Medical tourism: derm & plastic
Korea's clinics are excellent — but the hard part is choosing one and avoiding upsell. A calm, step-by-step playbook for skin and cosmetic procedures.
The 5-step playbook
Use platforms (Gangnam Unni, Jivaka, Babitalk) for reviews + English/Chinese consults. Favor clinics that publish prices and have an in-house interpreter.
Ask for an itemized estimate by message before arriving. A clinic that won't quote until you're in the chair is a red flag.
Beware "today only" discounts and add-ons stacked during consultation. Sleep on big procedures.
Ask if the consulting doctor performs the procedure (avoid "ghost surgery"). Get it in writing.
Book accommodation near the clinic for follow-ups. Ask for the after-hours contact and the side-effect plan before you pay.
Where the clinics are
Gangnam (Apgujeong/Sinsa "beauty belt") concentrates derm + plastic. Big university hospitals run international clinics for screenings and complex care.
Medical VAT refund
The VAT refund on cosmetic procedures for foreign patients EXPIRED on 31 December 2025, and bills to bring it back have been filed but not passed — confirm with your clinic. Budget the full price including VAT. Ask the clinic directly whether it has been reinstated, and keep all receipts either way. expired 2025-12-31
Red flags
- · No itemized quote / pressure to decide today.
- · Procedures added during consultation you didn't ask about.
- · No written answer on who performs the surgery.
- · No clear after-care or emergency contact.
Budget the full price including VAT. The value-added tax refund on cosmetic procedures for foreign patients lapsed on 31 December 2025 and bills to bring it back have been filed but not passed, so a quote that assumes the old refund is a quote that is wrong by ten per cent. Ask the clinic directly whether it has been reinstated and keep the paperwork either way — but plan the trip on the number without it.
The two failure modes here are commercial, not medical. The first is the consultation that becomes a sale: a written, itemised quote obtained by message before you fly removes most of the pressure from the room, and a clinic that will not put a number in writing until you are in the chair has told you something useful. The second is not knowing who operates, which is why asking whether the consulting doctor performs the procedure — and getting the answer in writing — is a standard question here rather than a rude one. Book accommodation near the clinic for the follow-ups; the recovery, not the procedure, is what decides how long you need.