Skin & Aesthetics · Jawline contouring
V-Line Thread Lift in Seoul for a Defined Jawline
A V-line thread lift is a thread lift focused on the lower face: absorbable barbed or coned threads are placed along the cheeks and jaw to lift early jowls and sagging tissue, creating a cleaner jawline that tapers toward the chin. At Hommage Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, it is planned with MINT or Silhouette Soft threads and reviewed by Dr. Kim Hyunbin.
Quick answer
A V-line thread lift is a lower-face thread lift: absorbable barbed or coned threads lift early jowls and sagging tissue along the jaw so the face tapers more cleanly toward the chin. At Hommage Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, it takes about 30–60 minutes under local anesthesia with MINT or Silhouette Soft threads, and the plan is reviewed by Dr. Kim Hyunbin. Swelling usually eases in 1–2 weeks and results typically last about a year (6–18 months). It cannot slim muscle or bone.
Key takeaways
- First find the cause of width: sagging tissue, a large chewing muscle, fat, chin shape or bone.
- Threads only treat sagging tissue; Botox, fat-reducing injections or chin filler treat the other causes.
- Eat soft food and avoid wide mouth opening for the first 2–4 weeks.
- Evidence on how long thread lifts last is limited, and the lift softens gradually.
- International patients should plan about a week in Seoul.
Infographic
V-line thread lift in numbers
Treatment time
Local anesthesia; home the same day.
Swelling & bruising
Usually settle in one to two weeks.
Soft food
Avoid hard chewing and wide mouth opening.
Final shape
Lift settles as swelling resolves.
Typical duration
About a year for most people.
Stay in Seoul
For a check before flying home.
V-line thread lift at a glance
| Key fact | Details |
|---|---|
| What it targets | Early jowls, a blurred jawline and sagging tissue along the lower cheeks and chin |
| Treatment time | Typically 30–60 minutes under local anesthesia |
| Downtime | Swelling, tightness and possible bruising, usually easing within 1–2 weeks |
| Results visible | Jawline lift is visible at once and settles over 2–4 weeks |
| How long results last | Typically about 1 year, ranging from 6 to 18 months |
| Often combined with | Jawline Botox, fat-dissolving injections, HIFU or chin filler |
| Performed by | A Hommage Clinic physician; treatment plan reviewed by Dr. Kim Hyunbin |
A V-line thread lift may suit you if you have
- Early jowls or a jawline that has started to look less sharp
- Soft-tissue sagging that makes the lower face look wider or heavier
- Good skin thickness and want visible lift without incisions
- A lower face that did not change enough with energy devices alone
Choose another option first if
- Your width comes mainly from a large chewing muscle (Botox suits this better)
- Your width comes mainly from bone, which threads cannot change
- You are pregnant, breastfeeding or have an active skin infection
- You take blood thinners or have a bleeding or keloid tendency (discuss first)
What is a V-line thread lift?
A V-line thread lift uses absorbable lifting threads to reposition the soft tissue of the lower face. Threads are inserted through small entry points near the hairline or in front of the ear, then run toward the jowl and jawline. Their barbs or cones grip the tissue so it can be drawn up and back, which sharpens the jaw line and reduces the heaviness at the jowls.
As the threads dissolve over the following months, new collagen forms along their paths. This helps support the lifted tissue after the threads have been absorbed. The procedure is the same technique described on our main thread lifting page, with the placement and direction designed specifically for the jaw and chin.
Is a V-line thread lift right for your face shape?
A V-line thread lift helps when sagging soft tissue is the reason your lower face looks wider. It cannot change bone or muscle, so the first step is to find out what is creating the width.
- Sagging tissue and early jowls: threads are a good match, often with skin-firming energy treatment.
- A large masseter (chewing) muscle: a square lower face from muscle bulk responds to jawline Botox , which slims the muscle over several weeks.
- Fat under the chin or along the jaw: local fat responds better to fat-dissolving injections or other fat-reducing options.
