Lifting and petit treatments mostly settle; contour or eye/nose surgery is at 50-70% recovery. Cold packs and a high pillow help.

Next day for non-surgical treatments; about 2 weeks after stitch removal for incision areas.

Walks after 1 week, cardio after 2, sauna and alcohol after 1 month.

General — Sun protection is essential after any laser treatment. Always apply sunscreen to prevent pigmentation and discoloration. Washing your face and wearing makeup are usually fine from the next day, and any redness, itching or stinging settles within a few hours (moisturize generously). If a scab forms, don't pick at it — keep it moisturized and let it fall off naturally. Melasma, blemishes, tattoo removal and hair removal aren't done in one session and require several rounds. If blisters appear, tell the clinic and your personal manager right away.

After laser — Skin can become dry, so moisturize well and avoid harsh toner pads or at-home exfoliation.

Mole & tattoo removal — There may be minor bleeding, so a regenerating tape is applied; replace it with a fresh one as it weeps (about 2 weeks to 1 month). Pigment deep in the skin can rise, so the spot may reappear — a repeat treatment is done once it has fully healed. For one week afterward, avoid strenuous exercise, jjimjilbang, saunas and alcohol.

Hair removal — Irritated follicles can lead to folliculitis (apply the prescribed ointment in a thin layer). Between sessions, no waxing, tanning or tweezing.

General — Washing your face is fine, but heavy drinking, smoking, meridian massage and strenuous exercise can trigger inflammation, so avoid them for 3~5 days. Bruising, swelling, tenderness and dimpling ease within a few days, and you may feel a slight foreign-body sensation. Pressure on the treated area (hats, glasses, sleeping position, massage) can shift the result, so take care, and if antibiotics are prescribed, take them exactly as directed. We'll call the next day to check on you — please be sure to answer. If you notice severe pain, fever, skin-color changes or blisters, contact us immediately.

Filler — Results and how long they last vary with your skin and volume; a first treatment can swell more and last a shorter time.

Thread lifting — The absorbable medical threads dissolve gradually over about 6 months while stimulating collagen. If a thread pokes out or shows through, the clinic can fix it easily — just let us know. Any awkwardness when opening your mouth or making expressions improves with time.

Skin boosters · Glow injections — Because the injections sit shallowly in the dermis, a bumpy 'embossing' effect can appear, and injection marks may last as long as about a week.

General — Washing your face and wearing makeup are fine the same day. Avoid heavy drinking, meridian massage and strenuous exercise for 3~5 days, and skip heat on the treated area (hot compresses, radiofrequency, etc.) for 3~5 days, as it can reduce the effect. A stiff or tingling feeling comes as the muscle relaxes and improves within a month.

Jaw (masseter) · Salivary gland — Avoid hard or chewy foods, which can build compensatory muscle. If your mouth feels dry, stay well hydrated.

Wrinkles · Skin Botox — If you tend to use your forehead muscles a lot, your eyes may feel heavy to open afterward (light massage or a warm compress helps). Any unnatural feeling in your expressions eases within a week.

Body Botox · Hyperhidrosis — After calf or thigh treatment, you may feel leg numbness or weakness between 2~4 weeks, so take care with high heels, stairs and driving. Try not to carry heavy loads or bags on one side, and any grip weakness after palm-hyperhidrosis treatment recovers within a few days.

Contouring · Fat-dissolving injections — Massage gently for 2~3 days so the solution spreads evenly. Flushing and slight menstrual-cycle changes are temporary; tingling, itching and warmth can last about a month, and massage or a warm compress helps.

General — Throbbing or a hot sensation after treatment settles within a few hours. Skin can get dry, so moisturize well. Lifting results appear gradually over 2~4 weeks rather than instantly, and both the effect and its duration depend on your skin's elasticity, sagging and thickness. If blisters appear, let us know right away.

Radiofrequency · Ultrasound lifting — It's best to avoid cold compresses and cold-water washing for 2~3 days so the skin's warmth lingers. A little bleeding or scabbing can occur after some treatments, so keep moisturizing. Pairing contouring injections or skin boosters adds synergy for fat management and skin texture — we'll advise on combining them during your consultation.

In 2025, foreign visitors' spending at Olive Young broke past 1,000,000,000,000 KRW. The most-carted picks: Torriden Dive-In Serum (~15,000 KRW), VT Reedle Shot (25,000~35,000 KRW), Beauty of Joseon's clear rice sunscreen — a no-white-cast favorite in Western markets (~15,000 KRW), Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, and BIODANCE collagen masks at around 4,000 KRW a sheet. The global-flagship store in Myeongdong is easiest for tourists, with multilingual service and fast tax-refund processing.

