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I saw that another place was recommending the Gangnam UNNI website https://www.gangnamunni.com/us, but it seems pretty bad. On the main page, I click "Facial Contouring", then "Clinics", and there's only two there -- "Jfeel Clinic" and "Reverse Clinic". After doing more research, these seem like relatively small, unknown clinics. When I click on them, their specialties are extremely basic stuff, IE: "Botox, fillers, lifting, skin, and dieting". I saw that you guys warn about fake info from aggressive clinics & PR companies, but I don't see any info here on how to choose a clinic. Stuff I found from a web search: There are huge 20+ story hospitals dedicated to plastic surgery. These seem like the best options for foreigners looking for major surgeries. Examples: BK hospital https://bkhospital.com/english/. "Offers a full range of procedures with multilingual support." ID hospital https://eng.idhospital.com/ or https://en.idhospital.com/ Specializes in facial bone surgeries https://en.idhospital.com/facial-contouring They advertise Active CCTV cameras and NO shadow doctors. Guide to Getting Plastic Surgery in South Korea as a Foreigner https://medicaltourismabroad.substack.com/p/guide-to-getting-plastic-surgery-in-south-korea-as-a-foreigner - lists BK and ID hospitals. Plastic Surgery in Korea: A Foreigner's Guide https://www.yourkorea.life/blog/health-wellness/plastic-surgery-korea-foreigner-guide-144/ How to Find Safe Plastic Surgery Clinics in Korea https://kculture.com/how-to-find-safe-plastic-surgery-clinics-in-korea/ They have a clinic search, but there are hundreds of results, and I don't see a way to filter them. The info on each clinic/hospital is also very basic. Categorized recommendations: Plastic Surgery in Korea for Foreigners: A Guide to Procedures, Costs & Top Clinics https://us-uk.bookimed.com/article/plastic-surgery-in-korea/ More, with no sorting https://bookclinics.com/republic-of-korea/seoul Medical tourism agency: https://www.beautytherapykorea.com/post/plastic-surgery-korea-guide-foreigners Could make things easier if you're willing to pay more. But a concern I read is that they might push partner clinics. Whatclinic.com: Clinics in Seoul https://www.whatclinic.com/cosmetic-plastic-surgery/south-korea/seoul They have 35 Jaw Contouring Clinics in Seoul (compared to the two from gangnamunni) https://www.whatclinic.com/cosmetic-plastic-surgery/south-korea/seoul/jaw-contouring Pitangui Medical & Beauty: https://www.whatclinic.com/cosmetic-plastic-surgery/south-korea/seoul/pitangui-medical-beauty Lots of good reviews, but most of the links on their website are broken, and the address is different. https://www.pitanguiplasticsurgery.com/ Grand Plastic Surgery: https://www.whatclinic.com/cosmetic-plastic-surgery/south-korea/seoul/grand-plastic-surgery Also has lots of good reviews. Their website is better, but still shows a different address https://eng.grandsurgery.com/about/location.php Only 1 floor vs the whole buildings for BK and ID? But the whatclinic link says "plastic surgery hospital in Korea with a total of 21 floors". AB plastic surgery: https://abplasticsurgerykorea.com/ The first result when I search for "south korea plastic surgery". They have visual representations of their main surgeries: https://abplasticsurgerykorea.com/facial-contouring/chin-tip-surgery JK plastic surgery: https://www.jkplastic.com/en/ Seems to specifically solicit foreign patients They're one of the more expensive clinics, and specialize in eye surgery according to https://seoul.clinic/jk-plastic-surgery-review/

This is what honestly got me looking into it. The price differences are insane and Korea seems to have higher quality standards for it. This is why I asked. It has crossed my mind but I didn't calculate anything. I am quite jealous haha Yeah I think as people have said, it is only worth it if I am already going there for a trip and just happen to get it done. As much as I want to go and do it, I think I will save and plan. Make a vacation out of it.

I am booked for my surgery for the end of June. I have my hotel and everything. I will be heading to South Korea on the 23rd and my surgery day is the 25th. I gave myself a few days to settle in. I am a bit concerned though that I will be spending most of the time there in a hotel because of swelling. I have heard people say some are worse than others but I also see so many people exploring the city they are in after surgery. Won't I look like a mess? LOL

I have had a lot of hair loss in the last 10 years. I would say 50% of my hair has thinned out. My part line is wide, my temples are bald, and my overall thickness is sad. I was looking into options that work for women as a lot of docs do not recommend hair transplants for women due to the nature of female pattern balding. I asked someone on another forum and she suggested looking into scalp stem cell treatments. I found a few local clinics that do offer it but it is $15,000 per session and most people seem to need 2 or 3 minimum. I cannot afford that! I was expecting it to be under $10,000 for multiple sessions Is this something I can get done in South Korea for less? I am not sure if they offer stem cell treatments like this or not.