- A short or recessed chin: a V-line often depends on chin projection, which chin filler can add.
- Wide jaw or cheekbones from bone: only surgery changes bone; non-surgical options can soften the look but not the structure.
Many faces have more than one cause, which is why a V-line plan often combines two or three treatments.
What happens during the procedure?
The procedure is done in the clinic under local anesthesia and typically takes 30–60 minutes. You go home the same day.
- Design: with you sitting upright, the doctor marks the jawline, jowls and the planned lifting vectors on both sides, checking for natural asymmetry.
- Numbing: numbing cream is applied, then local anesthetic is injected at entry points and along the thread paths.
- Threads: threads are placed with a needle or cannula and the tissue is lifted gently, side by side, to keep the result balanced. You feel pressure and pulling rather than sharp pain.
- Finish: symmetry is checked, thread ends are trimmed and cold packs are applied.
How long does a V-line thread lift last?
A V-line thread lift typically lasts about a year, with a range of roughly 6–18 months. PDO threads such as MINT usually absorb within about 6–8 months, while PLLA-based Silhouette Soft threads absorb more slowly. The lower face moves a lot when you talk and chew, so results here can soften a little faster than in the mid-face.
The lift is visible straight away, but the first 2–4 weeks include swelling and some relaxation of the initial tension. The final shape is usually clear after about a month. Combining threads with skin tightening such as HIFU can help maintain the result.
Aftercare for about 2–4 weeks: avoid opening your mouth very wide, chewing hard or tough foods, facial massage and dental treatment. Sleep on your back for the first few nights, and avoid saunas, alcohol and strenuous exercise for about a week.
Risks and possible side effects
Common, temporary effects include swelling, bruising, tenderness when chewing or yawning, a tight feeling along the jaw and small dimples near the entry points. These usually settle within 1–2 weeks.
Less common complications include asymmetry, visible or palpable threads, a thread end coming through the skin, infection, temporary numbness, and, rarely, irritation of a nerve branch or the parotid (salivary) gland near the angle of the jaw. Over-tightening can cause puckering. Most problems can be improved by adjusting or removing a thread.
Contact the clinic if you notice increasing pain or swelling after the third day, redness, warmth or discharge, fever, a thread you can feel poking through, or asymmetry that has not improved after two weeks.
Building a V-line plan at Hommage Clinic
Hommage Clinic is a women's health and skin clinic in Gangnam, a short walk from Sinnonhyeon Station, and welcomes walk-ins during opening hours. The clinic uses MINT PDO and Silhouette Soft threads for lower-face lifting, and also offers Ulthera Prime, Thermage FLX, Tune Face, botulinum toxin and contouring injections. That range means the plan can match the actual cause of width rather than defaulting to threads.
For an overview of how these treatments combine, see our guide toKorean small face treatment, or browse allskin and aesthetic treatments.
Cost depends on the thread type, the number of threads and any combined treatments. Cosmetic procedures are not covered by Korea's National Health Insurance. You receive a written quote before treatment, and you canbook a consultationto get one.
Face shape
What makes a lower face look wide? Five causes, five treatments
The V-line look that many people ask for in Seoul, a jaw that tapers smoothly to a defined chin, can be blurred by quite different things. Sagging soft tissue and early jowls respond to threads. A bulky masseter (chewing) muscle responds to jawline Botox. Fat under the chin or along the jaw responds to double chin reduction or fat-dissolving injections. A short chin can be balanced with chin filler. Bone width can only be changed surgically.
That is why a V-line consultation at Hommage Women's Clinic starts with feeling the jaw muscle as you clench, looking at the jaw from the side and from below, and pinching the soft tissue, before any treatment is suggested.
Technique
Where the threads go in a V-line thread lift
In a V-line thread lift the threads usually enter through a few tiny points near the hairline or in front of the ear, then run forward and down toward the jowl and the edge of the jaw. Once the barbs or cones catch the tissue, it is drawn up and back toward the entry point. The direction of each thread is called a vector, and planning these vectors on both sides, with you sitting upright, is what makes the result look natural and even.
