the 3D zygoma reduction through the shaving process. But this does not mean that the 230-degree zygoma surgery is 20% less effective than the 3D zygoma surgery.

I’ll explain with an example to make it easier to understand.

When you go to an outdoor store like The North Face to buy a winter jacket, you can see that prices differ even within the same brand. Compared with a basic down jacket, professional-grade functional padded jackets can easily exceed 1 million or 2 million won..

In this case, if we only look at functionality, the professional-grade padded jacket will likely have better insulation. That’s because these products are designed for use in regions where temperatures drop below -20 or -30 degrees Celsius.

But if there is a product with a more reasonable price that still provides sufficient warmth, then it is worth considering. If you are not planning to climb the Himalayas and only need something to get through winter in Korea, you can’t necessarily say the more expensive professional-grade jacket is always better. It’s heavier too. ^^

The same applies to zygoma reduction surgery. If the zygomatic bone has developed excessively beyond a certain level, there are limits to what can be achieved by grinding alone. If the amount that needs to be reduced is large, the bone fragment must be removed and repositioned.

However, if that is not the case, the 230-degree zygoma reduction can achieve the same effect as the 3D zygoma reduction, which means it is better to undergo the 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction at a more reasonable cost.

I’ll show you with photos.

This is a photo of a patient who underwent the 3D three-dimensional zygoma reduction three months ago. From the front, the side zygoma appears unevenly developed.

From the side, you can see that the 45-degree zygoma is also significantly developed.

Because the patient’s zygoma was highly developed, the 45-degree zygomatic bone was removed and 3D zygoma reduction was performed. From the front, you can see that the side zygoma has been reduced.

From the side, you can see that the 45-degree zygoma has also been smoothly reduced.

I’ll show you one more patient.

This is a photo of a patient who underwent 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction four months ago.

As you can see, this patient also has a developed 45-degree zygoma, but it is at a level where shaving alone, without bone resection, can produce results.

From the front, the side zygoma has moved inward, reducing the wide appearance.

This is the side photo. You can see that the 45-degree zygoma has been smoothly reduced with only the shaving process of the 230-degree zygoma reduction, without bone resection.

As you can see, the reason the 230-degree three-dimensional zygoma reduction is less expensive than the 3D three-dimensional zygoma reduction is simply because the surgical method is less complex. Unless the zygomatic bone is developed far beyond the average, I would say the 230-degree zygoma reduction is sufficient to solve the problem. ^^

Thank you for reading this long post.