A few painful, swollen spots
Usually discussedInflammation injection and extraction
TREATMENT GUIDE · Acne, peels and care
Acne treatment in Korea: what a short visit can do, and what needs a plan at home
Korean clinics combine extraction, inflammation injections, light treatments and devices like Agnes to calm active acne quickly. A trip can give your skin a real reset, and ongoing acne usually also needs a plan with a doctor at home. Seoul price: $5–$145.
- Seoul price
- $5–$145
- Sessions
- Often several sessions; a visit is a start, not the whole plan
- First days
- Redness and some swelling where spots were treated.
- In Korean
- 여드름 치료
START WITH THE CONCERN
Which one is for what you actually want?
Most people arrive with a product name from social media. The doctors we work with start from the concern instead, and sometimes the answer is a different treatment, or none.
Recurring acne in the same spots
Usually discussedAgnes (targets the oil gland)
Widespread breakouts and oiliness
Usually discussedGold PTT or PDT
Red marks after acne
Usually discussedRedness laser
Pitted scars
Usually discussedPotenza or deep-scar treatment
NotActive-acne treatments
A starting point for your consultation, not a diagnosis. Your doctor decides what suits your skin.
PRICES
What Seoul clinics charge
Inflammation injectionper session
$5–$5
Full-face extractionper session
$35–$35
PDTper session
$70–$70
Agnesper session
$105–$105
Gold PTTper session
$145–$145
List prices from partner clinics, pending their final confirmation. Converted at about ₩1,400 to the dollar. Ask whether 10% VAT is included. Since January 2026 foreign patients can no longer claim a VAT refund on cosmetic treatment.
BEFORE AND AFTER
Real patients, with the clinic named
Photographs for this treatment are being added. Each will name the clinic, how long after treatment it was taken, and whether lighting matched.
RECOVERY AND YOUR FLIGHT
What the days after look like
- Day 0
Redness and some swelling where spots were treated. Agnes can leave small marks.
- Day 1–3
Redness fades. After PDT, avoid strong light and sun as instructed.
- Week 1–4
Fewer new breakouts. Keep up the skincare the doctor suggests.
HONESTLY
When we would tell you not to book it
- You expect one visit to stop acne for good.
- You take isotretinoin or similar medicine. Tell the clinic; some treatments must wait.
- You are pregnant. Some treatments and medicines are not suitable.
- You are flying the next day after PDT and cannot avoid strong light.
HOW WE CHOOSE YOUR CLINIC
We vet the clinics first.
Then we match you to the doctor.
Seoul has hundreds of clinics selling Acne treatment. We work with a short list that meets five conditions, and introduce you to the one or two doctors who fit your concern, your dates and your budget.
- 01
The consulting doctor is the treating doctor
We ask every clinic who actually holds the needle. A clinic that hands you to someone else after the consultation does not make our list.
- 02
Product, device and dose are named
“Premium booster” is not an answer. We only work with clinics that tell you the brand, the volume and the machine before you sit in the chair.
- 03
A written quote, per unit or per cc
So you can compare two clinics on the same scope rather than two totals that measure different things.
- 04
A doctor willing to say “not this”
We listen for it in consultations we sit in on. A clinic that agrees to everything is selling, not advising.
- 05
Someone to contact after you fly home
A named contact and channel for follow-up questions, agreed before treatment rather than discovered after.
Doctors we can introduce you to for Acne treatment
Dr. Park Hyung-kwon
LUNN Dermatology Clinic, Cheongdam · 박형권 원장
- Board-certified dermatologistchecked by us
- Single-doctor clinic: same doctor at consultation and treatmentchecked by us
- Every device and product named on the clinic’s own sitechecked by us
- Non-surgical only: injectables, devices, laserschecked by us
We introducePeople who want one doctor from start to finish, and who would rather hear which product and how much before anything is done.
Partner doctor profile
Photo, board, case focus and languages, added once consent is confirmed.
Partner doctor profile
Photo, board, case focus and languages, added once consent is confirmed.
We do not publish a ranking, and placement is not for sale. If a clinic pays us a referral fee, we tell you before you book. Medical decisions stay with your doctor.
HOW IT WORKS
From your brief to the consultation room
- 01
Your brief
Your concern, what you want to keep, your dates and your budget. No photo required.
- 02
Two or three doctors
From clinics we have already vetted, chosen for your concern and your timeline, not whoever pays most.
- 03
Written quotes, side by side
Same scope, per unit or per cc, with anything not included listed.
- 04
With you on the day
An interpreter in the consultation room, and the option to walk away.
- 05
After you fly home
We stay the contact for practical questions. Medical follow-up stays with your doctor.
Start my briefFree to start. You can stop at any step.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK
Acne treatment: the short answers
How much is acne treatment in Korea?
In Seoul, per session: an inflammation injection is about $5, full-face extraction about $35, PDT about $70, Agnes about $105 and Gold PTT about $145.
What is Agnes?
A fine insulated needle delivers radiofrequency to the oil gland under a spot, aiming at acne that keeps coming back in the same place.
Can I do it on a short trip?
Yes. Extraction and inflammation injections fit easily. Put Agnes or PDT early in the trip so redness settles before your flight.
Will I get a prescription to take home?
The doctor may prescribe creams or medicine. Check whether you can bring it home and continue it, and plan follow-up with a doctor in your country.
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