Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
'Botox not only helps shape face but cure hyperhidrosis'
Song Youn-jee, a dermatologist at Honestar Clinic / Courtesy of Honestar Clinic
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
For many foreign patients, the greatest allure of Korea's cosmetic surgery is its quality. With the prospect of better treatment and recovery, they visit the country for both invasive and non-invasive procedures.
“The advanced techniques and treatments in Korea are more encouraging to patients,” said Song Youn-jee, a dermatologist, citing that the quality of treatment is much more important than the volume of customers.
Regarding the growing number of Chinese clients bound for Korea for plastic surgery, Song said her clinic houses both English-speaking and Chinese-speaking consultants who walk the patient through the treatment process by providing explanations and answering questions.
According to her, the most popular procedures include skin Botox, dermal filler, acne removal and laser pigmentation treatment.
“Patients, of which range from mid-20s to 40s, focus primarily on measures to combat aging,” Song said.
Another striking fact is that an increasing number of men have become open-minded about getting cosmetic surgery.
“Men care a lot about their looks nowadays. Some want to remove acne while others search for hair removal treatments to look younger,” she said.
Out of a wide array of non-surgical procedures, Botox injections have strict technical requirements, which have been overlooked by those who attach more importance to looks than health. Botox is usually recommended to smooth out wrinkles and creases around the eyes and mouth and on the forehead.
“Although there is no minimum age limit for Botox, I recommend getting it as an adult,” Song said. “I think it's dangerous for those under age 18 to start taking injections.”
She stated that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also states that “Botox is not recommended for use in children younger than 18 years of age.”
Song explained there are about seven types (A to G) of Botox, and among them Botulinum toxin type A is a safe and effective method for treating facial hyperhidrosis, better known as excessive sweating.
Careless operations and exaggerated advertising can threaten the country's beauty-loving people, but Song is optimistic about the future of Korea's non-surgical procedures.
She also mentioned that Korean manufacturers of Botox are enjoying an increasing share in the global market due to their high quality and reasonable prices.
“As a dermatologist, I am proud of the fact that Korean Botox products are being well-received in overseas markets and their exports are rising each year,” Song said.
“Although the market standard is extremely high, Korean products have proven themselves to meet the tricky demand with a reasonable price.”