u/Holiday-Weight-2550

CoolSoniq is still not as familiar to many people as Ulthera, Shurink, or Thermage, so I get why there’s not much clear information about it yet.

I’d think of it as one of the newer Korean ultrasound lifting options that focuses on natural tightening with less pain burden because of its cooling system.

What is CoolSoniq?

CoolSoniq is an ultrasound-based lifting treatment. It sends energy into deeper skin layers to create heat stimulation, which helps with collagen production and gradual tightening.

One reason people like it is the cooling system, which can make the treatment feel more comfortable compared to some stronger lifting devices.

Who is it good for?

I’d usually think of CoolSoniq for someone who is starting to notice small changes in their face line.

For example, the jawline is not as sharp, the cheeks feel slightly heavier, or the skin doesn’t feel as firm as before.

It can also make sense for people who are new to lifting treatments, have lower pain tolerance, or want a more natural result.

But if someone has severe sagging, a lot of loose skin, or heavy lower-face fat, CoolSoniq alone may not be enough.

Pain and downtime

Pain is usually manageable, but it depends on the person and the treatment area.

You may feel heat, stinging, or a deep aching sensation, especially around the jawline, chin, or bony areas.

After treatment, mild redness, swelling, heat sensation, tenderness, or light bruising can happen. Most people can go back to normal life pretty quickly.

When do results show?

Some people may feel the face line looks slightly cleaner right after, but the main result is not instant.

Because it works through collagen stimulation, changes usually build slowly. I’d expect more noticeable improvement around 1 month, with a more natural result around 2 to 3 months.

How long does it last?

It depends on age, skin condition, lifestyle, and aging speed.

In general, I’d think of it as a maintenance treatment that can last several months. Many people repeat lifting treatments once or twice a year.

Price in Korea

Prices can vary depending on the clinic, area, number of shots, and event pricing.

Roughly, CoolSoniq may be around 600,000 to 900,000 KRW for event pricing, and around 900,000 to 1,350,000 KRW for higher shot packages.

But I wouldn’t choose only by the cheapest price. With lifting devices, placement, setting, and the doctor’s judgment matter a lot.

CoolSoniq vs Ulthera

Both are ultrasound based lifting treatments, but they don’t feel exactly the same.

CoolSoniq is usually more suitable for people who want a gentler lifting option, less pain burden, and a natural tightening effect. I’d think of it more for early sagging and mild elasticity loss.

Ulthera is usually chosen when someone wants stronger lifting support, especially around the lower face, jawline, or under the chin. But for some people, the pain can feel stronger too.

So if your sagging is mild and you want something more comfortable, CoolSoniq can make sense. If you want stronger lifting and can tolerate more discomfort, Ulthera may be worth comparing.

So skin boosters like Rejuran, Juvelook, Aqua Injection, etc. are super common in Korea, but I feel like a lot of people don’t get proper aftercare instructions.

People get the treatment, look in the mirror, see little bumps all over the face and immediately think something went wrong. Most of the time, it’s normal

Skin boosters are injected into the skin, so right after the procedure you can have redness, swelling, tiny bumps, needle marks, bruising, or that mosquito bite texture. It looks scary at first, but usually it calms down as the product spreads and the skin recovers.

For most people, the bumps go down within 1-3 days, but bruising or needle marks can last a little longer depending on your skin.

For the first 4-12 hours, I would be extra careful. Don’t touch, rub, press, or massage the treated area. Also, I’d avoid makeup for at least 12 hours if possible, because the skin has tiny injection points and you don’t want to irritate it or clog anything.

For the first 24 hours, avoid alcohol, intense exercise, heavy sweating, sauna, hot bath, or anything that makes your face very hot. Heat and sweating can make redness and swelling last longer.

For about 1 week, I’d avoid strong skincare like AHA, BHA, retinol, peeling pads, scrubs, exfoliating toners, or harsh brightening products. Your skin barrier is more sensitive after injections, so this is not the time to test new skincare.

Keep skincare very simple: gentle cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen. That’s it!

You can wash your face, but do it gently. No scrubbing. A mild cleanser is enough. Some clinics say washing is okay after a few hours, but I still prefer being gentle on the first day.

