Michael Byun, MD

Master of the Vampire Lift!!! I read a lot about it before deciding to undergo this procedure and found that Dr. Byun actually invented this procedure over 10 years ago. Who better to do the procedure than the founder? Well during the consult Dr. Byun explained that not everyone needs the lift in the same area which makes the procedure specialized to the individual’s need. But here is the bonus… He mixes the lift with fillers to actually give you that filled look with the lift. The procedure took about 45 minutes and the results was immediate! Yes there was swelling and brushing but within hours the swelling went down and couple days the minor bruising went away. My face has never looked better. The skin is so plump and tight and my neck is lifted and smooth. I just turned 50 and was starting to get concerned but now I look 20 years younger and feel just as young. What surprised me the most was how instant the result was and how fast the recovery time was as well. I am not going to lie, there is pain but it’s not unbearable and Dr. byun talks you through it explaining and answering any questions. What’s nice about it is you use your own blood platelets so your body is not absorbing some foreign substance. I don’t understand why more people would not opt to get this procedure done before considering the face lift. It’s almost like a «refresh» your face procedure that can be done in less than an hour and you walk away looking so much younger. No amount of expensive creams and facials can give you this kind of result and so fast! My advice though is do NOT shop around for cheaper deals and imitators. Go to the master and the founder of the Vampire Lift himself and not put your face in the hands of the unknown unqualified doctors. This is a safe procedure and I recommend it highly but only if you go to Dr. Byun. Thank you Dr. Byun. You truly are the best plastic surgeon!

Over the course of 15 years or so I have had about 5 procedures with Dr Byun. The most recent was an upper Bleph. He was very explicit on what I should and shouldn’t not do to achieve the best results. I am an operating room nurse and do understand the healing process of the body a bit more than the average person. He gives patients instruction on not looking up with upper eye lid surgery, for example, because he just placed sutures and he doesn’t want the work or sutures disrupted. Also you do not want to overwork the muscle that he is trying to lift up to give you that more awake look. The instructions that he gives are important and should not be taken lightly. He wants you, the patient, to have the best results. As I’m sure any patient wants. I’m only a week out and so far so good. I’m still swollen but that’s expected. I’m excited for the end result holds.
I’m patient and will listen to and obey his instructions like a good patient should. Results do not happen over night.
He has always made me feel important and conscious of what my desires are. I wouldn’t have anyone do any face work on my but him.
I trust him totally and when that time comes, I will get a facelift.

I would like to start by saying that this is a completely honest review and I am writing this to help anybody that is seriously considering having a face lift or any other kind of plastic surgery. I am going to be 58 years old this year. After 20 years of law enforcement, raising five children and experiencing many stressful events, it all took a toll on my face. The last straw was when I was walking in the mall and happened to see a reflection of myself in one of the store windows. It took me a minute to accept the fact that the old women staring back at me was actually me! I still felt young on the inside but my face reflected a woman who looked old and tired. I then made the decision that I was going to do everything in my power to make the outside of my body reflect what I was feeling on the inside. After much research I chose Dr. Byun to do my face lift. The results are truly amazing! Plastic surgery is not for everyone but if you decide that it is for you then you owe it to yourself to have Dr. Byun as your doctor. I am going to be honest, you will experience a little discomfort, look terrible right after, and although rare, some people may experience minor complications. I experienced watery eyes for quite a while but I followed Dr. Byun’s instructions and my watery eyes disappeared. You have to remember that having a face lift is major surgery and all our bodies heal differently. Most importantly, you can not judge the success of your surgery until literally at least 7 – 12 months after you have had it. You may think that after a couple of months you don’t see any more swelling but there is still some swelling and like I said, it takes anywhere from 7 – 12 months for your face to really evolve into the final product which is a face that no longer looks old and tired but beautiful, young and vibrant. Dr. Byun is more than a plastic surgeon, he is truly an artist!!!

