Questions our dermatologists answer

At WELLS, Thermage MAX is ₩3,465,000 for 600 shots or ₩4,477,000 for 900 shots, excluding 10% VAT; this includes a skin-microbiome test, an AQ MAX infusion and a collagen-peptide serum. Published figures elsewhere, for reference only: US full face about $2,000–3,500 (GetClearBeauty, updated October 2026); one London clinic lists full face at £1,519 (Pulse Light Clinic, accessed October 2026); Singapore full face S$2,500–4,500 (Dr Cindy's, July 2026); Taiwan 600 shots NT$70,000–100,000 (Dr. Shine, April 2026). Shot counts, tips and what is included differ, so these are not like-for-like, and WELLS cannot verify other clinics' prices. Your final price is confirmed at consultation.

It can be, if you check the clinic and the plan before you book. Look for: a board-certified dermatologist who examines you and performs the treatment; genuine Thermage or Ultherapy tips you can see, with the shot count; whether sedation is used; a written plan with the price and whether 10% VAT is included; and a way to reach the clinic after you fly home. Korea's Medical Korea portal lists institutions registered to treat foreign patients, and K-MEDI offers medical-dispute mediation to foreigners. At WELLS a dermatologist handles consultation, diagnosis and treatment. If a tip is ever found not to be genuine, WELLS refunds 10× the treatment price. Lifting is done awake with Air NOX. Side effects are possible with any treatment.

Often, yes. The two work at different depths, and WELLS already combines eye Thermage and eye Ultherapy in one session in its 3X Upper Face Lifting program (₩2,500,000, excluding 10% VAT). Ultherapy delivers focused ultrasound to the SMAS layer; Thermage uses monopolar RF to heat the dermis. Whether both suit your face, in which order and whether on the same day is decided by the dermatologist at consultation after 3D analysis; WELLS does not apply a fixed sequence. Combining means more energy in one visit, so mention any recent lifting, fillers or threads. Individual results vary.

Rejuran HB+ is a salmon-derived polynucleotide skin booster with hyaluronic acid and lidocaine, used to improve elasticity, fine lines, texture and hydration. At WELLS it is offered as Rejuran Tox: Rejuran HB+ 3 mL plus a microdroplet skin smoothing injection, at ₩913,000 with the Korean-made option or ₩1,089,000 with the US-made option, excluding 10% VAT. Be realistic about one session. The recommended course is four sessions at 2–3 week intervals, so a single visit is a start, not the full course. Adding a skin smoothing injection in the same visit also addresses pores and surface texture. A standalone Rejuran HB+ price is not published; ask on WhatsApp. Results vary.

See the tip and the shot count yourself. At WELLS you can, because you stay awake during treatment. WELLS uses only genuine Thermage and Ultherapy tips, and if a tip is ever found not to be genuine, it refunds ten times the treatment price. Under deep sedation you cannot check anything, which is one reason WELLS treats lifting with Air NOX and local anesthetic instead. Questions worth asking any clinic: which device generation is used (WELLS runs every Ultherapy session on the Ultherapy Prime system), how many shots are planned for each area, and who performs the treatment (at WELLS, a dermatologist).

WELLS does not use deep sedation for Thermage or Ultherapy. At Korean clinics, 'sleep anesthesia' (수면마취) generally means sedation deep enough that you sleep through the procedure. At that depth, breathing can be impaired and airway support may be needed (American Society of Anesthesiologists); you also cannot give feedback, so energy tends to be pushed higher, raising burn risk — and Ultherapy's own guidelines don't recommend it. WELLS uses Air NOX instead: oxygen and nitrous oxide with local anesthetic. You stay awake, need no fasting, recover in about two minutes and can drive afterwards. Air NOX is not suitable in early pregnancy, respiratory conditions, panic disorder or vitamin B12 deficiency.

WELLS is on the 8th floor of Apgujeong Building, 842 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, about five minutes on foot from Apgujeong Station Exit 3 (Line 3); NH Bank is on the ground floor. From Incheon Airport, airport limousine bus 6006 stops at Apgujeong Station, or take the AREX train into Seoul and transfer to Line 3. Check current timetables before you fly. For a hotel, Andaz Seoul Gangnam (854 Nonhyeon-ro) is on the same street, near the clinic. WELLS does not have partner hotels, so book your stay independently. Underground self-parking is available in the building, but spaces are limited. Hours: weekdays 10:00–20:00, Saturday 10:00–17:00.

Any season can work, but autumn and winter usually make pigment and laser treatment easier, because sun exposure is what most often darkens pigment again afterwards. Seoul's summer is hot and humid, with a rainy season from late June into July and strong sun on clear days. Sunlight makes skin produce more pigment, which can darken melasma and cause new patches (American Academy of Dermatology). If you can only visit in summer, plan broad-spectrum SPF 30+, a hat and shade, and tell the dermatologist your itinerary. A trip spent mostly outdoors may change which laser or setting is chosen. Individual skin responds differently.