Most cost under 5,000 KRW, and the twist is that big brands release small-size, Daiso-only lines. Standouts: the Daiso edition of VT Reedle Shot (a sell-out sensation), Sungboon Editor's Green Tomato pore serum with 6,040,000 bottles sold to date, Son & Park's Art Spread Color Balm — gone viral as a 'luxury lip-balm dupe' — and Medi-Peel peel-off masks. It pairs perfectly with Olive Young for a half-day shopping run.

Sesin — scrubbing away full-body dead skin with an Italy towel at a jjimjilbang — is one of the most talked-about K-beauty experiences for foreigners. Soak in the hot pool for at least 30 minutes to soften up before you start, and speak up right away if it hurts. Intensive moisturizing afterward is a must. One caveat: never scrub a treated area right after a procedure — wait a week after lasers or injections, and follow your clinic's guidance after surgery.

The best time to recover is the mild, low-UV stretch from October to February. Pairing an autumn-foliage trip with lasers or lifting is popular. Cherry-blossom season (March~April) suits gentle procedures like skin boosters and glow injections, but watch out for yellow dust and fine particulates. November~January is Korea's peak season, so bookings fill up fast, and the hot, humid months of June~August aren't recommended for surgical-level procedures.

Korean clinics really do recommend certain foods during recovery. Pumpkin juice and pumpkin porridge are rich in vitamin A and potassium, helping flush out sodium to ease swelling, while seaweed soup is Korea's classic mineral-rich recovery dish (it's also what new mothers eat). After jaw or contouring procedures, soft porridges like abalone or sweet-pumpkin porridge are the standard meal. For protein, reach for tofu, steamed egg and white fish; for swelling, bananas. On the flip side, alcohol (at least 4 weeks), spicy and salty food, and too much caffeine slow recovery — save the tteokbokki as a reward for once you've healed. ※ This is general guidance; your clinic's instructions come first.

The '10-step Korean skincare routine' famous abroad is really closer to a frame built by overseas marketing. Koreans' real habits are about principles, not step counts: double-cleansing morning and night, daily sunscreen even indoors, patting toner in by hand instead of using cotton pads, sheet masks 2~3 times a week that cost just ₩2,000~4,000 each so there's no guilt in using them, and a culture of visiting the dermatologist as regularly as the hair salon. The core philosophy is 'prevent with moisture and sun protection,' not 'attack once a problem appears.'

There are free experience stores that are a joy even if you buy nothing. In Seongsu, there's Amore Seongsu with its robotic skin diagnosis and cleansing rooms, and the gallery-like Tamburins flagship. In Myeongdong, the immersive SKIN1004 store, the 3CE Cinema, and Olive Young Myeongdong Town with its speedy multilingual service. In Gangnam and Bukchon, the Sulwhasoo Dosan flagship where you can book a spa, and Sulwhasoo's House Bukchon, which wraps your purchases in bojagi cloth inside a hanok. String them together half a day at a time — Seongsu (experience) → Myeongdong (shopping) → Gangnam (procedures) — for a wonderful beauty-travel course.

87% of international patients flock to Seoul, with over half choosing Gangnam-gu. Each district offers a unique experience: Sinsa-Apgujeong is a 'Plastic Surgery Belt' centered around large hospitals, Cheongdam specializes in high-end anti-aging, the Gangnam Station area offers cost-effective laser and Botox, and Myeongdong combines shopping with dermatology clinics. During your recovery, low-intensity walking courses like Dosan Park, Garosu-gil, and Han River Park are all within easy walking distance. All KBEAU partner hospitals are conveniently located within these areas, ensuring minimal travel.

The 'straight shoulders' that make a dress line sing are created with trapezius Botox — 30~60 minutes, with almost no downtime, peak effect at 2~4 weeks and lasting 4~6 months, making it popular with anyone ahead of a wedding or photoshoot. The V-line — that so-called 'idol jawline' — usually combines masseter Botox, ultrasound lifting and thread lifting, and there's also baby Botox, placed subtly to keep your expressions natural. We'll go over the exact procedures and prices in a free consultation.

The dewy 'mulgwang' look — known abroad as glass skin — is usually created with a combination of Rejuran (PDRN) skin boosters + hyaluronic-acid glow injections + LED therapy. Each session runs 90~120 minutes with short downtime, so it fits well alongside a travel itinerary, and after a 3~4-session program, maintenance every 2~3 months is typical. Check detailed price ranges with a self-quote.

The fiber and B vitamins in multigrain rice, the moisture and minerals in doenjang and seaweed soups, the antioxidants in namul side dishes, right down to fermented kimchi — built from grains, soups, greens and ferments, the everyday Korean diet is a balanced way of eating that keeps skin healthy over time, no special regimen required.