The angle of the jaw sits close to the parotid (salivary) gland and branches of the facial nerve, so threads in this area are placed at a planned depth in the soft tissue. This is one reason a V-line thread lift should be done by a physician who knows facial anatomy, and why rare problems such as nerve or gland irritation are discussed before treatment.
Hommage · Gangnam
Hommage Women's Clinic · Gangnam, Seoul
The jaw is assessed from the side and front before thread vectors are planned. Illustrative photo.
Hommage · Gangnam
Hommage Women's Clinic · Gangnam, Seoul
A V-line plan starts by checking muscle, fat, soft tissue and chin shape. Illustrative photo.
Compare
V-line thread lift vs jaw Botox vs chin filler
These three are the most common non-surgical V-line treatments in Korea, and they are often combined rather than chosen between. Each works on a different layer, so the speed of results and the downtime differ too. For skin tightening along the jaw without needles, see jawline tightening RF.
V-line thread lift
- Lifts early jowls and sagging tissue
- Visible at once, settles in 2–4 weeks
- 1–2 weeks of swelling or bruising
- About 6–18 months
Jaw Botox
- Slims a bulky masseter muscle
- Change builds over several weeks
- Little or no downtime
- Repeated to maintain
Chin filler
- Adds projection to a short chin
- Visible at once
- Mild swelling for a few days
- Lasts months, varies by product
Healing
V-line thread lift recovery: eating, talking and sleeping
The jaw moves every time you eat, talk or yawn, so recovery after a V-line thread lift is mostly about protecting the threads while the barbs settle. Tightness and soreness when chewing are normal for several days. Soft food, small bites and avoiding wide yawns help, and so does sleeping on your back for the first few nights so the face is not pressed into a pillow.
Aftercare
V-line thread lift aftercare: do's and don'ts
You receive written aftercare before leaving the clinic, and you can message photos if something looks uneven. These are the points that matter most for the lower face.
Do
- Choose soft foods such as porridge, soup, eggs and tofu at first
- Take small bites and chew on both sides gently
- Sleep on your back for the first few nights
- Use wrapped cold packs briefly on day one
- Send photos if one side looks different after two weeks
Don't (about 2–4 weeks)
- Eat very hard or chewy food, or bite into large items
- Open your mouth very wide or yawn fully
- Book dental treatment
- Massage the jaw, use face rollers or tight face masks
- Use saunas, drink alcohol or exercise hard in the first week
Hommage · Gangnam
Hommage Women's Clinic · Gangnam, Seoul
Soft foods such as Korean juk (porridge) are easy on the jaw in the first days. Illustrative photo.
Evidence
Is a V-line thread lift safe? What the research says
There are few studies of thread lifts aimed specifically at the jawline, so the best evidence comes from reviews of facial thread lifting in general. The largest, a 2021 meta-analysis of 26 studies, found that most complications were minor and temporary. Its results also support two choices that matter for the lower face: absorbable threads had lower rates of thread extrusion and altered sensation than non-absorbable threads, and dimpling was more common in patients over 50, whose skin is often thinner.
How long the lift lasts is less certain. A 2018 systematic review found only 12 relevant studies, most showing limited durability, so results are described here as temporary rather than with a fixed duration.
Thread extrusion
Absorbable vs non-absorbable threads.
Niu et al., Aesthetic Plast Surg, 2021Altered sensation
Paresthesia with absorbable vs non-absorbable threads.
Niu et al., 2021Dimpling by age
Patients over 50 vs younger patients.
Niu et al., 2021Satisfaction
Immediately after vs longer-term follow-up.
Niu et al., 2021Traveling to Seoul
V-line thread lift in Seoul for international patients
Many visitors combine a V-line thread lift with jaw Botox or chin filler in the same trip. Because the combination depends on what is shaping your jaw, it helps to send photos first so the plan can be discussed before you arrive. Hommage Women's Clinic is in Gangnam, a short walk from Sinnonhyeon Station.