They do different jobs. Rejuran HB+ is a polynucleotide booster for elasticity, fine lines, texture and hydration, given as a series: four sessions at 2–3 week intervals are recommended. At WELLS it comes as Rejuran Tox from ₩913,000. Juvelook combines PLA and hyaluronic acid (KFDA-approved); WELLS uses it to fill depressed acne scars immediately while stimulating collagen. Sculptra is a collagen-stimulating injectable for volume and contour, with results that develop gradually over months; WELLS Sculptra Lifting is ₩1,320,000 per session. Prices exclude 10% VAT. The dermatologist recommends one depending on whether your main concern is skin quality, scars or volume loss.

Gentle, low-heat treatment with strict sun protection is the safer approach; aggressive high-heat laser is what to avoid. Lasers and peels can worsen melasma or cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and melasma often returns (DermNet; American Academy of Dermatology). At WELLS, pico toning uses very short pulses that break pigment into finer particles with less heat to surrounding skin, and MELA Triple Toning (₩770,000 per session, excluding 10% VAT) works on the surrounding skin as well as the pigment. Melasma is managed over several sessions, and the dermatologist confirms suitability for your skin type in person before the first one. Bring a list of the creams you use.

One visit can start the improvement, but expect a first step rather than a finished result. What one visit can do at WELLS: Juvelook (PLA plus hyaluronic acid) fills depressed scars immediately while stimulating collagen, and Fractional Picosecond Laser works inside the dermis without a wound dressing; any redness usually clears in 3–4 days, which fits a trip. Mosaic fractional laser, microneedle RF and other devices are combined depending on scar type and pore condition. What it cannot do: fully remodel deeper scars in a single session. Send photos before booking; the dermatologist will tell you at consultation how many sessions your scars are likely to need. Results vary.

Clear photos and your travel dates are enough for a first suggestion. Useful to send: front and both side views of your face in daylight, without makeup or filters, plus close-ups of the concern; your travel and flight dates; previous treatments with product or device and date, especially fillers, threads or lifting; medications, allergies and skin conditions; and whether you are pregnant or have a respiratory condition, panic disorder or vitamin B12 deficiency, which affect whether Air NOX can be used. Photos help us suggest options and times, but the plan and price are confirmed only after the dermatologist examines you in Seoul. Send everything on WhatsApp or Instagram.

In Korea, a board-certified dermatologist (피부과 전문의) is a doctor who completed dermatology residency and holds the dermatology specialist qualification, not simply any doctor who offers skin treatments. Non-specialists may also treat skin, so check: a sign reading '○○피부과의원' rather than '○○의원, 진료과목: 피부과' or 'skin clinic'; the dermatology specialist mark at the entrance; and the doctor's listing on the Korean Association of Dermatologists' site (akd.or.kr). At WELLS, consultation, diagnosis and treatment are handled by dermatologists board-certified in Korea, with training at Seoul National University Hospital or Asan Medical Center; consultations are available in English. Full CVs are on our doctors page.

Cosmetic treatments in Korea are not covered by the VAT exemption for medical care, so 10% VAT is added at payment, and many clinics quote prices before VAT. At WELLS, all listed prices are in Korean won and exclude 10% VAT. Example: Thermage MAX 600 shots is ₩3,465,000 plus ₩346,500 VAT, a total of ₩3,811,500. The special VAT refund for foreign tourists on cosmetic procedures ended at the end of 2025; bills to revive it were under review in the National Assembly as of August 2026, so check the current status before you travel. The dermatologist confirms your plan and final price before anything starts.

The CeraXosome Scalp & Hair Program is ₩770,000, excluding 10% VAT, for one in-clinic session plus three months of home care. The visit includes a scalp microbiome test and photos, CeraXosome delivered into the scalp with a fine microneedle system after lidocaine spray, an AQ injection and electromagnetic therapy; you then take three boxes of NMN chews home. In the clinical program, infiltration is repeated every two weeks, so one trip gives one session, and the dermatologist advises how many your case needs. CeraXosome was developed by WELLS's Dr. Won Woo Choi through CutisBio; its follicle data are laboratory (ex vivo) results, and individual results vary.

Choose by the problem rather than by age: Ultherapy for sagging that starts in deeper tissue, Thermage for loose skin, fine lines and loss of firmness. Ultherapy delivers focused ultrasound to the SMAS layer (the layer a surgical facelift tightens), so it suits jawline and lower-face sagging; in thin faces, strong energy reaching the fat layer can hollow the cheeks, so energy is planned carefully. Thermage's monopolar RF heats the dermis to remodel collagen; results may begin after about two weeks and last six to fourteen months. At WELLS, Ultherapy Prime FIT starts at ₩1,925,000 and Thermage MAX at ₩3,465,000 for 600 shots, excluding 10% VAT. The dermatologist decides after 3D analysis.