Moisturizer helps a lot. Some people feel dry or tight after skin booster, even though it’s supposed to be a hydration treatment. That can happen because the skin has been poked many times, so just focus on calming the barrier.

Sunscreen is not optional. Use SPF 30 or higher, especially if you are going outside. After injections, the skin can be more sensitive to UV, and if you are pigmentation-prone, skipping sunscreen is just asking for marks to get darker.

Also, drink enough water. I know it sounds basic, but hydration helps your skin recover better. Around 2 liters a day is a good general target if your body can tolerate it.

If your face feels hot or red, a light cold compress can help, but don’t put ice directly on the skin. Wrap it and keep it gentle. If you have a lot of bruising or swelling, it’s better to ask the clinic first instead of randomly icing it too hard.

A little redness, swelling, bruising, needle marks, and bumps are normal.

But if the pain is getting worse instead of better, or you have strong heat, pus, fever, severe swelling, or anything that feels very off, don’t just wait it out. Contact the clinic immediately

So after Rejuran, Juvelook, Aqua Injection, or any skin booster, the rule is simple: keep it clean, keep it moisturized, use sunscreen, don’t overheat the skin, don’t scrub, don’t massage too much, and don’t do 10 skincare steps trying to boost the result

So keloids are one of the scar problems that patients get really stressed about.

A lot of people think keloids are just big scars and that we can just remove it with laser one time. But actually keloids are different from normal scars.

Keloids happen when your skin makes too much collagen after injury, and the scar grows bigger than the original wound. It can become raised, hard, red, itchy, painful, and sometimes it keeps growing. Common causes are acne, piercings, surgery scars, burns, scratches, tattoos, or sometimes even small skin injuries.

The difficult thing is that keloids are not really remove once and finished type of treatment. The goal is to flatten it, make it softer, reduce redness/itchiness, and prevent it from growing again.

1. Steroid Injection

This is usually the first treatment we do for keloids.

In Korea, many clinics use triamcinolone / Kenalog injection. This helps calm down the overactive collagen inside the scar.

When it works well, the keloid becomes flatter, softer, less red, and less itchy.

But it usually needs multiple sessions. I don’t really expect one injection to fix everything. Depending on how thick the keloid is, patients may need treatment every few weeks.

Also the dose has to be controlled well, because if steroid is injected too strong or too shallow, the skin can become thin or dented.

1. Laser

Laser can help, but I don’t think laser alone is enough for thick keloids.

If the keloid is red, vascular lasers like Vbeam/PDL or Excel V can help calm the redness and inflammation.

If the scar is thick or uneven, CO2 laser or Er:YAG laser may be used carefully.

But with keloids, aggressive laser is not always better. If you irritate the scar too much, it can become more active again.

So usually I think laser works better when combined with injection.

1. Surgery

Some people ask if they can just cut the keloid out.

Yes, sometimes surgery is done for large keloids, but surgery alone is risky because keloids can come back. Sometimes the new scar can even become bigger.

So if surgery is done, it usually needs follow-up care like steroid injection, laser, silicone sheet, or pressure therapy.

Especially for ear keloids from piercing, pressure care after removal is very important.

1. Silicone Gel / Silicone Sheet

This is not an exciting treatment, but it helps.

Silicone gel or silicone sheet can help keep the scar flatter and calmer. It is more like maintenance, but keloid treatment needs maintenance.

I usually tell patients not to keep touching, scratching, or picking the scar because irritation can make it worse.

1. PRP / Rejuran / Regenerative treatment

Some clinics use PRP, Rejuran, or regenerative treatments for scars.

For keloids, I don’t think these are the main treatment. They may help skin recovery or texture, but if the keloid is raised, red, itchy, or growing, injection and laser are usually more important.

So I wouldn’t choose these first for active keloids.

How long does it take?

This really depends. Small or new keloids may improve after a few sessions. Older or thicker keloids can take months, and some need maintenance because they can come back.

This is the part patients don’t like hearing, but keloids are more about control than instant removal.

Rejuran Healer is the holy grail for that regenerative glass skin glow, but it is not for everyone. If you get it when your skin or body isn’t ready, you’ll waste your money, or worse, risk serious complications.

