I'm in my 20s. Should I be getting lifting now?
“All my friends are getting lifting. Should I too?” People in their 20s ask this carefully in the consultation room. My answer is usually “Not yet.” Here's why, along with what actually helps in your 20s.
The short answer
If you're in your 20s and there's no visible sagging, you usually don't need lifting. The people in lifting studies were on average in their 40s and 50s, and I couldn't find long-term trials showing that lifting in your 20s means less sagging later. Concerns in your 20s are largely texture, pores and shine, or a square jaw, so skin Botox + Rejuran or jaw Botox fit those concerns better. If your jawline has blurred after losing weight, or sagging is actually visible, you can start lightly with radiofrequency lifting. At Miso Clinic in Daegu, I look at the changes in your face right now, not at your age.
Why don't people in their 20s usually need lifting?
Lifting is treatment that tightens or raises what has sagged. On a face with no sagging yet, there isn't much for it to do. In a review of 16 ultrasound lifting studies, the included studies had average ages of 44–52, and in a study predicting response to radiofrequency, what decided the result wasn't age but how lax the tissue was.
It's true that changes inside the skin start little by little from your late 20s. Even so, there's practically no clinical data that turns that into “you should have lifting devices in your 20s.” So I don't bring up lifting first with people in their 20s who show no sagging.
→ Read more: How lifting differs in your 30s, 40s and 50s
So what do people in their 20s look at first?
| Concern | Type of treatment that fits | Combination at Miso Clinic | What to expect, and the limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pores, shine and fine texture | Skin Botox | skin Botox, + Rejuran if texture is also a concern | Many people feel a change from 1–2 weeks, and it fades at about 3–4 months |
| Rough texture, makeup that lifts | Skin booster | Rejuran | Texture and firmness. Volume does not change |
| Square jaw, wide lower face | Jaw Botox | Botox | It shows as the bulk goes down, so we judge at months 2–3 |
| Expression lines starting to stay | Botox for the area | Botox | Cannot lift sagging |
| Jawline blurred after losing weight | Radiofrequency lifting (lightly) | Density · XERF | Change comes over 2–3 months. Cannot fill hollows |
The point of this column is that lifting takes up just one row of the table. The concerns I hear about in people's 20s are largely matched to their cause by muscle injections or skin boosters.
→ Read more: Choosing a skin booster
Who I suggest each combination for
- Pores and shine, plus texture → skin Botox + Rejuran, with the areas split
- A square jaw that makes your face look wide → start with jaw Botox, at intervals of 3 months or more
- A blurred jawline after a diet → once your weight has stopped, radiofrequency lifting alone, lightly
- No particular concern, you just want to look after your skin → sun protection, moisturising and skin barrier care rather than treatment
That last line isn't just talk. In a randomised trial that followed 903 people for 4.5 years, the group who applied sunscreen every day had 24% less progression of photoaging. Among the things you can do in your 20s, it's one with solid evidence. Prescription topical retinoids also have evidence for fine lines, but they aren't used during pregnancy.
→ Read more: Density and XERF: what age to start?
Is there anything bad about starting early in your 20s?
- Putting volume in ahead of time where nothing has hollowed. It can look heavy later.
- Removing a lot of cheek fat early. Deep fat shrinks with age, so the face can look hollow later.
- A thread lift on a face with no sagging. I don't suggest it.
- Repeating strong lifting at short intervals. I couldn't find long-term trials showing that starting early slowed ageing.
Once the word “preventive” gets attached, more can easily start to seem better. I think starting when a change has actually appeared, and matching treatment to it, is better for your face and your schedule.
→ Read more: Before your treatment
When I look at things differently
- If you naturally have sagging tissue below the jawline, or clear laxity after a large weight loss, we discuss lifting even in your 20s. I look at the face, not the age.
- If you have metal or electronic implants, are pregnant, or have inflamed skin, I don't do radiofrequency that day.
- We don't offer dedicated focused ultrasound devices such as Ulthera or Shurink, or Thermage, Onda or InMode. Oligio Kiss has a focused ultrasound function built in.
- When acne has flared badly, acne care comes before injection treatments.
A treatment that worked well for a friend won't necessarily suit your face. Even in the same decade, a different concern means a different answer.
