Sung Jae Ahn, MD
Plastic surgeon focused on facial bone contouring.
I am Sung Jae Ahn, a board-certified plastic surgeon and director of DL Plastic Surgery in Seoul.
I graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine and completed my plastic surgery residency at Severance Hospital in Seoul. My interest in the facial skeleton began during residency, where I trained extensively in craniofacial surgery, including orthognathic surgery, under Professor Dae Hyun Lew and Professor Yong Oock Kim.
After residency, I learned the practical know-how of facial bone surgery from Dr. Sang Hoon Park and many senior surgeons at ID Hospital, where I later served as director of the Facial Bone Center.
At DL Plastic Surgery, I have learned a great deal from Dr. Jinwook Jeong — above all, a deeper and more refined approach to facial contouring surgery. He taught me to look beyond the bone itself: to plan each operation with the overlying soft tissue in mind, and to account for facial asymmetry from the start, so that the result is not simply a smaller face but a balanced and natural one. Just as importantly, I learned that good surgery does not end with precise bone work — it continues through recovery, and I now look after each patient’s healing process with far greater care. I have also learned much of what I know about rhinoplasty from him. Building on his teaching, I continue to develop more delicate and precise facial bone surgery.
Why facial bone surgery
The desire for a face that is small, three-dimensional, and balanced is nothing new. Softer cheekbones, a slim but natural jawline, a chin that flows smoothly into the rest of the face — these preferences are less a passing trend than a long-standing aesthetic instinct.
In an age of photos and video, interest in overall facial balance has grown even further. Many Koreans have relatively prominent cheekbones or square jaws, so even with a small head, the face can look wide on camera. Some people avoid photos altogether or rely on hairstyles to cover it.
Advances in 3D CT–based skeletal analysis, AI-assisted facial assessment, and refined surgical techniques have made contouring surgery safer and more precise than ever. Facial bone surgery can still feel intimidating, but when it is properly understood and carefully planned, it is a safe and effective operation.
On this blog, I want to share what is hard to cover in a short consultation — which surgery suits which face, how the operations are actually done, and what matters most in the operating room — explained at the patient’s eye level.
Career
- Director, DL Plastic Surgery, Seoul
- Former Director, Facial Bone Center, ID Hospital
- M.D., Yonsei University College of Medicine
- Residency and board certification in plastic surgery, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Severance Hospital
- Visiting training, Georgetown University Hospital, USA
- Visiting training, UChicago Medicine, USA
Memberships
- Regular member, Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
- Regular member, Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
Publications
- Ahn SJ, Lee KM, Lee J, Park S. Strategic Approach for Effective Reduction Malarplasty: Depending on Malar Protrusion Type. J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Mar 10. Epub ahead of print. doi:10.1097/SCS.0000000000011781
- Ahn SJ, Lee KM, Lee J, Park S. Quantitative Analysis of Lower Facial Feminization: Cephalometric and AI-Based Evaluation of Surgical Outcomes in Transgender Patients. J Craniofac Surg. 2026;37(3-4):586-590. doi:10.1097/SCS.0000000000011809
Contributing author, Facial Bone Contouring Surgery (textbook), 2nd edition