Here is the exact checklist I use to screen my patients before they get injected. If any of these apply to you, we postpone or pivot to a different treatment.

• Active Breakouts or Open Wounds: Postpone it. If your skin is freaking out with active acne, eczema, an angry rash, or even a sunburn, do not inject into it. Also, if your skin is still healing from a recent aggressive laser or chemical peel, your barrier isn't ready for injection-based treatments yet. Let it heal first!
• Pregnant or Breastfeeding: Skip it for now. There just isn’t enough safety data for these groups, and it’s not worth the stress. Wait until after childbirth and your breastfeeding period is totally done for total peace of mind.
• Allergic to Fish/Seafood: Hard pass. Rejuran’s magic ingredient is salmon derived DNA (polynucleotides). If you have an allergy to fish, or a history of anaphylaxis and severe hypersensitivity to injected products, you must avoid this and look into alternatives.
• Taking Strong Blood Thinners: High risk for bad bruising. If you are on anticoagulants or have a bleeding/clotting disorder, your risk of bleeding and delayed healing shoots way up. Always disclose your meds and supplements to your clinic!
• Autoimmune or Immunocompromised: Proceed with extreme caution. If you have an unstable autoimmune disorder or uncontrolled systemic disease, your healing process is compromised. Regenerative boosters rely on your body's healing response, and underlying conditions make those outcomes highly unpredictable.
• Recent Fillers in the Same Area: Don't double up too soon. If you recently had non-resorbable fillers or other implants placed in the same injection layer, adding Rejuran right away spikes your risk of developing hard lumps or nodules. If you have major facial surgery or intense lasers planned, delay the Rejuran until you are fully healed.

Rejuran is an incredible treatment, but timing is literally everything. Don't let a clinic push you into it if you check any of these boxes!

If you are booking a skin treatment soon and aren't sure if Rejuran is right for your specific situation, drop a comment below~~

Rejuran Healer is the holy grail for that regenerative glass skin glow, but it is not for everyone. If you get it when your skin or body isn’t ready, you’ll waste your money, or worse, risk serious complications.

Here is the exact checklist I use to screen my patients before they get injected. If any of these apply to you, we postpone or pivot to a different treatment.

• Active Breakouts or Open Wounds: Postpone it. If your skin is freaking out with active acne, eczema, an angry rash, or even a sunburn, do not inject into it. Also, if your skin is still healing from a recent aggressive laser or chemical peel, your barrier isn't ready for injection-based treatments yet. Let it heal first!
• Pregnant or Breastfeeding: Skip it for now. There just isn’t enough safety data for these groups, and it’s not worth the stress. Wait until after childbirth and your breastfeeding period is totally done for total peace of mind.
• Allergic to Fish/Seafood: Hard pass. Rejuran’s magic ingredient is salmon derived DNA (polynucleotides). If you have an allergy to fish, or a history of anaphylaxis and severe hypersensitivity to injected products, you must avoid this and look into alternatives.
• Taking Strong Blood Thinners: High risk for bad bruising. If you are on anticoagulants or have a bleeding/clotting disorder, your risk of bleeding and delayed healing shoots way up. Always disclose your meds and supplements to your clinic!
• Autoimmune or Immunocompromised: Proceed with extreme caution. If you have an unstable autoimmune disorder or uncontrolled systemic disease, your healing process is compromised. Regenerative boosters rely on your body's healing response, and underlying conditions make those outcomes highly unpredictable.
• Recent Fillers in the Same Area: Don't double up too soon. If you recently had non-resorbable fillers or other implants placed in the same injection layer, adding Rejuran right away spikes your risk of developing hard lumps or nodules. If you have major facial surgery or intense lasers planned, delay the Rejuran until you are fully healed.

Rejuran is an incredible treatment, but timing is literally everything. Don't let a clinic push you into it if you check any of these boxes!

If you are booking a skin treatment soon and aren't sure if Rejuran is right for your specific situation, drop a comment below~~

Korean medical facials are highly targeted. If you pick the wrong one, you won't get that glass skin glow, or worse, you might irritate your travel stressed skin barrier.

