Cosmetic Procedures & Dermatology in Korea Part III: The Results

ATTENTION: 

This post contains before and after images of the procedures I had done.  They are not graphic, but are cropped, close-up, and high-definition images of skin and hair, including some near the bikini area.

So was it worth it?!  For those of you who have been following my skin care and cosmetic journey, you're likely already aware of the procedures I had done two months ago.  For those who aren't you can catch up on my first post detailing my search for a clinic, and my second post detailing what the actual procedures and process were like.

So let's get into it!  At the end of November, I scheduled a variety of appointments at Dr. Han & Woo's Skin Clinic with Dr. Geun-soo Lee.  He performed the following:

• Broken red blood vessel removal with the Starlux laser
• Botox injections in the forehead
• Laser hair removal on my underarms and bikini with the Candela laser

And down in the aesthetics center I had a facial for the removal of milia.  Dr. Lee only works in the laser center, so even though he did my consultation and I booked my facial through him, I was directed to a professional in that area for the actual service.  Anyway!  My results were as follows:

Red Blood Vessel Removal
Area: Face
Equipment used: Starlux laser
Happy?: Yes, very!

Before and after, from left to right.

This was really effective for me!  I initially wanted to spot treat some really obvious areas (two of which you can see just below my curve of my nostril, and then off to the left on my cheek), but Dr. Lee treated the inner area of my nose as well.  I didn't even realize this was all from blood vessels, but the treatment with the Starlux laser was definitely effective!  I hardly even need my green tinted primer anymore.  My cheeks still have a bit of general red, but that's something to be treated with a mini-Fraxel session or IPL on another day.  My only complaint about this is that this area on the bridge of my nose is still red and there's one tiny spot near my eye that we missed, but my nose might not be broken blood vessels and may therefore need a different kind of treatment, like my cheek.

Cosmetic Procedures & Dermatology in Korea Part II: The Procedures

Alright.  So you've done your research, picked your clinic, and have scheduled your appointment for your cosmetic services in Korea.  (If you haven't done so yet, read my first post on plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology services in Korea for foreigners!)  For my first round of procedures, I chose Dr. Woo and Hann's Skin Clinic (우태하 한승경 피부과) located in Galweol, Yongsan.  Since I live about 5 hours from Seoul, I came up Friday night and scheduled a Saturday morning appointment.  For convenience, I stayed at the Kimchee Seoul Station Guesthouse since it's located right behind the clinic.

Saturday morning, I rolled out of bed (no makeup allowed!) and around the corner to the clinic.  At 9am, clients had already begun to filter in.  I checked in on the 3rd floor (Laser Center) for my 9:30 appointment.  The staff was very prompt, and had me pay before beginning any of my treatments that day.  After having a quick second consultation with Dr. Lee to recap our plan for the day, I was taken into the Laser Center area itself.  There, a woman who spoke English very well took me to a small locker room and gave me a gown and a robe to change into.  Everything was very neat and tidy, and was split between two rooms.  The main area was a powder room with sinks, toiletries, and a large mirror while the other, smaller area was for changing.  The changing area had around 12 large lockers in which guests could safely store their clothing and belongings while receiving treatments.  The assistant told me to wash my face as well, but because I didn't have any makeup on, she said just rinsing with water was fine.

Good morning!  This is the pink (under layer) and blue (top layer) robe set I was given to wear.

TIP: Don't wear makeup if anything on your face is being treated!
You'll just have to wash it all off anyway, and they only provide soap to do so.
My skin is pretty sensitive, so washing with soap is a pretty big no-no. 

As I would be having laser hair removal on my bikini, I undressed completely under the gown and robe.  If you're having treatments where they'll need to access your arms or underarms, make sure they give you a pink under layer that is sleeveless!  The blue robe with sleeves goes over the pink, and there are slippers located underneath the link.

When I stepped back out of the locker room, my "guide" was ready with another assistant to escort me down the hall to one of the treatment rooms.  The first room I was taken to wasn't particularly large in size, but was equipped with a medical reclining chair and some equipment.  My second assistant didn't speak much English, but I discovered the purpose of this room was to apply all of the numbing cream in my treatment areas.  She covered my underarms, bikini line (awkward!), and forehead.  The broken blood vessels to be treated on my face were not numbed.  When she finished, I was left to sit for 30 minutes while the cream took effect.

Sitting and waiting for my treatment to start...

TIP: You can bring your phone with you.  Both my gown and robe had pockets,
and I was really bored sitting for 30 minutes with nothing to do!

After thumbing through a few of the Korean fashion magazines stacked beside me, my quiet assistant returned and scraped off all of the cream.  She then took me to a similar, neighboring room for the broken blood vessel treatment.  Dr. Lee came in with yet another assistant, and they got right to work.  If there's one thing I'll say about Dr. Woo & Hann's Skin Clinic, it's that they're a very well-oiled machine!  Here's how my treatments went:

Cosmetic Procedures & Dermatology in Korea Part I: The Consultations

One of the many floor-to-ceiling ads that plasters the walls of Sinsa Station.
Caption reads: "Perfect! Looking beautiful."

Often lauded as the "Plastic Surgery Capital of the World," South Korea has become notorious for its obsession with picking out and correcting flaws--especially in women.  The country controls a whopping 16 trillion of the world's 21 trillion market share--that's 76% of the industry on a global scale!  South Korea doesn't have the highest number of people getting plastic surgery (they're still topped by the USA and Brazil [PDF]), but they do have the highest rate of plastic surgery per capita.  It is often the expertise and wide variety of cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists that draws thousands of foreigners to South Korea, expressly for their services, each year.  In 2014 alone, 336,224 foreigners visited cosmetic clinics in Korea. While there are plenty of plastic surgery options for foreigners in South Korea, over 70% of the foreigners from the 2014 statistic were from China.

Yes, this is the same woman.
Some Chinese tourists have been held up by airport security for not resembling their passports
after having plastic surgery in Korea!

South Korea, being an Asian country with a predominantly Asian population, is specifically known for its technical expertise in operations and procedures for classically Asian features.  While there are many English articles that suggest traveling to South Korea for cosmetic work, I think this is an incredibly important distinction for anyone with non-Asian features interested in getting work done here.  It's imperative that if you are planning on having an invasive (re: surgical) procedure that you find a doctor that has extensive experience working with features similar to yours.

This warning should also extend to anyone with fair hair or darker skin who is interested in laser skin and hair treatments, as many South Korean doctors have worked almost exclusively with patients who have fair skin and dark hair.  The other day a blonde-haired girl in a women's expat group said she had been contacting Korean doctors about electrolysis, and couldn't find anyone who offered services.  Common laser hair removal methods aren't effective on light hair, but because the doctors here rarely work with blonde clients for laser hair removal, they typically don't see a high demand for alternative methods.

Alright, so let's say you're interested in non-invasive cosmetic procedures (non-Asian features won't be a factor), you have fair skin and dark hair (unique treatment methods won't be a factor) and you've traveled to or live in South Korea.  Hello, you are me.

Actually, this is me.  Like, straight up; without makeup or editing.  Hello, internet!