→ Read more: Which skin booster is right for me?
How does the consultation work, and how do I book?
On a first visit we take photos from the front, at 45 degrees and from the side, and together we pick the one concern that bothers you most. I'll ask about any medications you take, any metal or electronic implants in your face, and whether you might be pregnant, and then I split things into what we can do today and what can wait for later. It's completely fine to come in just for a consultation and go home.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Booking | Naver booking · KakaoTalk chat · Phone +82-53-428-2700 |
| Location | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station, Line 3) |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 · Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays |
Lifting in your 20s FAQ
Is lifting in my 20s too early?
Without sagging, you usually don't need it. If texture and pores are the concern, skin Botox or a skin booster comes first.
If I get lifting early in my 20s, will I age less?
There's evidence for that with sun protection, but I couldn't find long-term trials showing that lifting early slowed ageing.
I'm in my late 20s and my jawline has blurred.
First we look at whether your weight has changed, and whether it's hollowing or sagging. If sagging is visible, you can start lightly with radiofrequency lifting.
What about a thread lift in my 20s?
I don't suggest it on a face without sagging. Threads are a tool for moving sagging tissue, so if there's nothing to move, there's nothing for them to do.
What should I do first in my 20s?
Apply sunscreen every day. In a randomised trial of 903 people over 4.5 years, photoaging progressed 24% less.
Where can I get a treatment in your 20s consultation in Daegu?
At Miso Clinic in Daegu (4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital Station). You can book through Naver booking, KakaoTalk or by phone at +82-53-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Related care: Botox · skin Botox · Rejuran · Density · XERF
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Age in lifting studies — Miso Clinic column lifting-by-age: in a review of 16 ultrasound lifting studies, the included studies had average ages of about 44–52; in a study predicting response to radiofrequency (25 people), the average age was 52.3, and the factor that predicted response was how lax the tissue was, not age.
- Daily sunscreen and skin ageing — Hughes MCB et al. Ann Intern Med 2013;158(11):781-90. PMID 23732711. Randomised trial, 903 people, 4.5 years: 24% less photoaging in the daily sunscreen group.
- Prescription topical retinoid and fine lines — Griffiths CE et al. Arch Dermatol 1995;131(9):1037-44. PMID 7544967. 99 people, 48 weeks.
- Cochrane review of botulinum toxin — Camargo CP et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021;7:CD011301. PMID 34224576. 65 studies, 14,919 people.
- Evidence on PN and PDRN — Miso Clinic column pn-pdrn-difference: the same substance (purified DNA fragments from salmonid fish) with different chain lengths (PDRN short, PN long); I could not find a human trial comparing the two directly; a systematic review of 9 studies and 219 people rated the evidence low to moderate; the main trial had 27 people.
- Human studies of radiofrequency lifting — Density: Oku 2025 (16 people, 24 weeks); XERF: Hwang 2025 (20 people), Weiss 2026 (39 people), Erlich 2026 (16 people); none had a control group. I could not find a clinical trial of the Oligio Kiss device itself.
- When results show — Miso Clinic column when-results-show: at day 90, 92% of doctors versus 42% of patients. In biopsies after collagen-stimulating products, no new collagen at 2 weeks, type III at 2 months, type I at 3–4 months.
- Korean medical advertising law — Korean Medical Service Act Article 56(2) (no treatment testimonials, no comparisons with other clinics, no superlatives). This is why this column carries no prices, reviews or before-and-after photos.
- Miso Clinic treatment policy — What we have: Density Noir (ALPHA · BOOST tips), XERF, Oligio Kiss; Lituo (Re2O), CellReDM, Reallo; Rejuran; the full Juvelook lineup; Gouri; Everwrinkle and Everwrinkle V; Radiesse; Byryzn; D-Classy; hyaluronic acid filler; Botox (all areas, skin Botox); ligament injection; dissolving threads. What we do not offer: Onda, Thermage, InMode, Ulthera, Shurink, liposuction. Hollow cheeks get dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler first, sagging gets lifting first; no radiofrequency that day with metal or electronic implants in the face, pregnancy or skin inflammation; threads are the dissolving kind, used conservatively over age 50; we decide by the change that bothers you, not by age; results are judged after 2–3 months with photos taken under the same conditions.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.