Here is the exact cheat sheet I use to match my patients to the right treatment (and what you should actually be paying)

Dry or Dehydrated Skin: LDM Deep Hydration (Usually ~150k KRW). This is the holy grail. It uses dual-frequency ultrasound to push moisture deep into your dermis, not just the surface layer. It actually stimulates your cells to produce their own hydration.

Dull or Post Travel Skin: Vitamin Brightening Care (~80k-120k KRW). If your skin looks gray or sallow after a 14-hour flight, we use Iontophoresis (gentle electrical currents) to drive Vitamin C deep into the skin. It completely wipes out that tired look from the inside out.

Oily or Enlarged Pores: Pore Tightening with Cryo (~120k KRW). We use a professional-grade exfoliation solution to clear out the hard sebum plugs, and then literally freeze your pores tight with Cryotherapy cooling. Your T-zone will look perfectly matte and smooth.

Sensitive or Red/Reactive Skin: Calming Care (~80k KRW). Do NOT get extractions or aggressive peels if your skin is freaking out! We use Cryo-cooling to kill the redness instantly, followed by soothing ultrasound to repair the barrier without any heat or friction.

Acne & Breakouts: Black Peel + Extraction (~130k KRW). Acne is treated as a medical issue here. We safely extract the impactions so they don't scar, then apply a signature Korean Black Peel (activated charcoal + salicylic acid) to deeply clean the pore and stop new breakouts.

Legitimate, medical grade Korean facials usually range from 80,000 to 150,000 KRW. Don't let a factory clinic upsell you into a $500 facial just because you are a foreigner. Also, if you get a brightening or peel treatment, you absolutely must wear SPF 50+ the next day. No excuses!

If you are flying into Seoul soon and don't know what your specific skin type needs, drop a comment below. I try to check Reddit between appointments! ✨

I see so many patients coming to clinic with a massive wishlist of lifting treatments they want to do back to back. They think if they get Ultherapy, Thermage, and Shurink all within a few months, they’ll get a super snatched jawline twice as fast.

But as a doctor, I always have to stop them because more is definitely not better here

Lifting lasers work by using high energy (either ultrasound or radiofrequency) to create controlled heat damage deep inside your skin tissue.This heat triggers your body's natural healing process to build new collagen over the next 3 to 6 months. It takes time! If you do them too frequently, your skin doesn’t have time to recover and actually build that collagen.

Even worse, if you overdo ultrasound lifting (HIFU) like Ultherapy or Shurink, you can end up melting too much facial fat. If you already have a thin or gaunt face, doing these too often will actually make you look hollow and older, which is the exact opposite of what you want.

Because different machines target different layers of the face, the timelines are completely different. Let's break down the realistic schedule for the most popular ones:

1. Deep Lifting (HIFU - Ultherapy, Shurink Universe)

• Ultherapy: This is the heavy hitter that targets the deep SMAS muscle layer. You only need this ONCE a year. If a clinic tries to sell you a full-face Ultherapy package every 6 months, run away. Your peak results don't even show up until month 3 or 4.
• Shurink / Shurink Universe: This is the Korean version of HIFU. The energy is a bit milder and it's much cheaper, so it doesn't last quite as long as Ultherapy. For Shurink, we usually recommend getting it every 3 to 6 months. A lot of my local Korean patients love doing a maintenance round of 300 shots every 4 months to keep their lower face tight.

1. Skin Tightening (RF - Thermage, Oligio, Volnewmer)

• Thermage FLX: Just like Ultherapy, true Thermage is a once-a-year treatment. It targets the dermal layer to tighten loose skin.
• Oligio / Volnewmer: These are the Korean RF alternatives. Because the price is much more friendly, people think they should get it all the time. But honestly, you still only need it every 6 to 12 months depending on your age and skin laxity. Usually, a good 600-shot session will keep you set for at least half a year.

1. Fat Contouring (InMode FX / Forma)

• InMode FX: This one uses high-voltage electricity to actually kill fat cells (great for double chins and heavy jowls). For InMode, a single session won't do much. You actually need to do a baseline of 3 sessions, spaced about 2 to 4 weeks apart. Once you finish that initial round and kill those fat cells, you only need a maintenance session every 6 months.