- Send front, side and below-the-chin photos by WhatsApp, KakaoTalk or the contact form, with your preferred dates; ask for language support if you need it.
- List your medicines and supplements, and any earlier threads, filler or jaw surgery.
- Bring your passport for registration.
- Plan about 7 days in Seoul for swelling to settle and a check-up before you fly, and book any dental appointment at home for a few weeks later.
After you fly home, keep to soft food and the aftercare guide for the full 2–4 weeks, and send photos if anything worries you. For redness, warmth, discharge or fever, see a local doctor promptly.
Hommage · Seoul
Hommage Women's Clinic · Gangnam, Seoul
Seoul: plan about a week so swelling can settle before you fly. Illustrative photo.
Hommage · Gangnam
Hommage Women's Clinic · Gangnam, Seoul
You receive a written plan and quote before deciding. Illustrative photo.
Choosing well
How to choose a V-line clinic in Seoul
V-line packages are heavily advertised in Gangnam. Use these questions at any consultation, including ours:
- Did they find the cause of the width? A good assessment separates tissue, muscle, fat, chin and bone before suggesting threads.
- Is a physician placing the threads? The jaw angle is near the parotid gland and facial nerve branches.
- Which threads, and how many per side? Ask for the product name and why that number suits you.
- Are the threads absorbable? Absorbable threads had fewer extrusions in a large review.
- What happens if one side looks different? Ask how follow-up, adjustment or removal is handled.
- Is the package really what you need? Bundles of threads, Botox and filler are not right for every face.
What affects V-line thread lift cost?
Cost depends on the thread type, the number of threads per side, and whether threads are combined with jaw Botox, chin filler, fat-reducing injections or HIFU. Cosmetic procedures are not covered by Korea's National Health Insurance, and you receive a written quote at consultation before you decide.
Your visit
What to expect at your V-line consultation and treatment
01
Face analysis
The doctor checks whether width comes from sagging tissue, muscle, fat or bone, and reviews your medications.
02
Design and numbing
Jawline and vectors are marked while you sit upright, then local anesthesia is applied.
03
Thread placement
Threads are placed on both sides and the tissue lifted evenly, typically in 30–60 minutes.
04
Recovery and review
Cold packs and written aftercare, then a follow-up to check symmetry once swelling settles.
Your doctor
Dr. Kim Hyunbin
Associate Director · Skin & Aesthetic Treatments
Dr. Kim starts a V-line plan by identifying what is actually widening the lower face, because threads only help when sagging tissue is the cause. When muscle, fat or chin shape also play a part, Dr. Kim explains how threads can be combined with other treatments or replaced by them.
Associate director dedicated to skin and aesthetic procedures, with extensive experience in lifting, botulinum toxin, fillers and laser treatments.
V-line thread lift: frequently asked questions
Will a V-line thread lift make my face smaller?
A V-line thread lift makes the lower face look slimmer by lifting sagging tissue and sharpening the jawline, but it does not reduce bone or muscle. If your width comes from a large chewing muscle, jawline Botox is usually more effective, and the two are often combined.
How long does a V-line thread lift last?
Results typically last about a year, within a range of 6–18 months. The thread type, number of threads, skin thickness and how much the jaw moves all affect longevity. Collagen formed along the thread paths helps support the lift after the threads dissolve.
Does a V-line thread lift hurt?
The procedure is done under local anesthesia, so you mainly feel pressure and pulling. The anesthetic injections sting briefly. Afterward, the jaw can feel tight and sore when chewing or yawning for several days, which usually responds to acetaminophen.
Can I combine threads with jawline Botox?
Yes, and this is a common combination. Botox slims a bulky masseter muscle over several weeks, while threads lift the soft tissue along the jaw. The doctor will advise on timing, which is often the same visit or a few weeks apart.
When can I eat normally after a V-line thread lift?
Soft foods are recommended for the first several days, and very hard or chewy foods should be avoided for about 2–4 weeks. Wide mouth opening can loosen threads early on, so take small bites and postpone dental appointments for a few weeks.