I wanted to post this as a PSA for new members and anyone considering a clinic in Korea. Most clinics are up to code, registered/licensed, and follow their strict laws but some skirt them. One of the biggest and easiest to spot red flags are a lack of CCTV in the operating rooms. Korea requires this BY LAW. If a clinic does not have cameras in the operating rooms, decline service with them and fine a different clinic.

I don't know about surgeries but for hormone balancing stuff, you could just go to a regular doctor and they sort that. There is no profit or high requests for it. That is why. Most people that get these surgeries are happy.

It sucks cause I don't really see people talking about this online a lot either. I am wondering if this is normal or if I was getting brushed off and need to find a better clinic or something.

I am glad you got to go through the process. I was a bit confused by it. One clinic had me waiting for nearly 45 minutes to do a zoom call with the doctor. He was done with his chat with me in like 5 minutes. It was so fast I felt a bit rushed and uneasy about. I am going to try a few other clinics. I don't want to feel like I am being pushed to the side especially when I am flying all the way out there for surgery of all things. Same experience for me

@mariemarieis right about the botox injections. Tons of people, especially women have seen success with it. The red light therapy works too but from what I understand, the results aren't as good but still decent. I think most people notice 30% regrowth.

I was going to say similar. If there is a market for it, they will have clinics for it. Most people do not seek to reverse these changes because they are happy or they end up getting more surgeries as they go through their journeys.

YES! I was looking into these options myself. My husband's co-worker has a wife that got Botox injections done for her scalp. She had lost hair after having covid-19 and it never came back. So she found a clinic last year that offers it. Within 6 months her hair had filled back in. I saw the pictures!

As far as I know they follow WPATH protocols and do not have anything for "reversing" these surgeries. Some of them can't be reversed at all. I would imagine if there is a trend for it, they will adapt for those trends but most people that get these surgeries seem to be happy with their results and have no regrets

I think you can use them to can an idea of the work the clinics have done but you shouldn't base your decision on them. I have seen a fair number of them that are obviously faked. Like they used AI or something idk.

How long were they? I am curious as I had one recently and I swear it went a lot faster than I thought. I was only on a video chat for maybe 7 minutes. I figured it would be at least a 20 to 30 minute thing but I guess they are busy.

Sorry! I thought I had replied to this. I must have typed it out and not hit send and only realized it. Thanks for the information. I wanted to update and say I have had two virtual consultations and both were great. I just have to decide on the clinic.

I sent you a DM. I am not sure what the rules are for sharing clinics publicly and don't want to get into any trouble on the forum If you have any other questions, feel free to ask there or in here.

I had considered all of these but I don't feel like they line up with me. Is there a chance they just didn't like me or something? lol It is really bothering me. I did end up e-mailing them again but they never responded.

I am not sure if this is a good place to ask but I know a like of kpop stars get work done. They are always so beautiful and attractive. I am mixed race (part Korean) and would love to get work done that is on par with what these people get. I have wanted to appear more Korean honestly. I feel like people confuse what I am too often. Anyways, does anyone know? Or know where I can find this kind of information?

I joined after reading this. I wanted to respond since I had this confusion as well. After having gone through the process, there is an easy answer. When you elect to have surgery of any kind overseas be it plastic or health-related, you are often met with a fee and/or down payment. This is done as a means to not lose revenue if someone decides to not show or flights get delayed. They schedule operations in advance and it is often hard to book late notice operations so they end up losing money. This is a safety net that shows the client is serious and if for whatever reason they do a "no show", they are not losing money for the time scheduled for that person.

I will be honest, this kind of information is often hidden. Doctors won't say anything and the stars that get work done usually don't want people to know. That being said, it is rumored that a number of K-Pop starts have gone to Dream Medical Group/SNSD Clinic. Dr. Jaegwon Wang at Oracle Clinic is said to be one that has worked on a number of them. Again, these are just rumors!

It depends on the surgery. Just ask the doctor or clinic, they will be able to tell you what to expect in terms of recovery time. Some people don't need anything beyond a check-up a few days after and can go home. Others need a week or two for check-ups before they should go home.

This. Also some information about what you asked: I would say most clinics at this point offer free online consultations. These are done via Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime. They will likely request medication information and photos and then talk about what your goals are for your surgery and this can all be done before traveling. As for scheduling, you may have to pay a consultation fee which will be added to your total surgery cost so reserve the time/date of your surgery. This may or may not include a deposit to avoid last minute cancellations from people abroad. Once you have a date set, you will get a basic quote for estimated costs (which can end up being more or less post surgery depending on various things), sign forms, and you may need to get medical clearance from a local doctor which includes blood work and a physical exam a week or two out from surgery. Most clinics require you to stay in the destination for at least two weeks post-surgery to ensure proper recovery and attend follow-up appointments, and some offer all-inclusive packages to simplify the process making it easy for people traveling from far away nations.