I love doing lifting treatments because when you hit the right layer, the contouring effect is amazing. But if you blast your face with too much heat constantly, you just end up damaging your skin barrier and losing good facial volume.

See you guys next time~~

So what is the best laser to get rid of those stubborn dark spots, freckles, or melasma? I get this question literally every day at the clinic.

If you search online, everyone says Pico Laser. But there is a huge catch when it comes to Asian skin or melanin rich skin.

The biggest enemy of hyperpigmentation in our skin type is HEAT. When you use a really strong laser to just blast a dark spot, the skin gets inflamed. And how does Asian skin react to inflammation? It produces MORE pigment to protect itself. This is called PIH (Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation). So you come in to remove a spot, and a month later, it's actually bigger and darker.

This is why in Korea, we almost never just zap and burn off pigmentation in one go like they often do in the West. Instead, we do something called Laser Toning

Laser Toning means we use a very low energy setting, but we do multiple passes over the face. Think of it like gently chipping away at a rock over time instead of throwing a grenade at it.

Now, which machine actually works best?

Right now, Picosecond lasers are the gold standard. They fire in one trillionth of a second, which means they break the pigment mechanically rather than cooking it with heat. But not all Pico machines are the same!

• PicoSure: This one is super famous (the one with the 755nm wavelength). It is amazing for overall brightening and superficial freckles. But because it absorbs melanin so well, if the doctor isn't careful with the energy levels, it can easily trigger that PIH rebound on darker skin types.
• PicoPlus / PicoWay: These use a 1064nm Nd:YAG wavelength. This wavelength is a bit more color blind. It penetrates deeper into the skin without angering the surface melanin as much. For deep, stubborn melasma on Asian skin, this is usually what we reach for. PicoPlus is actually made in Korea by Lutronic, so the default settings are literally designed with Asian skin in mind.

But honestly? The machine only does 50% of the work. The real secret in Korean clinics right now is Dual Toning

Pigmentation, especially melasma, is often fed by abnormal blood vessels underneath. If we just break the pigment but ignore the blood vessels, the spots just come right back. So I love doing a Genesis laser (which targets redness and builds collagen) followed by a Pico toning laser to clear the actual pigment.

Now for a few reality checks before you book a flight for lasers.

1. How many sessions? If a clinic promises to cure your melasma in one session, run away. Superficial freckles might fade in 1-3 sessions, but true melasma takes about 10 sessions of gentle toning to see stable results.
2. The Downtime: Because we use the Toning method, your face will just be a little pink for an hour. There are no scabs or crazy peeling. You can literally go shopping and put on makeup right after.
3. Sunscreen I tell my patients: I can erase the pigment, but if you walk around Seoul without an umbrella or SPF 50, you just wasted your money. It will come right back.

Pigmentation is such a tricky thing to treat! If you have specific spots you are worried about or other questions, leave me a comment. I try to come back to reddit often but it is so hard as I work 6 days a week in my clinic. If you want quicker answers, you can leave a DM on my instagram as well!

I feel like one of the biggest fears patients have before Ultherapy is not even the pain. It is whether they are actually getting REAL Ultherapy or not.

Especially in Korea because there are so many lifting devices now: Ultherapy, Shurink, Doublo, Ultraformer, Oligio, Thermage, Tuneface, etc

So first thing... authentic Ultherapy is a very specific device from Merz.

It is NOT the same thing as Shurink or Ultraformer even though they are all ultrasound lifting devices. Some also mix the terms together in consultations which confuses patients even more

One of the easiest ways to check is actually the screen during treatment. Real Ultherapy has real time ultrasound imaging, this means the doctor can actually see the tissue layers during treatment. You can usually see the black / gray ultrasound screen moving during the procedure.

This is actually one of the biggest differences between Ultherapy and many cheaper HIFU devices. Another thing is the treatment tips, cartridges.

Authentic Ultherapy cartridges are very expensive in Korea, so clinics using real authentic cartridges usually cannot sell extremely cheap unlimited shot promotions.

If you see something like: “600 shots Ultherapy $150” I would personally become suspicious immediately!!

