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K-beauty trip guide · Seoul · Gangnam
Choosing a Skin Clinic in Korea for Your First K-Beauty Trip
Most of Seoul’s skin clinics are in Gangnam. Here are six checks for choosing one, typical treatment prices and downtime, and how to plan treatments around a short trip.
Quick summary
For your first skin treatment in Korea, check three things first: whether you can see a doctor if you ask, whether the doctor you consulted performs the treatment, and whether the clinic offers English consultation and publishes its prices.
Seoul’s skin and aesthetic clinics are concentrated in Gangnam, and the Samseong Station / COEX area makes it easy to combine treatments with shopping and sightseeing in Seoul.
If your trip to Korea is short, plan the order of treatments around each one’s downtime.
How do I choose a skin clinic in Korea for my first treatment?
If it’s your first time at a skin clinic in Korea, work through the six checks below. Seoul — and Gangnam in particular — has so many options that who consults you, and who actually performs the treatment, matters more than the name of a device.
1. Can you see a doctor, and does the doctor you consulted perform the treatment?
— Many clinics in Korea start with a consultation with a patient coordinator, followed by a doctor consultation on request. Ask before booking whether you can request a doctor consultation and whether your doctor will perform the procedure personally.
2. Is consultation available in English?
— Check whether an interpreter or international coordinator joins your consultation, and whether consent forms and aftercare instructions are given in a language you understand.
3. Are prices published, and are locals and foreigners charged the same?
— Look at the clinic’s price list and whether VAT is included. Cosmetic treatment prices in Korea are often quoted excluding VAT.
4. Does the clinic actually offer the treatment you want?
— Make sure lifting, skin boosters, collagen stimulators or lasers you’re interested in are on the menu, and ask whether genuine products are used at the correct dose.
5. Will they plan around your downtime?
— A good clinic will tell you which treatments to do first and which to avoid once you share your flight date.
6. Do the location and opening hours fit your Seoul itinerary?
— Check the distance from your hotel and sights, and whether the clinic opens in the evening or on Saturdays.
Why do most visitors choose Gangnam for skin treatments in Seoul?
Gangnam has one of the highest concentrations of skin and aesthetic clinics in Korea, so there is plenty of choice, and it is easy to reach by subway — which is why so many international visitors go there. Within Gangnam, the Samseong Station and COEX area sits next to COEX Mall, Bongeunsa Temple and the Hyundai Department Store Trade Center branch, so it’s easy to plan your Seoul trip around your appointments.
What is the difference between a skin clinic and a dermatologist in Korea?
In Korea, both dermatology clinics and skin clinics offer skin treatments, but their medical teams and main focus can differ. When comparing clinics in Seoul or Gangnam, the most reliable check is the doctors page: what each doctor specializes in, and which treatments they mainly perform.
| Dermatology clinic | Skin / aesthetic clinic | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Treatment of skin conditions | Cosmetic treatments: lifting, skin boosters, collagen stimulators, lasers, body contouring, fillers |
| Best for | Eczema, atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions | Firmness, skin tone, pores, facial sagging, body contouring and other aesthetic goals |
| What to check | Whether a board-certified dermatologist treats you | Each doctor’s specialty and who performs each treatment |
How much do popular skin treatments cost in Korea, and how much downtime do they need?
Below are face and body treatments first-time visitors to Korea often ask about at skin clinics in Seoul and Gangnam, with price, recommended sessions and downtime. Prices are from Yaan Clinic in Samseong-dong, Gangnam (as of October 2026, excluding 10% VAT); downtime follows the clinic’s own treatment guidance. Results, how long they last and recovery vary from person to person.