First, I just want to say what an amazing, kind hearted, SKILLED surgeon Dr. Byun is! I had a septorhinoplasty performed by Dr. Byun 2 ½ months ago and the results are amazing! Not only did he fix my breathing issue but he gave me a smaller, straighter nose! He informed me every step of the way of what he was going to do and NEVER displayed «diva like attitude «.
I will proudly post my photos but I just had to defend my surgeon. I plan on going back to him for other surgeries because I trust him and have experienced first hand his incredible talent. I am 2 ½ months post op and I’m still healing! For that one reviewer to post her photos while she is still healing from her facelift is very misleading and deceptive.
I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Byun to everyone I talk to. I am in the medical field and I feel that I know the difference between an inept surgeon from a skilled surgeon. Dr. Byun truly is a wonderful surgeon with great bed side manner. 5 stars all the way!

Review of Michael Byun, MD
First of all, don’t be taken in by the hype that Dr. Byun is «Chicago’s Best Plastic Surgeon». It is Dr. Byun who has attached that moniker to him self and not one that has been bestowed upon him by his peers or anyone else. From the first consult he promotes himself as being in a league unto himself but he is, in reality, a mediocre surgeon at best.
I recently had a facelift performed by him at considerable expense, particularly for a working woman, paying completely out of pocket. The recovery was very difficult and I reached out a couple of times for support from Dr. Byun. His responses to me were not only abrupt and uncaring but downright shaming and insensitive. It is as if he were blaming me for the difficult time I was having. My eyes were so sensitive to light I could barely stand it. I sent him a photo I had taken of the gaps in my lower eyelids. He scolded me for «looking downward» in the photo, as if I were ruining his work. Crazy.

Here’s how the conversation went:
Hi Dr. Byun,
This is a photo of the way my lower lids are puckering. This causes extreme
dryness and irritation. When will it get better and why has it been like
this for over 6 weeks now? Thanks, Katelyn
From: Michael Byun
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2014 3:37 PM
To: Consult
Subject: Re: Katelyn’s lower lids
I told you many time;
Do not pull lower lids.
Do not stare up,
Stop posing the lids from pulling down; you are making it worse.
Continue with squinting exercise every hour and lift up the lower lids using
your finger tips.
This is not a suggestion, this is a doctors order
Dr Byun
Nice, compassionate, huh.
After a few months of healing I could see that the results were very disappointing. One eyebrow was higher than the other, my cheekbones were not lifted at all and my nasal labial lines were still there. When I went in to see Dr. Byun he agreed with me but, again, tried to shift the blame onto me. I could see that he wasn’t used to being confronted as he babbled on and on trying to somehow rationalize what he had done and seeming perplexed as to how he might fix it. He accused me of being hostile.
I told him I was very unsatisfied with the results and that I wanted him to re-​do what he hadn’t accomplished. I explained that I spent a lot of money and he actually raised his hand to stop me from mentioning money, saying my money was gone and to forget it. Perhaps he can make a small fortune in a few hours of his time but I, in fact, will be working for many months to pay off the loan for his botched surgery. At this point, even if he offered to re-​do the facelift for free I am so disgusted with him and his diva-​like attitude and surgical ineptitude I wouldn’t let him touch me with a 10 foot pole.
In summary, Dr. Byun presents himself as a charming, flattering, highly skilled and devoted surgeon but once he has your money the charm quickly fades, What becomes clear is that he is one of the most arrogant, greedy and egotistical human beings I have ever met. He is not some superb artist and stellar surgeon. I would strongly advise anyone seeking plastic surgery to look elsewhere for a more talented, caring, ethical and humble physician.

There is no one like Dr. Byun! He is a genius, an innovator and pioneer of plastic surgery. He is truly passionate about his work and profession for the sake of helping people achieve their desired results. He is masterful and extremely meticulous. a true artist in restoring NATURAL beauty and harmony! His procedure is unique to him and unlike any other. He has created and mastered a skill that brings amazing, natural results and he works with greatness and excellence! I had a mid-​face lift, brow lift and lower bleph with a few extra Byun touches and let me just say, wow I feel like myself again… ten years+ young! And besides his expertise, Dr. Byun is truly a genuine and down to earth person. His presence is warm and inviting, and comfortable and it is very easy to talk to him and have a connection, which is very important when choosing a plastic surgeon. He puts exceptional thought and care into his patients, he is very giving, caring and thorough and will go the extra mile to help achieve harmony and your desired results. He truly gives his ALL… and generously!!! He does not hold back! In my eyes, I think he’s the best and I am very pleased and grateful! He is a brilliant 5-​star gift!