You can also check the NFC tagging and QR code on the tips/transducers themselves. Real Ultherapy tips usually have authentication systems where clinics can scan the QR code or NFC tag to verify the cartridge information and shot usage.

Another thing is that real Ultherapy is usually quite painful. Not saying pain = authenticity obviously, but patients sometimes get Ultherapy with almost no discomfort at all and then become confused later. The energy delivery with Ultherapy feels very deep and sharp especially around the jawline and bone areas.

Also the doctor technique matters a lott. Many patients think Ultherapy is just stamping shots randomly across the face but actually vector, depth, shot placement and facial anatomy matter so much for the final result. For example:

too superficial --> not much lifting

wrong vectors --> unnatural result

too aggressive in thin faces --> volume loss

too few shots --> patients see almost nothing

This is why I feel consultation is honestly more important than patients realize. Some are actually much better candidates for Thermage, Oligio or even simple botox, filler instead of Ultherapy.

And one more thing, authentic Ultherapy does not automatically mean amazing results.

I have seen patients get authentic Ultherapy with almost no visible improvement because of wrong candidate, too few shots, poor vector design, expectations too high and severe sagging needing surgery instead. So the machine matters, but the person using the machine matters too ☺️

Let's talk about pain during Korean skin treatments because honestly I think this is something clinics don't explain enough before patients come in.

A lot of people think aesthetic treatments are either: completely painless or unbearably painful

I have patients who say Ultherapy was completely fine and then complain more during skin boosters. Meanwhile other patients can tolerate needles perfectly but hate lifting devices.

Pain tolerance honestly makes no sense sometimes.

The most basic option is numbing cream

This is enough for treatments like:

- laser toning

- skin botox

- Juvelook

- lighter skin boosters

- Potenza

- pore lasers

Usually we leave it on 20-40 minutes depending on the treatment and honestly GOOD numbing cream placement matters a lot. Some clinics apply it so thinly it basically does nothing.

But numbing cream only blocks the needle pain or surface pain. It does not fully block the deep aching pain from treatments like Ultherapy, Thermage, Oligio, or original Rejuran healer.

For treatments like Ultherapy, the pain is more deep and sharp because the energy reaches the SMAS layer. It feels almost like tiny electric shocks inside the face. That's why some patients tolerate needles perfectly but cannot tolerate lifting devices.

Then there is laughing gas (nitrous oxide)

Honestly I love this option for anxious patients because patients stay awake but become very relaxed and less sensitive to pain. Some people become very giggly, some become super quiet, some keep talking non stop during the treatment

I feel like laughing gas works best for:

- Ultherapy

- Thermage

- filler anxiety

- acne scar subcision

- Rejuran healer

But it doesn't completely remove pain. I would say it changes your emotional reaction to the pain more than removing all the pain itself.

Then there is sleep sedation

In Korea this is becoming much more common especially for people doing multiple treatments together in one session. For example:

- Ultherapy + Thermage + fillers

- facial contouring lasers

- acne scar procedures

- huge amount of skin booster injections

Tbh some patients request sleep sedation even before asking what treatment they are getting 😭 especially patients who had traumatic experiences at other clinics before.

But personally I feel sedation should be used carefully because patients wake up swollen, dizzy, nauseous sometimes and you need proper monitoring. Some clinics treat sedation too casually in my opinion.

Also before sleep sedation, patients usually need around 6 hours of fasting beforehand for safety reasons. A lot of patients forget this part and come after drinking coffee or eating a small snack thinking it's okay 

There are also small tricks doctors use that patients don't notice:

- vibration devices next to the injection site

- ice rollers

- smaller needles like 34G

- slower injection speed

- cannulas instead of needles

- machine injectors instead of manual injections

Injection technique matters A LOT more than people think. I have seen patients say Rejuran was totally fine with one doctor and worst pain of my life with another doctor

Anyways if you are scared of pain during treatments, please don't force yourself to do treatments because they are trending on social media.

There are usually ways to adjust the treatment plan, depth, products, machine settings, or pain management options to make the experience much easier.

