Plan Your Seoul Skin Treatment Visit

Start with the outcome you want to understand, not a package name. Tell the clinician about weddings, photography, business meetings, outdoor travel and your flight date.

• What bothers you most about your skin?
• Is your goal pigmentation, acne scarring, redness, texture, hydration, volume or lifting?
• How much visible redness, swelling, peeling or bruising can you accept?
• Do you need to look camera-ready on a specific date?
• Can you return for an early review before leaving Korea?

Tell the treating clinician about all prescription medicines, injections, over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbal products and supplements.

• Isotretinoin and other acne medicines
• Anticoagulants and antiplatelet medicines
• Steroids and immunosuppressants
• Photosensitising medicines
• Antibiotics and antifungals
• Hormonal medicines
• Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines
• Retinoids, acids and strong topical products

“Laser,” “lifting,” “filler” and “skin booster” are broad labels. Ask for the exact device, wavelength or energy type, injected product, treatment depth, anatomical area and whether the use is approved or off-label.

• Expected benefit and its limits
• Downtime and how it is defined
• Number of sessions commonly needed
• Possibility of bruising, swelling, burns, pigmentation or scarring
• Risk of infection or reactivation of herpes
• Product traceability for injectables
• Whether another treatment on the same day changes risk
• Who provides urgent care after hours

Follow only the clinic’s specific instructions. Unless instructed otherwise, arrive with clean skin and bring a complete medication and procedure list.

• Passport or accepted identification
• Current medicines and allergies
• Dates and names of prior injections or devices
• Photographs showing previous reactions if relevant
• Important event and departure dates
• Alternative payment method
• Interpreter or communication preference

Common temporary reactions can include mild redness, tenderness, swelling, bruising or dryness, depending on the procedure. The clinician should explain the expected pattern.

• Severe or escalating pain
• Blanching, dusky, grey or black skin
• New visual change, eye pain or severe headache after facial injection
• Weakness, speech difficulty, facial droop or confusion
• Blistering, extensive burns or rapidly worsening swelling
• Fever, pus, spreading redness or systemic illness
• Breathing difficulty or widespread allergic symptoms

Ask for a written quotation and what is included before treatment. Confirm whether consultation, anaesthesia, consumables, follow-up or complication care may cost extra.

• Pay in Korean won when appropriate to avoid unnecessary dynamic currency conversion
• Confirm card limits before high-value payment
• Request an itemised receipt
• Ask whether the exact service is eligible for any current tourist VAT-refund scheme
• Do not assume every cosmetic or medical service qualifies
• Complete any required procedure before leaving Korea

Remote photographs may help with routine review but cannot diagnose every complication. Clarify what can be handled remotely and what requires local examination.

• When to send follow-up photographs
• When results can reasonably be assessed
• Whether touch-up is optional or clinically indicated
• Which symptoms require local dermatology or emergency care
• How delayed nodules, pigmentation or infection will be handled
• Whether additional treatment requires another in-person assessment