I’m surprised by reviews that judge a physician without ever experiencing his work. I wouldn’t make sense to judge a restaurant without tasting the food. But that is beside the point. I was referred to Dr. Michael Byun by a nurse colleague in the cosmetic surgery profession. I had suffered a botched mid face lift and liposuction procedure. The end result left me with a «shark like bite» in my thigh, and sutures that were popping out of the skin on the side of my eyes. When I met Dr. Byun he was courteous, friendly and professional. His calm patient manner was a great help to me when my frustration was at an all time high. He explained what he needed to do, he took his time to explain the procedures and answer all questions. I was immediately convinced he was the right physician to take on my complicated issues. His knowledge and remarkable problem solving abilities are rare indeed.
Since then, I have had several more procedures with Dr. Byun including a brow lift, breast augmentation, liposuction and numerous laser skin resurfacing and botox treatments. All is work is masterful with precise attention to detail. He has a very helpful attitude and was there if I ever had a question or problem. He consistently has gone out of his way to make sure that everything would go smoothly before, during and after my procedures. It just seemed like he would always go the extra mile. Since I’ve had some very challenging procedures due to previous physician errors, I appreciated the time and thought he put into the procedure to assure an exceptional outcome. He continually thinks outside the box and I appreciate that he tailors a specific plan for each individual patient.
I am thoroughly grateful and appreciative of Dr. Michael Byun’s expertise and would and have referred him to friends who are equally as happy with their results.

This review is for the downtown Chicago office location and the two appointments I’ve had there:
My skin has always been a concern of mine. I had acne as an adolescent and I continue to have a pimple or two here and there each month. I am unfortunately not one of those who are blessed with beautiful, porcelain Asian skin.
Even though this was only my second time getting the chemical peel, I can already feel and see a difference with my skin. My first visit was a consultation with Dr. Byun and he listened to my concerns and provided me with some great feedback. I like that he offered to set-​up a plan for improving my skin and he explained the process to me. I would have to say that this kind of education and information is important for any patient, because we typically want to achieve immediate results. And while there were immediate results, you also want to look in the long-​run and make sure to maintain and continue with, in my case, nice skin.
I already set-​up my next two appointments and I can’t wait to continue my treatment plan with Dr. Byun. It’s pretty easy to set-​up an appointment — they really try to work with your schedule. It’s great that they have two locations, even though he’s only at the Chicago location once a week. It’s still better than only being in the Northbrook office.
He is lucky to have an amazing staff — everyone that I interact with is super friendly and kind. Nicole, the manager, is very professional and helpful. The aesthetician was very friendly and even explained what she was putting on my skin and what it was used for. I love the attention to detail and that she was aware of my concerns and wanted to help educate me along the way.

Run, do not walk elsewhere. He is kind, compassionate and engaging as long as you agree that he walks on water. I had a tummy tuck that went terribly wrong and I now look like a burn victim who is uneven, lumpy and bumpy. When it was apparent that Dr. Byun was not going to get a result that he anticipated, he gave me a pep talk and told me that my result would be an A-​, and not the A+ that he had hoped for. In his expertise, my wound was to close in three weeks when in fact it took three months before this occurred. (I ultimately went to a wound specialist/​general surgeon for treatment because I could not listen to his sales pitch any longer.) He verbally scolded me for my negative attitude for being so upset with what I looked and smelled like from all the dead skin. One thing we agreed on is that I regretted ever walking in his door and he agreed that he regretted doing my surgery. Once I stopped having any faith in his surgical ability, he was inappropriate in his responses to me; there was zero empathy for the surgical result that he left me with. I have a flat tummy with a horrible result. Trust me, there are more qualified providers out there; just because he is more expensive does not mean that you are getting the best. Note: I am a healthy heath care provider who does not smoke and am not a diabetic. There was no medical reason for the poor wound healing. It was sub-​standard medical intervention. Dr. Byun is a liability to the medical profession and an accident waiting to happen to other innocent patients. Don’t get fooled by those Chicago Magazine ads, he pays for them.

