Korean botox brands: Nabota vs Allergan, and how we choose at WELLS

Which Korean botox brands will you actually be offered in Seoul?

If you're comparing Korean botox brands before a trip, you've probably found a long list of names and no clear way to choose. The practical question is simpler: which brands does the clinic you're visiting actually use, and does the choice change the result or the price?

I'm Dr. Won Woo Choi, a board-certified dermatologist trained at Seoul National University Hospital, where I completed my residency and Ph.D. in dermatology. I'm a chief director at WELLS in Apgujeong, and toxin questions come up in my consultation room every day.

At WELLS the answer is deliberately short. We work with two toxins: Nabota, which is Korean-made, and Allergan's BOTOX. Everything below explains where each one is used and how to decide.

Korean botox brand or botox done in Korea: two different questions

"Korean botox" gets used for two things. Some people mean a toxin manufactured in Korea. Others mean any botox injected at a clinic in Seoul, whatever the brand. It's worth knowing which question you're asking, because the answers differ.

If you want a Korean botox brand specifically, at WELLS that is Nabota. If you want the treatment done in Seoul and have a brand you already know from home, Allergan is available too. Either way, our botulinum toxin page states the rule we follow: WELLS uses botulinum toxin with US FDA approval only, and your dermatologist explains the product used, its approved indications and potential risks.

There are other Korean-made toxins on the market. We don't stock every one, and I would rather tell you that plainly than let a brand name on a price list decide your treatment. If you have a specific brand in mind, ask us on WhatsApp and we'll tell you what we use instead.

Nabota vs Allergan: where each shows up at WELLS

The brand choice appears most clearly in Rejuran Tox, our combination of Rejuran HB+ (3 mL) with microdroplet skin botox. You choose the toxin, and the only difference between the two options is the brand.

For excessive sweating, our hyperhidrosis treatment uses Korean-made Nabota, chosen for safety. For standard muscle botox on expression lines or enlarged muscles, the price is confirmed at your consultation, and the dermatologist tells you which product is being used before anything starts.

Is there a best Korean botox brand?

People ask me for the best Korean botox brand as if one label will guarantee a better face. Honestly, the brand matters less than most people expect. Both of the toxins we use are genuine and both are dosed by the dermatologist.

What changes the result is where the toxin goes, how deep, and how much. That is judgement about anatomy, not a property of the vial. At WELLS, genuine product and quantity are guaranteed, and every injection is placed by a board-certified dermatologist.

So my practical advice: if you already had a good experience with one brand, it's reasonable to stay with it. If you're starting fresh and want the Korean option, Nabota is a sensible choice. If budget matters, the Rejuran Tox table above shows the listed difference openly.

Korean skin botox vs muscle botox: the brand isn't the difference

Muscle botox is injected deep into the muscle to relax it, for expression lines or to slim an enlarged muscle such as the masseter. Korean skin botox is the same toxin, diluted and injected shallowly and densely into the dermis instead.

Because skin botox sits in the skin rather than the muscle, it doesn't affect normal expression. It smooths fine lines, tightens pores and helps with oiliness, and it is the toxin half of Rejuran Tox. Either Nabota or Allergan can be used for it; the technique is what makes it skin botox.

The mechanism explains why brand is secondary. Skin botox tightens pores by relaxing the tiny muscle attached to each hair follicle, and it can calm flushing by quieting the small nerves around blood vessels. Those effects come from where the toxin is placed, whichever vial it came from.

Timing matters more than brand too. I suggest muscle botox on the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes at least once a year from the 30s, because once wrinkles become fixed later in life, what any toxin can do becomes limited.

For a fuller walk-through of skin botox and how a toxin visit runs in Seoul, see our earlier guide, Korean botox in Seoul: brands, price and how a visit works.

Botox before and after: what to judge, and what botox for jowls can't do

Many people search masseter botox before and after to see what a brand can do. We don't publish before-and-after photos, and I'd be cautious of choosing a brand from them anyway, because the result reflects the dose and the injector far more than the label.

What I'd judge instead is the plan: which muscles are treated, how much toxin, and whether the goal is realistic for your face. Individual results vary, and side effects are possible with any injectable, which is why every treatment starts with a consultation.

Botox for jowls is a common request, and here I have to be straight. Botox relaxes; it doesn't lift. A jowl is usually a question of skin laxity and volume, which is the territory of our lifting and anti-aging treatments rather than any toxin brand. If a hollow is the issue, dermal fillers may fit better.

Choosing your Korean botox brand before you fly

You can settle the brand question on WhatsApp before you arrive. Send the areas you're interested in and any brand preference, and we reply in English with options and available times. At the clinic, the dermatologist confirms the product, dose and final price before treatment.

On flights: tell us your flight dates on WhatsApp and the dermatologist will advise on timing. Hours are Monday to Friday 10:00–20:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00, closed on Sundays and Korean public holidays.

Whichever of the Korean botox brands you lean toward, the questions to ask any clinic are the same: which product exactly, is it genuine, how much is being injected, and who is injecting it. At WELLS, the answer to the last one is always a board-certified dermatologist.

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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