Famous dermatologist in Korea? What fame should actually mean

How do you find a famous dermatologist in Korea you can trust?

Hello, I'm Dr. Won Woo Choi, a board-certified dermatologist and Chief Director at WELLS Clinic in Apgujeong, Seoul. I completed my residency, board certification and Ph.D. in dermatology at Seoul National University.

Many visitors write to us after searching for a famous dermatologist in Korea. I understand why: when you fly to another country for treatment, you want someone with a reputation. But fame on social media and trustworthiness in the treatment room are not the same thing.

My short answer: look for evidence you can check, not popularity. Training you can verify, genuine devices you can see, and a dermatologist who treats you in person tell you more than follower counts.

The 2016 Thermage beauty class at WELLS

One small story from our own history shows what I mean. On 28 September 2016, Solta Medical, the maker of Thermage, held a Thermage beauty class with WELLS here in Apgujeong. Newsis (뉴시스) covered it in a photo report on 30 September 2016.

The purpose of the event was to explain why genuine Thermage tips matter. Participants also toured the clinic, seeing the rooms where treatments are done.

That year, my colleague Dr. Won Sin Lee also lectured at Thermage's headquarters. Later, WELLS exchanged Thermage FLX cases with a laser dermatology practice in New York. These are the kinds of facts I would want a famous dermatologist in Korea to be able to show you.

Why genuine tips were the theme, then and now

A Thermage tip is a consumable with a set number of shots, and it is not cheap. That is exactly why a clinic might be tempted to use a non-genuine one, and why the device maker wanted patients to know the difference.

At WELLS the checks are simple and visible. You see the tip's ID card before we start, we confirm the shot count with you before and after treatment, and we use every last shot. If a tip is ever found not to be genuine, WELLS refunds ten times the treatment price.

Because we do not use deep sedation for Thermage, you are awake to see this for yourself. Our Thermage MAX page shows each step.

Credentials worth checking before you fly

Board certification and where a doctor trained are public facts, and they are a fair place to start. At WELLS the three chief directors trained at major Seoul university hospitals.

• Dr. Won Woo Choi: board-certified at Seoul National University Hospital, Ph.D. in dermatology from Seoul National University, adjunct professor at Seoul National University Hospital.
• Dr. Won Sin Lee: board-certified at Asan Medical Center, adjunct professor in its Department of Dermatology.
• Dr. Hyo Seop Ryu: M.D., Ph.D., former assistant professor at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

Beyond training, look for device and product credentials you can verify. WELLS is a Merz Ultherapy Golden Record Award clinic, and our three chief directors completed Handok's Sculptra hands-on training program.

You can read each profile on our dermatologists page. If a clinic cannot tell you who will treat you, or where that doctor trained, take that as an answer in itself.

What a famous dermatologist in Korea should do in the consultation

Reputation is tested in the consultation. A good dermatologist examines your skin before naming a treatment or a price, and tells you plainly when a treatment will not help.

• The same dermatologist consults, plans and treats you.
• The plan is measured, for example with a 3D skin scan before lifting.
• Prices are listed and confirmed before anything starts.
• Sedation is not the default, so you can give feedback during treatment.

If the answer to every concern is the same treatment, that is a warning sign, whatever the clinic's fame. At WELLS, consultations are available in English, and replies on WhatsApp and Instagram are in English.

Fame online vs reputation in the treatment room

Some clinics in Seoul are famous mainly because they advertise heavily or appear often on social media. That can mean a busy schedule, short consultations and treatment by whoever is free. Popularity tells you a clinic is visible; it does not tell you how carefully your skin will be treated.

A reputation that matters is built over years of the same doctors treating patients in person. WELLS has worked from one location in Apgujeong since 2008, and the dermatologist who consults you is the one who plans your treatment and treats you, on your first visit and on any visit after it.

When you read about a famous dermatologist in Korea, ask what the fame is for. Is it a teaching role, research, a device maker's recognition, or simply a large advertising budget? The first three can be checked; the last one cannot help your skin.

Five questions to ask any clinic before you book

• Who will examine me, and who will treat me?
• Where did that dermatologist train and become board-certified?
• Will I see the genuine tip and the shot count?
• Is the listed price in writing, and is VAT included?
• What happens if I have a reaction after I fly home?

A clinic that answers these clearly before you book is usually one that will treat you carefully on the day. We are happy to answer all five for WELLS on WhatsApp, in English, before you commit to anything or buy a flight.

Research and protocols, not just devices

I am also CEO of CutisBio, and at WELLS we build our own protocols around the devices we use. Our Thermage MAX protocol adds a skin microbiome test, two bottles of AQ MAX infusion before treatment and a collagen-peptide serum during it.

These steps come from our own lab work. In WELLS cell-culture tests, AQ helped heated skin cells survive and reduced the heat-related drop in collagen. These are laboratory results, not results in people, and I say so to every patient.

Thermage MAX is listed at ₩3,465,000 for 600 shots and ₩4,477,000 for 900 shots, VAT excluded. For how the shot count is decided, see Thermage cost in Seoul.

Visiting WELLS in Apgujeong

WELLS has been in Apgujeong since 2008. We are on the 8th floor of the Apgujeong Building, 842 Nonhyeon-ro, about five minutes on foot from Apgujeong Station, Exit 3.

We are open Monday to Friday 10:00–20:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00, with lunch from 13:00 to 14:00, and closed on Sundays and Korean public holidays. Directions are on our clinic page.

Results and recovery vary by individual. Every treatment carries possible side effects, which are explained at the consultation. Prices are in Korean won, excluding 10% VAT, and confirmed at your consultation. This article is general information from the clinic, not a diagnosis.

Written by

Dr. Won Woo Choi

Medical Director · M.D., Ph.D. · WELLS Clinic, Apgujeong

• Board-certified dermatologist in Korea; trained at Seoul National University Hospital
• Dermatology residency, Seoul National University Hospital; board certification in dermatology in Korea
• Ph.D. in Dermatology, Seoul National University
• Former clinical instructor, Seoul National University Hospital
• Adjunct professor, Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital

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