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What is beauty tourism?
If you aren’t in-the-know about skin care, makeup, and aesthetic beauty treatments, then you might be unfamiliar with the juggernaut that is the Korean beauty industry. I’ll briefly explain what beauty tourism is and which treatments are worth it before explaining what I myself got done while spending 5 weeks in Seoul (and how much it all cost).
Korean beauty standards have interested me for several years as I studied this topic quite in depth for my master’s thesis (titled “Persistent Lookism: An Analysis of Discrimination against Cleft Individuals in Countries of Different Economic Standings” – this focused on how beauty standards in various countries can affect people with visible facial deformities). In recent years Seoul has been dubbed the plastic surgery capital of the world, but the types of treatments you can get to enhance and improve your appearance are endless and are not limited to procedures that require you to go under the knife.
It is generally agreed upon by beauty editors that the Korean beauty industry is 10 years ahead of the western beauty industry. 1 in 5 women in Seoul have had plastic surgery (The Economist), and being gifted “eyelids” or a “nose” for middle school and high school graduation is not uncommon. High demand and a common public opinion that if something can be fixed, you should fix it, ensures that plastic surgery is significantly cheaper than it is in the United States. Aside from plastic surgery, both men and women often have standing weekly appointments to get lasering, micro needling, and various other treatments to keep their skin in tip-top shape.
Beauty tourism by definition is the practice of traveling to another country to get beauty treatments, and Seoul is one of the best cities to make the trek to due to its well-regarded reputation and relatively cheap prices. The general idea behind this type of tourism is that it is more cost-effective (and enjoyable) to get both a trip and various procedures for the same price you would pay for just the procedures in the U.S.
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Now for the fun part – what I myself had done and how much I paid
To be completely honest, I went into my month in Seoul anticipating getting quite a few things done but ultimately decided against a lot of it. My primary concern has always been my skin as I have struggled with acne on-and-off since I started college over six years ago; more recently I began seeing a lot of hyperpigmentation and scarring around my mouth and nose so I wanted to get a laser treatment that focused primarily on minimizing those issues. After consulting with doctors and estheticians there, I decided on getting several Fraxel laser treatments. Fraxel is a resurfacing laser that aims to improve tone, texture, and lessen the appearance of pores. My skin in particular was not a candidate for treatments that involved micro needling (as it is not advised to do this with active breakouts since it can spread bacteria and make breakouts worse), otherwise I would’ve done those treatments as well.
I received three sessions of Fraxel – two in February at the beginning and end of my Airbnb month and once in May when I stopped in Seoul on my way back to the States. For reference, getting three sessions of Fraxel in New York would cost between $3,500-$4,200 USD… and what did I pay in Seoul to have the exact same treatment? $147 USD for all three. That’s it. Each treatment was only $49 USD at the reputable and popular clinic I visited. Hopefully this sheds a little bit of light on why beauty tourism to Korea is so popular and why it is 100% worth it if you already plan on spending a lot of money to receive these treatments in the U.S. or another western country anyways. Aside from my Fraxel treatments, I had several other types of less harsh lasers, various unique facials, two full-body laser hair removal sessions, and a Korean perm (which is hands down the BEST money I have ever spent).
Here is where I received each treatment-
- Muse Clinic (Gangnam)- Fraxel laser, Pico toning laser, aloe facial
- Ppeum Global (Gangnam)- Laser hair removal, oxygen facial
- Park Jun Beauty Lab (Cheongdam)- Korean perm
Muse Clinic and Ppeum Global are popular amongst foreigners because they are quick and efficient while still providing high quality services; however, it is important to note that getting a treatment here is nothing like getting a facial done in the states. It is almost set up like an assembly line of sorts, with numerous beds lined up next to one another and tons of estheticians buzzing around and moving between clients. The goal here is not relaxation, so if you want a relaxing facial, I would look elsewhere. The only time I spent in private rooms was during any laser treatment that required more space and privacy.
I had great experiences at both clinics, but if you go into it thinking it will be a private appointment then you will be disappointed. During my first trip to Seoul in 2022 I had a wonderful facial at Shangpree Spa which was extremely relaxing (and high-end) so I would consider them if that’s what you’re going for. This was significantly more expensive and comparable price-wise to a facial in the U.S.
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Other treatments I considered getting-
I am going to be completely honest and say that I am a BABY when it comes to needles. I have to get blood drawn every three months (which I somehow don’t mind at all), but something about shots and injections give me the heebie jeebies. During my numerous trips to Korea I have considered lip filler, baby botox on my forehead, and Rejuran, which is a popular Korean injection used to achieve the “glass skin” effect. I unfortunately focus a lot on how small my upper lip looks from my side profile, so I considered getting filler while visiting once because I believe Korean filler looks much more natural than typical American filler. I still think that would’ve looked really nice and, honestly, the only reason I didn’t get it was because I couldn’t get over my fear of needles (lol). It is significantly cheaper there and, again, I prefer their more natural style of filler so maybe I’ll work up the courage next time I go. I do already (unfortunately) have very small but still largely unnoticeable wrinkles on my forehead, so I have considered getting a minuscule amount of botox as a preventative measure. I decided against this because I am still extremely young and I am worried that starting too young might have adverse effects in the long run. Lastly, Rejuran – this is one of the most recent Korean innovations that has become extremely popular in the last few years. This is essentially a magical injection that supposedly transforms the look of your skin and helps you achieve the poreless, glowy look that you’ve (probably) always wanted. However, it is supposed to be EXTREMELY painful. If you have never heard of it before, please watch videos of people’s injection experiences on YouTube or TikTok. As someone who already has a low pain tolerance and the aforementioned pesky fear of needles, this was a no-go for me. Maybe I’ll be brave enough to get it done during my next visit (I definitely won’t be).
Something I really appreciate about the endless options within modern beauty treatments is having the ability to enhance your features without having to alter them, and Korean clinics manage to pull this off extremely well. I’ve never considered any kind of plastic surgery and likely won’t ever, but if I was ever going to then I would strongly consider finding a reputable surgeon in Seoul to do it. If you’re planning a trip to Seoul and have ever thought about trying any of these treatments, I’d say go for it – it’s totally worth it. Besides, who doesn’t want a great excuse to visit one of the coolest cities in the world?