Dr. Michael Byun is a miracle surgeon. Nevermind his refreshing, loving, caring, and energetic ora, Dr. is the most skilled plastic surgeon in Chicago, arguably the world. What he has done for me, breast implants and an abdominal tuck, has given me an entirely new life, fully of happiness and confidence. I couldn’t imagine this life without Dr. Byun. This guy is something else! His team is also terrific, Nicole is a caring, loving, and hardworking woman. The whole practice deserves significant credibility! I am so honored and blessed to have been Dr. Michael Byun’s patient.

Full disclosure: I used to work for Dr. Byun, so I might be a little biased. However, since working for him I’ve gone on to work with plastic surgeons in Dallas and, most recently, San Francisco, and Dr. Michael Byun still remains the gold standard. Aside from his innovative techniques and masterful aesthetic eye, Dr. Byun is one of the most caring and compassionate doctors I have ever met. I’ve seen too many instances of doctors only concerned with making a sale – when a patient walks in, all they see is dollar signs. In my time with Dr. Byun, I was continually impressed and inspired by his genuine concern for the patients’ well-​being. Prior to and following a surgery, Dr. Byun did everything in his power to make sure the patient was comfortable physically, psychologically and emotionally. If that meant several consultations (at no additional charge) or after hours phone calls, Dr. Byun was always there to ensure the patient felt like they were making the right decision. No pressure.
I no longer work in the medical field. Too many doctors are unscrupulous and, sadly, many patients don’t discover this until it is too late. Dr. Byun is the real deal, in front of and behind the curtain. If Chicago had been close enough, I would have referred my Dallas and San Francisco patients to him.

I received a blepharoplasty early February 2013 and I waited this long to write a review because I wanted to comment on the final results and be thoughtful to all of you who rely on these reviews to try to make informed decisions.
I could not be happier with my decision to go with Dr. Byun, and nearly everyday my friends are still saying «aren’t you glad you went to Dr. Byun and got this done» and they tell me that my eyes look great. The truth is, my eyes looked pretty good even just one month after surgery, but Dr. Byun told me it would take about 6 months to see the final product and he was right. These eyes look perfect, natural, I am just so pleased with him. They look like they did when I was young, only they might even look better. :). He was just spot on with the shape, I am so impressed with him.
Dr. Byun was kind to me, his staff was kind to me, I was so very nervous to go ahead with the surgery, but the bottom line is that I will never let anyone but Dr. Byun touch from face from this point on. He has changed my life and I am forever so grateful to him. Two of my friends have already called to make appointments with him as a result of my successful outcome with him.
So this is my experience, you can have comfort in going to him. He is truly an artist. Good luck and I wish you all the best.
Denise L.

I attended the event «Summer Night Out with Dr. Michael Byun» on July 20^th, 2012 at the Peninsula Hotel which brought in more than 300 people including vendors and patients. As an entrepreneur with clients in the organic skin care industry, it would be bold to openly express positive remarks to strengthen the invasive surgery industry. However, I, like many others understand the immense value of the artistic hands that are used to fix and mold the many defects that life burdens us with. From recklessness to assault or even acne to birth, the weight of imperfection can be immense. I met Dr. Byun and many of his clients at the event and one in particular grabs my memory. Her before and after pictures were… appropriate for a pause. She was now beaming! Resplendent is the word. She was in her little white dress happy and having an amazing time. Regardless, it’s these lasting moments in our lives that make it all worth the fight. Dr. Byun has a great capacity to help in creating those lasting moments. If I sincerely believed he was indifferent and was not in the pursuit of being a just man I would not have commented.
[Also, it’s very difficult to win Best-​of-​Chicago by Chicago Magazine.]