Can foreigners get a V-line thread lift in Seoul?
Yes. International patients can have a V-line thread lift at Hommage Clinic; bring your passport for registration. Plan to stay in Seoul for about a week afterward for swelling to settle and a follow-up check. Contact us before your visit to arrange language support.
How do I know if my wide jaw is muscle, fat or sagging?
The doctor checks this at consultation. A masseter muscle that bulges and hardens when you clench points to muscle; soft fullness under the chin that you can pinch points to fat; tissue that sits lower than it used to, forming early jowls, points to sagging. Many faces have a mix, which is why V-line plans often combine treatments.
Is a V-line thread lift the same as V-line surgery?
No. V-line surgery reshapes the jaw and chin bones under general anesthesia and is a major operation. A V-line thread lift only repositions soft tissue under local anesthesia, has a much shorter recovery and gives a smaller, temporary change.
What are the risks near the jaw?
Common effects are swelling, bruising, tightness and small dimples near entry points. Less often there may be asymmetry, a palpable or visible thread, infection or temporary numbness. Rarely, threads near the jaw angle irritate a nerve branch or the parotid salivary gland. Most problems improve with time or by adjusting or removing a thread.
Can I get chin filler at the same time as a V-line thread lift?
Often yes. Threads lift the jaw edge while chin filler adds projection to the chin, and together they can make the V shape clearer. The doctor decides whether to do both on one day or to stage them.
When will I see the final V-line result?
The jaw looks lifted straight away, but swelling and some relaxation of the initial tension mean the final shape is clearer after about a month. The lift then softens gradually as the threads dissolve over the following months.
How much does a V-line thread lift cost in Korea?
Cost depends on the thread type, the number of threads per side and any combined treatments such as jaw Botox or chin filler. Cosmetic procedures are not covered by Korea's National Health Insurance. You receive a written quote at consultation before you decide.
Who should not have a V-line thread lift?
It is usually postponed during pregnancy or breastfeeding and with an active skin infection. Tell the doctor about blood thinners, bleeding or keloid tendencies, and autoimmune conditions. If your width comes mainly from muscle or bone, other treatments are more suitable.
References
Sources used for this page, reviewed by Dr. Kim Hyunbin, Hommage Clinic. Read our editorial and medical review policy.
- Niu Z, Zhang K, Yao W, et al. A meta-analysis and systematic review of the incidences of complications following facial thread-lifting. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2021;45(5):2148–2158. DOI
- Invited discussion on: A meta-analysis and systematic review of the incidences of complications following facial thread-lifting. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2021. PMC
- Van der Lei B and colleagues (University Medical Center Groningen). Thread-lift sutures: still in the lift? A systematic review of the literature. Plast Reconstr Surg. March 2018.
- Facial thread lifting complications. PMC
This page is general information and does not replace a personal consultation. Illustrations are original works of Hommage Women's Clinic, Gangnam, Seoul; photos marked illustrative are not of patients.
Related jawline and contouring treatments
Thread Lifting
How absorbable threads lift the face, thread types and what recovery involves.
Jawline Botox
Botulinum toxin to slim a bulky masseter muscle for a softer, narrower jaw.
Chin Filler
Hyaluronic acid filler to add chin projection that completes a V-line profile.
Jawline Tightening RF
Radiofrequency skin tightening for a firmer jaw edge without needles.
Double Chin Reduction
Options to reduce fat and loose skin under the chin and jaw.
Korean Small Face Treatment
How lifting, Botox and contouring injections combine for a slimmer face.
Find out what is shaping your jawline
Book a V-line consultation in Gangnam. We check whether tissue, muscle, fat or chin shape is the cause before recommending threads or alternatives.
Hommage Clinic · 4F, Building A, 509 Gangnam-daero, Seoul (near Sinnonhyeon Station) · Mon & Fri 10:00–20:00 · Tue–Thu 10:00–19:00 · Sat 10:00–15:00