The reason for the darkness can be completely different depending on the person and honestly if you treat the wrong type… nothing really improves lol

Like some people keep doing lasers when the problem is volume loss or they keep doing fillers when the issue is pigmentation

Usually when I’m looking at under eyes, I separate it into few categories first

If the under eye looks kind of blue / purple --> usually vascular

This type is super common in thinner skin because the skin under the eyes is VERY thin already, so you’re basically seeing blood vessels + muscle underneath especially people who don’t sleep well, have allergies, rub their eyes a lot, or naturally pale skin

For this type honestly filler is usually not the first thing I think about, I lean more toward: rejuran i, laser toning, sometimes sylfirm x if there’s redness or vascular component

Because the goal is making the skin thicker and calmer, not just filling

And btw… eye fillers under thin skin can sometimes make this type WORSE if done badly because of tyndall effect

Then there’s the brownish under eye type

This is more actual pigmentation usually from rubbing, eczema, chronic irritation, sun exposure, genetics etc

This one responds better to pigment focused treatments honestly, things like: pico toning, laser toning, topical pigment care, VERY gentle peels sometimes

But the problem is under eye skin gets PIH very easily, especially asian skin types, so aggressive lasers around the eyes can backfire fast

I see tourists in Korea overdoing under eye lasers all the time and then wondering why the area became darkerr!

Then there’s the hollow type

This is the one where the under eye itself looks shadowy because of volume loss / anatomy

Usually when light hits from above, it creates that tired hollow look even if the skin color itself is normal. This one is more structural honestly, so treatments like: filler, juvelook volume, collagen stimulators make more sense here

But again… under eye filler is one of the MOST technique dependent things in aesthetics

If the anatomy isn’t suitable or the filler is too hydrophilic, people get puffiness really easily

Especially in Korea now I think doctors are becoming much more conservative with tear trough filler compared to before

TBH… most patients have mixed types (like slight hollow, pigmentation and thin skin) all together. That’s why under eye treatments usually take multiple sessions and combinations instead of one miracle procedure

Personally I think the biggest mistake is chasing bright under eyes instead of healthier under eyes. When the skin becomes thicker, calmer, less inflamed, smoother… the darkness already improves a lot naturally

Korea just has too many options and everything gets marketed as skin booster which makes it 10x more confusing.

First, REJURAN

It’s PN (salmon DNA), and what it really does is repair the skin from inside. When your skin is damaged (too much retinol, acne, irritation, even eczema type skin), there are actually tiny micro-damages in the dermis. Rejuran helps signal the skin to heal and rebuild, so over time the skin becomes thicker and more stable.

So yeah… you’re not going to walk out with glass skin the next day!! actually for the first 1–2 days you’ll have those little bumps (papules), which is normal. The real effect usually starts showing after like 2 weeks when the skin becomes less reactive, less red, and just feels stronger overall.

Also if you’re scared of pain, don’t go for the classic Rejuran Healer. It’s quite painful. Rejuran HB Plus is much easier because it has lidocaine + a bit of HA, so it spreads nicer and hurts way less.

Then JUVELOOK

It’s not filler… it doesn’t just fill things instantly. It has PDLLA, which basically sits in your skin and triggers your body to produce collagen over time. Like a controlled reaction that tells your skin to rebuild itself.

So I usually use Juvelook more when I want to improve structure… like pores that look stretched, shallow acne scars, or skin that feels a bit thin. It’s more about densifying the skin.

But again… not instant 😭 you might see a bit of hydration from the HA at first, but the real pore blurring effect takes like 4–6 weeks because your body needs time to build that collagen.

Also something people don’t think about, if your lifestyle is not great (smoking, poor nutrition, bad sleep), your collagen response won’t be good either… so sometimes results feel underwhelming not because of the product, but because the skin can’t respond properly.

Then RE20

I usually think of it as somewhere between Rejuran and Juvelook.

It doesn’t focus only on repair like Rejuran, and it doesn’t build a strong collagen scaffold like Juvelook. It’s more about improving elasticity… like waking up the fibroblasts so the skin has better bounce

I use this more for patients who say their skin just looks tired… not damaged, not super dehydrated, but just lost that freshness. Especially in their 30s when they start noticing slight sagging but don’t want to jump into machines yet.

Also really nice for neck lines actually. The neck skin is thin and moves a lot, so thicker products can cause lumps, but RE20 is fluid enough to sit nicely while still giving some firmness.

