Medical tourism: Are South Korea’s cheap botox clinics a beauty bargain or the next ‘Turkey teeth’?

17.09.2023 - 09:11 / euronews.com

Despite its hostile border, South Korea has never struggled to lure in visitors, attracting a whopping 17 million tourists annually.

It’s easy to understand why. The country has something for quite literally everybody: whether you’re part of the K-pop cult, a spicy street food fanatic, history geek, or simply an admirer of the traditional (and highly Instagrammable) hanok architecture.

But, emerging on the skyline of Seoul is a new trend that has tourists flocking en masse: botox.

Tapping into the country’s own obsession with perfection and image, the cosmetic procedure has become ubiquitous in South Korea’s capital, where clinics offer it at rock bottom prices.

So what’s it like to visit one of these cheap botox clinics and are they safe?

The societal pressure to look perfect is tangible on the streets of Seoul, which can be kind of intimidating as a tourist.

Everyone is dressed to impress in high-end designer brands and groomed to meticulous detail, while somehow giving off an air of nonchalance.

But South Korea’s image-focused culture goes much deeper than a luxury wardrobe. The country boasts the highest rate of plastic surgery per capita, with reports stating around one in three South Korean women have gone under the knife at some point in their life.

Demand for cosmetic surgery and injectables has become so insatiable the price has become extremely competitive - with some clinics offering botox as low as 29,000 won (around €20).

Gangnam - home of the eponymous and grating song - has become the heart of South Korea’s beauty tourism.

The neighbourhood is now a concrete jungle of skin clinics and dermatologists that offer a slew of facials, injectables and cosmetic surgery procedures for prices that are almost too good to be true.

Muse and Lienjang Plastic Surgery are two clinics regularly visited and endorsed by social media influencers. They have both racked up an impressive following from sharing patients’ before and after photos, as well as their latest promotions.

But these clinics are not the fluffy kind of spa-like experiences found in Europe or the US. There’s no royal-drying robe and classical music while you wait for your treatment.

In fact, clinics like Muse and Lienjang operate more like a militant fast-food chain.

You self-check in on an iPad and wait until your number appears on the TV screen above you.

If you want a coffee you can make it yourself - you’re not going to be served peppermint tea while kicking back on the chaise longue.

It’s kind of nostalgic, really. It reminds me of being eight years old and waiting for my Argos collection number to be called out so I could get my roller skates.

You can book an English consultation, but availability is limited and they go quick. Here, you’ll be asked