You can get botox in Korea as low as $20 a session compared to what I have seen in the US - the cheapest being $250, that is a massive savings! I am only just looking into this but based on what I have read, it seems worth it for the cost alone. You have to consider the travel cost however so making it more of a vacation than just a trip for botox is probably more worth it.

This is what I have heard, yes! Some clinics will do pictures and adjust them to show you want it would look like from various angles. It makes it easier to get an idea of what you'd see when looking in the mirror.

It is known as "Plastic Surgery Capital of the World" for a reason! You will find the best doctors, get the best services, and have the best experience finding a doctor in this location. People from around the world go here. It was the first area I looked into when trying to find a doctor.

It isn't normal but it isn't not normal. Every clinic is different. Some will have one doctor that does everything, others will have specialized doctors that do only certain surgeries. It is not unheard of so nothing to worry about!

I would have assumed that a BBL would be substantially more than a standard lift but I guess I am not familiar enough with the surgery. Is it a combination of a lift and implant?

A standard BBL tends to be the most expensive averaging around $10,000. Implants are around $8,000 on average. A standard lift tends to be around $4,000 to $6,000.

It would probably help to use "Gynecomastia Reduction" when looking around. That is the medical term. I was looking for enhancement work but did see WJ Wonjin Plastic Surgery offers what you are looking for.

This. You have to understand that this sort of surgery only offers a temporary fix and in some cases it can't be repeated. So once the sagging returns, it is there for good. You would have to get looked over by a surgeon to know if it would be a good surgery or not.

This is what I hear and also have read online. You will either get as good of a job or better. I find their aftercare to be above and beyond compared to the US, Canada, etc. so I would absolutely choose Korea if I were getting breast implants.

The quality is on par with the US, and in same cases better. Overall it is better imo. You end up spending up to 50% less money for the same quality but many Korean clinics also have more comprehensive aftercare that is included in the total cost. Things like lymphatic massage, scar treatment, and stem cell therapy can be included in the package which is amazing. You will be hard-pressed to find this sort of thing included for free in the US!

Check this this reply I did earlier it might shed some light on planning:

It depends on how much time you're going to have. With only 10 days, it's better to reach out and probably decide on a clinic and book surgery. The first thing is to find out what the treatment cycle is like for what you want to have. Example: Rhinoplasty treatment cycle is about 8 days. Prep and consult day: 1 Day 2 – Surgery Day 3 – Follow-up Day 4 – Recovery / rest Day 5 – Follow-up Day 6 – Recovery / rest Day 7 – Recovery / rest Day 8 – Stitch removal and post consult Now factor in travel days (arrival / departure), that's about 2 days. That's a 10-day trip if you already have the surgery day locked in. If you plan to consult with a few places first and then decide, you have to factor in consult days. Maybe you need 2 to 3 days to consult. Then factor in the delta or difference between your decision and the next available surgery date. Let's assume this can range between 3 to 7 days. Now factor in travel days (arrival / departure), that's about 2 days. So if you want to consult first and then decide, on the low end you need about 14 days, and on the high end about 19 days.

I read this on another site. A lot of people say this. You do not want to be fresh from a surgery on a long flight!! I am not sure how long I will need but I am intending on staying at least 3 or 4 days after just to be sure.

Geurim Plastic Surgery in Gangnam tends to be at the top of the list for a lot of people. I have not had this work done but I do know someone who has gone to this clinic and had great results. You can look up reviews and before/after pictures. It is much cheaper in Korea as well.

There are a number of things you can do. You want to meet face to face with your surgeon if/when possible to confirm their credentials, name, etc. You can made sure they are board certified by the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. You may also be able to check this in the US (if you are in America) via the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Another common one is to request footage of your surgery. Beginning in 2021, Korea has a law that mandates any operation under anesthesia has to be recorded via cameras in the rooms and patients can request the footage and it must be provided. Red flags include extremely low costs for surgeries, allowing or outright skipping in-person consultations, and receiving uninformative, vague, or questionable answers when you raise concerns about your surgery.