In reality we mix a lot in korea but that’s another story lol

if you’re confused just ask, I’ll reply when I can between patients~

Patients come to me asking for “glass skin” after seeing Rejuran all over social media, so let’s talk honestly about what it actually does.

Rejuran is a polynucleotide (PN) treatment, often called a salmon DNA injection. It is not filler, and it is not a traditional skin booster. It’s a regenerative treatment designed to improve skin quality by supporting the skin’s natural repair process like reducing inflammation, improving hydration, strengthening the skin barrier, and helping with collagen remodeling over time.

In simple terms, it helps the skin function better and look healthier, but it does not create instant transformation.

Who does it work best for? Usually patients with mild acne scarring, enlarged pores, dull or tired-looking skin, under-eye crepey texture, or skin recovering after lasers and resurfacing treatments.

Who is not a good candidate? If your main concern is deep wrinkles, heavy sagging, significant volume loss, or wanting a sharper jawline, Rejuran is probably not the right first treatment. That usually requires a different approach and sometimes a surgical consult.

What to expect: Most patients need around 3 sessions spaced about 4 weeks apart. Treatment itself is quick but involves multiple superficial injections, so yes, it can be uncomfortable even with numbing cream. Mild redness, swelling, and small bumps are common and usually settle within 1–3 days.

You will NOT leave after one session with glass skin. The first treatment can give a hydrated glow, but the real improvement comes slowly as your skin regenerates. Peak results are typically 1–2 months after the last session and can last 6–12 months (longer with maintenance).

Is it worth it? Yes, for the right person who understands it’s subtle and cumulative. It won’t replace great skincare or healthy habits, but it can raise your skin’s baseline health and appearance.

One of the most common questions patients ask is how many times they need to do ONDA or whether 10kJ is actually enough.

Honestly, this is where many people misunderstand the treatment.

With ONDA, more is not always better.

Too much energy or too many sessions does not automatically create better lifting. At the same time, if the treatment is too weak or done too inconsistently, patients often feel like nothing changed and end up wasting both time and money.

The goal is not simply doing more. It is choosing the right amount, the right frequency, and the right treatment cycle for your actual skin condition.

ONDA works by using microwave energy to deliver controlled heat into the deeper layers of the skin.

This helps tighten existing collagen fibers while stimulating fibroblasts to produce new collagen over time. That is where the lifting and elasticity improvement come from.

What makes it more interesting is that it does not only target the surface.

There are usually two different treatment depths.

The shallower layer around 3mm focuses more on collagen contraction and skin tightening. This is where we work on elasticity, pore appearance, and texture refinement.

The deeper layer around 7mm reaches the superficial fat layer, helping organize and reduce unnecessary fat weight that can make the lower face feel heavier.

This is why ONDA can improve both skin firmness and facial contour in the same session. It is not just lifting, it is dual care.

For most patients, I usually recommend monthly intervals.

A basic course is often around 3 sessions, depending on the degree of laxity and the amount of lower face heaviness. Once collagen remodeling starts and the results are established, the improvement can last close to a year if maintenance is done properly.

After the initial sessions, many patients switch to maintenance-only treatments instead of repeating full courses.

Who tends to be a good candidate?

People who do not want frequent aggressive procedures, those who are sensitive to pain, patients worried about redness or burns, and people dealing with both mild sagging and facial heaviness at the same time.

It is also a good option for patients who want to improve enlarged pores and rough skin texture while also addressing elasticity.

Compared to stronger lifting devices, ONDA is generally considered more comfortable because the system includes a cooling function that helps protect the skin surface during treatment.

Aftercare is simple but important.

On the day of treatment, avoid strong cleansers, scrubs, and unnecessary friction. Face washing and makeup are usually fine, but I still recommend avoiding alcohol, strenuous exercise, saunas, and hot baths for about a week.

Daily sunscreen and good moisturization make recovery smoother and help protect the collagen response.

The right amount of ONDA is not about doing the highest energy or the most sessions possible. It is about building a sustainable plan with the right frequency and the right timing.

Good lifting is rarely about doing more. It is about doing it properly.