Seoul skin clinic guide: how to choose one, and how a visit works

What should you look for in a Seoul skin clinic?

If you are searching for a Seoul skin clinic, you are probably looking at a long list of names, menus and prices, and wondering how to tell them apart from another country. The real worry is simple: who will actually look at your skin, is the device genuine, and will it all fit between two flights?

I'm Won Woo Choi, a board-certified dermatologist, and I co-founded WELLS in Apgujeong in 2008.

I completed my residency and board certification in dermatology at Seoul National University Hospital and earned my doctorate in dermatology at Seoul National University. Today I am an adjunct professor in the hospital's Department of Dermatology.

This is not a ranking. I won't tell you which other Seoul skin clinics to visit or avoid. What I can do is explain the questions I would ask if I were choosing a clinic for a friend, and then show you plainly how we handle each of them.

Is it dermatologist-led? How to tell before you book

In Korea, a dermatologist is a doctor who finishes medical school, gets a licence, completes an internship and then trains four more years in a dermatology residency. That training covers every layer of the skin, from the surface down to the fat, fascia and the muscles that move the face.

Why does that matter for a cosmetic visit? Because a specialist is trained to know not just that a laser improved a mark, but which layer it acted on, what side effects to expect and how to fix a problem if one appears. Red, raised skin can be simple dermatitis, an infection or an immune condition. Scaling can be dryness, or it can be psoriasis.

Two practical checks help. A clinic whose official Korean name includes the word for dermatology is run by a board-certified dermatologist, while a generic clinic name with "dermatology" listed in small print as a department may not be. The Korean Dermatological Association also issues a specialist mark that board-certified clinics may display on their sign or website.

At WELLS, a board-certified dermatologist handles your consultation, diagnosis and treatment. You can read the background of all four of us on our dermatologists page.

Why the consultation should come before the treatment

Many visitors arrive with a treatment already chosen from social media. That's fine as a starting point, but a good procedure matters less than an accurate diagnosis of the skin in front of the doctor.

So we don't only ask what you want. We ask about your daily routine, previous treatments and the products you use, analyse the skin with diagnostic equipment, and the dermatologist explains what they see there and then. Before lifting we use 3D analysis, and before Thermage MAX a skin-microbiome test.

If a requested procedure doesn't suit your skin, we say so, and we don't recommend treatments whose benefit is uncertain. Difficult or complex cases are reviewed by more than one of our dermatologists together rather than decided alone.

Genuine tips, visible shot counts and no unnecessary sedation

For lifting devices, two questions come up in almost every message: is the tip genuine, and will I be put to sleep? We use only genuine Thermage and Ultherapy tips. If a tip is ever found not to be genuine, we refund ten times the treatment price.

We also don't use deep sedation for lifting. Instead we use Air NOX, a controlled mix of oxygen and nitrous oxide, with local anaesthetic. You stay awake, need no fasting, recover within about two minutes and can drive afterwards.

Staying awake has a second benefit: you can see the tip and the shot count yourself, and you can give feedback on the energy. Ultherapy's own guidelines don't recommend deep sedation for that reason. Air NOX isn't suitable in early pregnancy or with respiratory conditions, panic disorder or vitamin B12 deficiency, so tell us beforehand.

Textured skin and Korean glass skin: what a dermatologist can do

"Glass skin" is a look, not a single treatment: generally an even surface, less visible pores and skin that holds moisture. If you are wondering how to get Korean glass skin, the honest answer is that it depends on why your skin looks the way it does, which is why the consultation comes first.

For textured skin, visible pores and fine lines, one protocol we developed is Rejuran Tox. It combines Rejuran HB+ (3 mL), which works on hydration, texture and elasticity underneath, with microdroplet toxin across the surface to smooth fine lines and refine pores, in one visit.

It is ₩913,000 (VAT excluded) with Korean-made Nabota, or ₩1,089,000 (VAT excluded) with Allergan's BOTOX. If you want the background on the toxin choice, I'd point you to our post on Korean botox brands and how a visit works, and for the booster itself, what Rejuran does and who it suits.

Where enlarged pores are the main issue, pore reduction with a fractional picosecond laser works on the dermis rather than resurfacing, so the surface is spared. Which of these, if any, suits your skin is something the dermatologist decides after examining it.

What WELLS offers international patients

Our menu covers lifting, pigmentation, acne and scars, injectables, hair and skin conditions. Eight of the protocols were developed by our own dermatologists, and their starting prices are listed openly.

All prices are in Korean won and exclude 10% VAT. The dermatologist confirms your plan and the final price at the consultation, before anything starts. CeraXosome was developed at CutisBio, the company I lead as CEO.

How a visit to a Seoul skin clinic works at WELLS

Most international patients plan the whole visit before they land. The process has four steps, and every one of them happens in English.

• Message us on WhatsApp. Send your concern, a photo if you like, and your travel dates. We reply in English with treatment options and available appointment times.
• Dermatologist consultation. At the clinic, a dermatologist examines your skin, with 3D analysis or a microbiome test where the treatment calls for it, and confirms the plan and price.
• Treatment. It takes place in the same clinic, on the same floor.
• Aftercare. You leave with the dermatologist's aftercare instructions, and you can reach us on WhatsApp after you fly home.

Consultations at the clinic are available in English, so you can plan the visit without a translator. Our international patient FAQ covers booking, VAT, sedation and tips in more detail.

Timing treatment around your flights, and getting to Apgujeong

The most useful thing you can send us is your flight dates. The dermatologist uses them to advise on timing, and in general it helps to book treatment early in your stay rather than on the last morning, so there is time to ask questions before you leave.

Some treatments fit a short trip better than others. A skin booster such as Rejuran HB+ on its own is recommended as four sessions at 2–3 week intervals, which is why a one-visit protocol can suit a short stay. After fractional picosecond laser for scars, any redness usually clears in 3–4 days.

We are open Monday to Friday 10:00–20:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00, closed for lunch 13:00–14:00, and closed on Sundays and Korean public holidays. The clinic is on the 8th floor of the Apgujeong Building, 842 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, about five minutes on foot from Exit 3 of Apgujeong Station on Line 3.

NH Bank is on the ground floor, and underground self-parking is available, though spaces may be limited. Our clinic and directions page has the map and photos of the reception, lounges and treatment rooms.

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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