Protein-rich white fish, tofu and eggs aid wound healing, while vitamin-C-rich kiwi, strawberries and bell peppers support collagen synthesis to speed scar recovery. For swelling, reach for potassium-rich bananas and mature pumpkin; for inflammation, salmon and nuts are good. Steer clear of spicy and salty food, alcohol and excess caffeine while you're recovering.

The catechins in green tea curb skin aging and inflammation, while the vitamin C in yuja tea helps with brightening and firmness. Jujube tea boosts circulation for a clearer complexion, and cassia-seed and barley teas aid waste elimination to ease swelling. During post-procedure recovery, we recommend a warm cup of low-caffeine jujube or cassia-seed tea.

Sheet masks are a popular gift, and gentle, soothing toners and creams are great for skin left sensitive after a procedure. Snail creams and CICA products are especially recommended for recovery, being effective at renewal and calming. Before you go, check the Olive Young app for foreigner discount coupons.

CICA cream that excels at calming skin, vitamin-C serum effective for brightening and blemishes, collagen ampoules for firmness, and lightweight, no-white-cast sunscreens. Lately, plenty of regenerating ampoules and masks that aid post-procedure recovery have launched too, and many shoppers pick them up alongside their clinic visit.

A deep, wide-brimmed bucket hat hides the face without pressing on the treated area, making it great for recovery. For masks, choose a 3D style with soft ear loops that doesn't cling to your face. After nose or chin procedures, a roomy size is important to avoid irritating the wound.

With a passport in hand, foreign tourists get instant tax-free benefits at department stores and duty-free shops, and even regular-store purchases can be refunded at the airport via Tax Refund. Present your passport at payment, keep the tax-free paperwork, and use the refund counter before you go through departure.

Brands with mild ingredients and a calming effect suit post-procedure recovery, while brands with functional ingredients are right for specific concerns like brightening or wrinkles. We recommend testing samples in-store or at Olive Young and choosing the brand that fits your skin type.

Yes — every consultation, quote and itinerary before you decide is free. You pay the clinic directly, and KBEAU makes sure nothing is added beyond the written quote.

Dedicated managers in Korean, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Japanese and English accompany you from consultation to treatment-day interpretation and post-return follow-ups.

We personally verify credentials, licensing, international patient experience and aftercare systems before signing any clinic.

We guide you through short-stay visas/K-ETA and issue clinic booking confirmations. Flights and hotels can be bundled as a package.

You pay the procedure fee directly at the clinic. Major credit cards, Alipay and WeChat Pay (varies by clinic) and cash are accepted, and we'll confirm the payment methods with you in advance at the quote stage.

During your stay we connect you to the clinic immediately; after returning home, photo-based remote follow-ups and priority rebooking are supported.

Yes. From airport pickup to accompaniment on procedure day to recovery check-ins, a personal manager is with you throughout — which is why solo women travelers are our most common guests.

It depends on the procedure. Skin boosters, toning and petit procedures need same day to 1 night; lifting, 1~2 nights; and double-eyelid or nose surgery, 5~7 days through suture removal. We'll include a recommended schedule for each procedure at the quote stage.

We recommend no alcohol or smoking for 2 weeks beforehand, and stopping any medications or supplements that affect circulation. Please tell us about your medications and allergies in advance during the consultation. For details, see the before-and-after precautions page.

VAT refunds on cosmetic procedures ended in January 2026. Shopping (cosmetics etc.) is still refund-eligible (instant in-store refund up to ₩1,000,000 per purchase) — bring your passport. When comparing quotes, always check whether prices include VAT.

KBEAU partners are government-registered clinics that pass our checks: the named specialist operates in person, an anesthesiologist is on the team, and operating rooms have CCTV. Registered patient-facilitation clinics are also legally required to carry medical liability insurance.

Standard travel insurance generally excludes planned cosmetic procedures and their complications. We can point you to dedicated medical-travel insurance and help issue English medical records and receipts.

October–February — cool weather and weak UV — is best for recovery. Note that Nov–Jan is Korea's peak season, so book 2–3 months ahead; hot, humid June–August is not ideal for surgical procedures.

Of course. We'll plan your companions' itinerary (sightseeing, shopping) too, and we'll advise on clinic waiting areas and hotels for companions.

July-only events from 8 partner clinics are now live. See them on the monthly events page. (2026.07.01)

The July issue, with a full rundown of summer hydration procedures and UV care, is out. Sign up to receive it by email. (2026.07.01)

We're looking for medical institutions that want to attract international patients, along with local agent partners. Apply on the clinic-partnership and agent-partner pages. (2026.06.15)