| Treatment | Price (excl. VAT) | Recommended sessions | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| HydraFacial | ₩350,000 per session / ₩1,050,000 for 3 | Regular maintenance | None — back to normal right away |
| Rejuran Healer | ₩350,000 (2cc) / ₩700,000 (4cc) | 3 sessions, 4 weeks apart | Possible bruising, bumps or swelling for 1–2 weeks |
| Potenza (pore tip) | ₩400,000 per session (+₩50,000 tip) | Depends on skin condition | Possible redness for 2–3 days |
| Pico laser | ₩150,000 per session / ₩990,000 for 10 | At least 5–10, depending on pigmentation | 1–2 weeks |
| Shrink Universe | ₩190,000 (100 shots) / ₩390,000 (300 shots) | 1–3 | Same-day return to normal activities |
| Ultherapy Prime | ₩500,000 per 100 shots | 1 | Same day (temporary redness or swelling) |
| Thermage FLX | ₩1,690,000 (300 shots) / ₩2,190,000 (600 shots) | Once a year | Same day (temporary redness or swelling) |
| Body Ultherapy Prime | ₩600,000 per 100 shots | 1 | Same day (temporary redness or swelling) |
| Body Thermage | ₩6,900,000 (500 shots, body-only tip) | Once a year | Same day (temporary redness or swelling) |
See the full Yaan Clinic price list for every treatment.
How should I schedule skin treatments during a short trip to Seoul?
If you’re only in Seoul for a few days, the rule of thumb is: treatments with longer downtime first, treatments with no downtime last. Share your flight date at your consultation in Gangnam and confirm the final order with your doctor.
1. Book before you fly to Korea
— Send the treatments you’re interested in and your departure date via WhatsApp or KakaoTalk.
2. Early in your stay: consultation and treatments with downtime
— After a skin assessment, start with treatments such as Rejuran or Potenza that can leave some swelling or redness.
3. Mid-trip: face and body lifting
— Ultherapy Prime and Thermage FLX let you return to normal activities the same day, so they fit easily around sightseeing in Gangnam and Seoul. Body lifting such as Body Ultherapy or Body Thermage also has same-day recovery and can be done mid-trip.
4. Just before you fly home: a soothing treatment
— Finish with something like a HydraFacial that needs no downtime.
This way you leave Korea with less swelling or redness, and you can have your results checked once more before departure if needed.
What kind of clinic is Yaan Clinic, near Samseong Station and COEX in Gangnam?
Yaan Clinic is a premium boutique skin clinic in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Deokbong Building, 5 Bongeunsa-ro 82-gil) — a private, five-star-hotel-style clinic occupying its own 400-pyeong (about 1,320 m²) building, and a foreigner-friendly clinic. It is within walking distance of Samseong Station and Bongeunsa Station in Gangnam, and has offered lifting, petit procedures, body contouring and stem cell treatments since 2011.
Your visit starts with a consultation with a patient coordinator, followed by a doctor consultation if you wish, with a dedicated English or Chinese interpreter. Treatments are performed personally by the doctor you consulted.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Address | Deokbong Building, 5 Bongeunsa-ro 82-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea |
| Clinic type | Premium boutique clinic · private five-star-hotel-style clinic in its own 400-pyeong building · foreigner-friendly |
| Nearest stations | Samseong Station and Bongeunsa Station, Gangnam (walking distance) |
| Nearby | COEX · Bongeunsa Temple · Hyundai Department Store Trade Center |
| Consultation | Patient coordinator first → doctor on request (consultation only: ₩10,000, or ₩30,000 including the doctor · waived if you have a treatment) |
| Opening hours | Mon & Fri 10:00–21:00 / Tue–Thu 10:00–19:00 / Sat 10:00–16:00 / Closed Sundays and public holidays / Lunch 13:00–14:00 |
| Languages | English · Chinese — 1:1 dedicated interpreter |
| Pricing | Same prices for international and local patients · 10% VAT not included |
| International patients | +82 10 5308 0499 (WhatsApp and KakaoTalk links on the website) |
For directions, see how to find Yaan Clinic.
Who are the doctors at Yaan Clinic, and what equipment do they use?
Yaan Clinic has eight doctors, including a board-certified plastic surgeon and doctors focused on aesthetic medicine. Their full profiles are on the medical staff page.
