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The quest for eternal youth is leading many to South Korea — where treatments are said to be both better and cheaper.
Last month, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, along with La La Anthony, Stephanie Suganami and skincare expert Vanessa Lee took a girls trip to South Korea to try some of the country’s cutting edge beauty treatments.
The well heeled gal pals are part of a larger trend of celebs and skincare obsessives traveling to the Asian country for cosmetic procedures they say are not only significantly cheaper than in America but also oftentimes more advanced.
“The US and the rest of the world are at least five years behind,” claimed Y. Lee, a 20-something who lives in NYC [and is not related to Vanessa] who posts about her “glow-up” trips to South Korea on TikTok on her @taxinoodle account, attracting millions of views.
Lee, who spent her early years in South Korea before attending New York University and working as an investment banker, first went viral in the spring of 2024 with a post detailing the 15 “non-invasive” treatments she’d had — from fat dissolving shots in her chin and arms and Juvelook skin boosters to lasers, Botox and eye-sizing to perfect the fit of her colored contacts — in one trip. It has racked up 1.7 million views.
“I really liked the results and liked the entire experience,” she said “It’s really expensive here compared to Korea.”
For example, with jaw Botox, which aims to create a slimmer jawline, she’s paid about $100 in Korea. Here, she estimates it would be about $700.
In December, Lee quit her corporate job to focus on advising those interested in going to South Korea for beauty. In July, she launched a website, BookDoctra.com, that offers reviews of Korean doctors and the ability to book directly with them.
“If you don’t speak Korean, it’s definitely more difficult,” admitted Lee, who still has family in Korea.
The language barrier didn’t stop makeup artist Annette Bragas.
A native of Germany now living in Murray Hill, Bragas was impressed with the results a Korean friend had achieved with Dr. Song Hyungmin at the DRSONG4U Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul. She got in touch with the clinic and booked a plane ticket.
In July, she travelled to Korea alone for a facelift, neck lift and stem cell therapy with Dr. Song. She paid about $35,000 for all of the procedures, and the package included nearly three weeks in a hotel to heal, all recovery treatments, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a driver to take her to appointments and a skincare goodie bag she estimates being worth at least $600.
All she had to worry about was her flight to Korea and food costs. She’s thrilled with the results.
“It doesn’t look like I had surgery, I just look younger,” she said.
Bragas estimates that the same surgery in the US would have cost at least $50,000 alone, not including any aftercare or a hotel stays. Some top doctors in the US are now commanding six-figure sums for facelifts.
While Bragas was initially concerned about being the only caucasian patient, she said it wasn’t an issue. While her doctor didn’t speak English, several people in his office did. During recovery at the hotel, she enjoyed socializing with other patients.
“It was basically plastic surgery city, there were so many people bandaged up,” she said.
Dr. Roy Kim, a plastic surgeon with offices in San Francisco and Beverly Hills and an American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Member, said he is “in favor” of Americans traveling to South Korea for skin care procedures and plastic surgery, as long as they do their research.
“Korea has very high standards of medical care, sanitation, cleanliness and ethics,” he told The Post. “The Korean government is quite aware of the economic gains of foreign citizens coming to Korea for medical and surgical care, and the same high standards for Korean citizens are the same for non-Korean citizens.”
Those having surgeries and more invasive procedures should keep in mind the need to recover for weeks before flying and have caution about potential blood clots. He also noted that things works differently in South Korea.
Doctors tend to hyper-specialize in one to three procedures and work for a larger clinic. The main point of contact for patients is typically not the doctor but a patient ambassador with little or no medical training. Things also work quickly.
“It is very common to be able to meet with the patient coordinator and plastic surgeon the same day, and get all pre-op blood testing, EKG, chest x-ray, and more in the same visit. Surgery is scheduled the next day or so,” Kim said.
He does caution that patients be aware of language barriers, which can be especially tricky with complicated medical terminology. And to be aware that some clinics may have a ‘factory’ feel.
But, he said, “Do your homework on who is doing your procedure, understand what procedures you are getting, and I think you will be safe.”
Bragas can’t wait to go on another glow-up getaway.
She said, “I want to go back in January and get another injection of stem cells.”
English (US)