Hi everyone, It's been quite some time and I wanted to provide an update about my surgeries, especially since I feel it's quite rare within this community to see follow ups after years. Quick recap: Nose: is fine. it's definitely gone down a lot, but it seems more of a natural drop than a complication. I have not experienced any complications with it. However, I am keeping an eye out that it may happen anytime due to the silicone, and am prepared to do DCF in America for revision in the future. Eyes: I am relatively dissatisfied with the one eye I mentioned. What happened is that my eyes healed differently, and one eye is more almond shaped, and the line is slightly lower, and the other eye (the one I'm not happy about) is rounded, with a thicker line. My eyeliner needs to be slightly adjusted for both, and to me, its very obvious that my eyes are actually different shapes and sizes. I say sizes because as the round eye's line is higher, my eye has become bigger. However, I will say with makeup and on certain days (lol), the difference isn't really that discernable. Obviously though to me, it is. My eyes were always a bit different in size, but when I was monolidded, the difference wasn't this big as the shape was the same (almond eyes). I plan on getting revision DES within the next 2 years back in Korea, looking for specialists who are skilled with my eyes as now it's become a bit more complicated. My eyes are still a bit fatty, which contributes to my line looking dark (and as a result, obvious that I got work done). While in Korea, I also plan on getting other treatments done (ulthera/shurink, filler, botox, fat dissolving injections), and will write up a review as well. I am actually unopposed to working with Luho, but only if I can get the main doctor, Park Il as he is very skilled with my situation. I will look for other doctors as well and am looking to do some preliminary research. I also want to state that I do think I have become prettier than I was pre-surgery. I don't think my eyes, despite its unevenness and my qualms, have made me uglier or wish I didn't get the work in the first place. Happy to answer any questions, but will not share photos out of privacy concerns.

I am paranoid about ending up with a ghost doctor. I have read horror stories online and while I know it is more rare now as Korea is cracking down on a lot of these fake docs, I am still concerned. Are there signs to look out for, like red flags and such to let me know a doctor is not legit? I read that it was estimated around 100,000 people were victims of ghost surgery between 2008 and 2014 alone. I have for sure already decided to get my work done in Korea, I just want to narrow down my options and make sure I don't have any regrets.

I am looking to get some work done but I am still in the early stages. I am wondering if there are clinics that offers virtual consultations prior to making the trip to Korea to get an idea of what I can do to improve my facial structure. I was looking into mini facelifts as someone I know from another forum had her face done and it looks amazing! Is there any way to find this information? Is it something that is offered as a standard for international patients?

Both my consultations were about an hour but when I spoke to the doctor directly, it was about 10 to 15 minutes. The rest of the time I was speaking with other people that handle all the information.

That is the part I liked about it. You didn't feel like you were stuck without anything. If you wanted to stay in and cook a meal, you could. Made things so much easier

I don't want to pull you away from seeking out better options but are you sure you tried EVERYTHING? I had a friend who thought she did. Ivermectin (Solantra), azelaic acid, sulfur, zinc, etc. etc. but she never tried niacinamide. I actually got her buying a Korean ointment I use for adult acne and it got her rosacea under control so much in under 2 weeks she doesn't even wear make-up anymore. If you are curious it is called Dr.Althea 345 Relief Cream. Might be worth trying

The more I look into this, the more I think you are correct. Everyone and everything I read says to take extra time in case it is needed. Some people have mentioned not needing to stay as long and just changing their return flights at no cost. So that is an option. Sorry for the late response. I have been busy but I have still been looking into everything. This forum has been a huge help!

It has been an annoying process for me too. You are not alone. I feel like I am being pulled in different directions. A lot of useful information online about this will give you the basics but they leave so much information out. It is exhausting. I am happy I found this forum. Hoping to get some help myself.

You'd be surprised by the number of people that know English in South Korea. The only other place I had gone where more people know English than not was the Philippines. It is very common for other nations, especially in areas where a lot of foreigners travel to, to have more people that speak English. It is good for business

I have contacted this clinic. It is one of 4 or 5 I have contacted. This one took awhile to hear back from. I am not sure why. But they seem to be legit to me. I was asking around and found someone that I work with whose family member had gone to this clinic for some skin issue and her results were excellent.

It seems a lot of people are not aware of this so you are not alone I am just glad to be of help. I know looking into this stuff can be a bit overwhelming and confusing. You just want to make sure you are safe and getting your money's worth.

Usually you go home the same day although some people might be asked to stay overnight. I don't think you have to worry about an extended stay. Just make sure you go early enough to allow for meeting with doctors and then time to rest before hopping back on a plane so you aren't miserable.

Hi there, I’m a female in my 40s heading to Seoul in September for lower eyelid transconjunctival surgery. Actually, some online consultations have suggested full lower bleph, but I'm only interested in the transconjunctival approach. I have two top choices and only want one more, but it's too much information and overwhelming. So far, online chats with: Wink(Dr. Seunghyup Choi) Link (Dr.Jung) Luho(Dr. Park) Roi (Dr. Young) Etonne (Dr. Cho) Note: Didn’t talk to the doctors. Just texts with consultants, but these are the doctors I'm paired with if interested in F2F consultations. Prices range from 2,6 to 5,5 mil KRW (don't want to get specific because different quotes for different recommendations). Wondering if anyone has experience with any of these clinics or doctors, even if not for this specific surgery. Much appreciated.