Learning directly from Dr. Kao
Dr. Moon’s account of studying the Ponytail Lift, three United States courses and the questions that continue to shape his practice.
An interest that began with the midface
Dr. Moon first encountered Dr. Kao’s approach around 2019. In his account, he was initially sceptical: why study another approach when facelift surgery already existed? The question that kept his attention was the front of the cheek and the nasolabial fold. He wanted to understand why the response could differ from one face to another.
He read papers and watched lectures before deciding that direct observation and anatomical training would help answer questions that a video could not resolve. This history explains his interest; it does not turn every patient with a nasolabial fold into a surgical candidate.
Three visits, different learning goals
In 2025 he attended a Ponytail Academy cadaver course in Pittsburgh. He describes the course as a chance to understand details of the anatomy and technique more closely. The visit coincided with his birthday; in his account he recalls his wife giving him the course registration as a gift.
In February 2026 he attended an advanced course in Santa Monica and observed Dr. Kao operating. His next visit, in May 2026, was to a Boston course, where he reviewed what he had learned and encountered other surgeons’ perspectives. These dates and experiences come from his account.
He is one of Dr. Kao’s five students. That relationship is one part of the story, alongside the repeated work of studying anatomy, observing surgery and reassessing a technique. The clinic’s public training page also records educational exchange and the Pittsburgh visit.
Learning a principle is different from giving everyone the same operation
In his guides, Dr. Moon says he uses the principles he learned while adapting his planning to the patient’s facial anatomy. He also describes studying approaches from surgeons in other countries. An endoscope, an incision and a fixation method each solve a different part of an operation; sharing one feature does not make two operations identical.
The Ponytail overview separates the published concept from an individual plan. The Ribbon guide explains a fixation material discussed in Dr. Moon’s explanation; it should not be read as proof that every Kao procedure uses that implant.
Sharing questions with other surgeons
Dr. Moon’s account of continuing education describes attending Endoface Masters in Barcelona and his aim for Endoface Seoul as a place for surgeons to share experience. The official PRS KOREA 2026 programme separately lists his talk, “The Ponytail Lift: An Endoscopic Deep Plane Approach to Facial Rejuvenation,” under his ILCHI affiliation.
A programme listing documents an invited topic. It is different from a published outcomes study. Patients can ask what a surgeon learned, what changed in the planning process and how the proposed operation fits their own concern.
A public account of the Santa Monica course
ILCHI’s Japanese-language clinic account published a two-part course report on 14 and 15 April 2026. It describes Dr. Moon’s attendance in Santa Monica from 21 to 23 February, including anatomical dissection and observation of surgery. The April dates identify publication of the report, rather than the dates of the course.
The account discusses distributing fixation and planning around differences in skin, facial volume and tissue descent. It also mentions lectures by Nicanor Isse and Mayo Basel. These are the clinic’s descriptions of an educational experience. They do not establish an independent certification, a faculty appointment or a measured outcome for ILCHI patients.
Read the first course report and the follow-up report in Japanese. For a patient, a useful next question is how a specific lesson influences the operation being proposed for their own face.
A clinic report on cause-specific chin assessment
An ILCHI report published on 7 October 2026 describes Dr. Moon presenting clinical experience at a MIPS meeting. The account distinguishes a projecting chin bone from descended soft tissue and considers muscle activity during expression. Its central point is that a similar appearance can lead to different treatment plans. The article gives a publication date, but does not specify the meeting day.
This is the clinic’s report of an educational presentation, rather than an independently reviewed outcomes study. A useful consultation question is how the proposed treatment follows from the examination. Ask what is thought to create the contour you see, which part of the plan addresses it, and what would remain unchanged. A conference account can introduce those questions without predicting your result.
Sources and further reading
Adapted from Dr. Moon’s patient education. Additional references are listed below where used.
Follow the dated accounts of learning
The academic activity collection connects the dated personal and clinic posts about training, lectures and meetings. Each summary identifies its publishing account and links to the original text. A post’s publication date is kept separate from any event date reported within it.
Check the record behind a professional claim
The external academic and media records distinguish official programme listings, historical society notices and medical expert profiles. The clinic’s account of training with Dr. Kao remains separately identified; a course listing alone does not establish an individual’s attendance or a faculty appointment.