Dr. Wontak Choi
— Founder of Yaan Clinic. Master of Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine; focuses on fillers and thread lifting. Key Doctor for MERZ (Germany; maker of Xeomin and LAYER) and former visiting professor at Hanyang University College of Medicine. Co-authored a study with Dr. Yoonsik Sung on correcting sunken upper eyelids with hyaluronic acid fillers, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Medicine (2025).
Dr. Yoonsik Sung
— Board-certified plastic surgeon; member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and the Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Co-authored the Journal of Cosmetic Medicine (2025) study on sunken upper eyelid correction with Dr. Wontak Choi.
Dr. Jiuk Choi
— Lifetime member of the Korean Society for Aesthetic Medicine and the Korean Association for Laser, Dermatology and Trichology; medical consultant for Dongkook Pharmaceutical (Bellast filler) and BNS MED.
Dr. Seonggeun Hwang
— Member of the Korean Society for Aesthetic and Laser Medicine, the Korean Society for Aesthetic Surgery, the Korean Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity and the Korean Society of Obesity Research Physicians.
Dr. Yookyeong Sim
— Board-certified obesity specialist (Korean Society for the Study of Obesity); former clinical professor at Asan Medical Center; completed residency and clinical fellowship at Seoul National University Hospital.
Because no single device can address every lifting, skin or body concern, Yaan Clinic selects or combines devices to suit each patient’s skin and goals. See the full list on the equipment page.
| Category | Devices |
|---|---|
| Lifting | Thermage FLX · Ultherapy Prime · Titanium Lifting · Tune Face · ONDA Lifting · Sofwave · Oligio · Shrink Universe · V-Max |
| Body | Ulfit (Body Shrink) · Body Ultherapy · Body Thermage · Body Titanium · Body ONDA · TruSculpt · Electrothermal 20S · miraDry Fresh |
| Skin | Potenza · PicoPlus · V-Laser · Dermashine · Apogee Plus · 3D Meta-vu skin analysis |
| Safety | Microcannula · AccuVein (vein finder) · AirNox |
What support do international patients get at Yaan Clinic?
1:1 dedicated interpreter
— An English or Chinese interpreter stays with you from the waiting room through consultation, treatment and departure.
Pre-visit consultation
— Ask about treatments and how long results last via WhatsApp or KakaoTalk before you arrive.
Luggage storage
— A separate storage room for suitcases and large bags is available for international patients.
Same pricing
— International patients pay the same prices as local patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q : Can I go straight from Incheon Airport to a skin clinic in Gangnam?
A : Yes. Arrival times depend on immigration and traffic in Seoul, so let the clinic know your estimated arrival time when you book.
Q : Can I bring my luggage to the clinic?
A : Yes. Many international patients come straight from the airport, so you are welcome to bring suitcases and large bags. Yaan Clinic has a separate luggage storage room for international patients.
Q : Can I get a consultation in English at a skin clinic in Gangnam, Seoul?
A : At Yaan Clinic, a dedicated 1:1 English or Chinese interpreter is assigned to you, so you can communicate comfortably from the waiting room to consultation, treatment and departure.
Q : Can I consult directly with a doctor?
A : Yes. Yaan Clinic starts with a patient coordinator consultation, and you can see a doctor if you wish. A consultation including the doctor costs ₩30,000 if you don’t have a treatment, and is free if you do.
Q : Do foreigners pay more for skin treatments in Korea?
A : It depends on the clinic, so check before you book. Yaan Clinic charges international patients the same prices as local patients.
Q : Can I book a consultation only?
A : Yes. A consultation only costs ₩10,000 (₩30,000 including a doctor consultation), and the fee is waived if you have a treatment.
Q : How long do the results last?
A : It depends on the treatment. At Yaan Clinic, Ultherapy Prime and Thermage FLX typically last about a year and Shrink Universe about 3–6 months, but results and their duration vary with your skin. The clinic explains expected duration for each treatment when you inquire via WhatsApp or KakaoTalk, and in more detail at your in-clinic consultation.
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