What do I need to prepare before coming to Korea?
When you come to Korea for skin treatment as an independent traveler, what you need to do before you leave is book your flights and accommodation and contact the clinic directly to set the date of your in-person consultation. SKINLIFT SEOUL (Dr. Designer Clinic in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul) does not use brokering agencies, so you can contact the clinic directly by email at hello@skinliftseoul.com.
When you get in touch, include the area you most want to improve, any lifting or injection treatments you have had before and roughly when, and the dates you will be in Korea. Then even the first reply can talk about your own schedule. It is fine if you cannot fill them all in.
The in-person consultation date is set within the clinic’s hours. We are open Monday to Friday 10:00–20:30 (lunch 13:00–14:00) and Saturday 10:00–16:30, closed on Sunday. The clinic is on the 2nd floor of the Fairfield by Marriott hotel, 870 Gyeongin-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, a 200 m walk from Exit 5 of Yeongdeungpo Station.
- More on the booking steps: Booking a Korean skin clinic directly
- How to choose a clinic: How to choose a Korean skin clinic
- What to have on a first visit: Treatments we recommend for a first visit
- The overall budget: Prices
Can I consult in Chinese or English at SKINLIFT SEOUL?
At SKINLIFT SEOUL (Dr. Designer Clinic in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul), you can consult in English at the clinic, and we sometimes use a translation app alongside it.
I am the director who does the in-person consultations and the treatments at this clinic. During treatment I keep checking whether it hurts. If a spot hurts, there are ways to work around that area a little, so telling us it hurts actually helps the treatment.
What happens on the day I go to the clinic?
On the day you go to a clinic in Korea, it runs in this order: in-person consultation, treatment, payment. At SKINLIFT SEOUL (Dr. Designer Clinic in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul), the same doctor does the consultation, decides how to do the treatment and performs it.
- In-person consultation: We look at your face and decide which treatment to do and over what area. For Ultherapy, we use DeepSEE imaging to see the layers under the skin and where the bone sits; for Thermage, we look at skin firmness and fine lines around the eyes and judge which layer the problem is in. On a day when the skin is red or inflamed, we do not do energy-based treatment and put it off until the skin settles.
- Treatment: Including the time for numbing cream, both Ultherapy and Thermage take about 60–90 minutes. If you are having both Ultherapy and Thermage, it is usually fine to have them on the same day.
- Payment: Price list amounts are in Korean won, and 10% VAT is added separately at payment. Payment is also made in won, and there is a payment desk just for international patients.
The VAT refund on aesthetic treatment that international patients used to get is no longer available. The details are in Korea aesthetic treatment tax refund.
Can I fly on the same day as my treatment?
You can fly home right after Ultherapy or Thermage. Flying the same day or the next day is not a problem. The manufacturer’s information also says Ultherapy has no downtime and that redness fades within a few hours, and in studies of Thermage, redness and swelling could occur but were mostly mild and temporary. How much you get and how long it lasts differ from person to person.
Still, the treatment date is worth thinking about separately. If your face is red during the trip, photos don’t come out well, so many people have it on their last day. But if there is a chance we will need to see you once more after treatment and do a touch-up, I recommend having it 2–3 days before your flight home. How many days to plan for is covered separately in Korea medical trip itinerary.
What do I do if something goes wrong after I get home?
If after returning home you develop a fever, pain, or redness and swelling that gets worse, send photos to the clinic that treated you first. If you send photos to SKINLIFT SEOUL (Dr. Designer Clinic in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul), we will look at your condition and, when it is truly needed, also tell you what care to get at a local clinic. Contact us by email at hello@skinliftseoul.com.
If you can say exactly what you had, a local clinic can decide faster too. Before you leave Korea, write down the names and dates of the treatments you had and the amount you received, and keep one photo of your face taken right after treatment. You need that first photo to compare what has changed later.
If you have a dispute with a clinic that cannot be resolved, you can get help from Korean government agencies. The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency offers free consultation (weekdays 09:00–18:00, +82-2-1670-2545) and provides the mediation application form in Chinese as well. The Medical Korea Support Centers in Seoul and Incheon help international patients with information on medical institutions, interpreting and handling complaints.