Korean Skin Clinic Prices (2026): What Laser Toning, Botox, Filler, Rejuran, Shurink, Ultherapy and Thermage Cost in Gangnam, Why the VAT Refund Ended, How Foreigners Book Without Being Overcharged — Treatment Budget Calculator

Korea treated 2.01 million foreign patients in 2025 — the first time over two million — and 62.9% of them went to a dermatology clinic, mostly in Gangnam, mostly for the procedures that cost a third of the price at home. This part is the price list: what the common treatments cost in Seoul in 2026, why the number on the door is now the final number, and how to book like a Korean rather than like a tourist. It is about money and logistics; whether a procedure suits you is a question for the consultation.

The 2026 price list

Seoul ranges compiled in March 2026 from platform transaction data; the low end is event pricing at high-volume Gangnam clinics, the high end a premium clinic's list price.

Procedure	Seoul range (2026)	Note
Laser toning (레이저토닝), per session	₩30,000–100,000	Sold in 5–10 session packages
Aqua peel (아쿠아필)	₩29,000–50,000	The entry-level "skin booster" visit
Botox, jaw, Korean toxin (국산)	₩20,900–55,000	Imported Allergan/Xeomin roughly 2–4×
Botox, full face	₩150,000–400,000	Per area is the usual quote
Filler, 1 cc	₩150,000–400,000	Korean HA fillers at the low end, Juvéderm/Restylane at the top
Rejuran Healer, 2 cc	₩220,000–300,000	The salmon-DNA "skin booster"; 3 sessions typical
Shurink (HIFU), 300 shots	₩150,000–500,000	Korean alternative to Ultherapy
Ultherapy, full face	₩1,500,000–4,000,000	Check the genuine-device sticker
Thermage FLX, 900 shots	₩800,000–2,000,000
Fraxel, per session	₩150,000–400,000	Downtime: days
InMode	₩300,000–800,000
Whitening injection	₩30,000–80,000

Outside Gangnam — Hongdae, Jamsil, Busan's Seomyeon and Haeundae, Daegu's Dongseong-ro — the same menus run 25–35% cheaper with the same devices. Prices are quoted per shot, per cc, per unit or per session, and the cheap headline usually assumes the Korean brand, the smaller dose and the first visit; the consultation converts it into the real number.

The VAT refund is over

From 2016 through 2025 foreign patients could reclaim the 10% VAT on cosmetic surgery and dermatology procedures — a lobby desk in every Gangnam clinic. The provision in the Special Tax Treatment Control Act expired on 2025-12-31 and the December 2025 tax revisions did not renew it, the government judging its job (launching medical tourism) done. In 2026 the price you are quoted includes VAT and is final; English-language guides and some clinic websites that still promise a refund are out of date. The shop-purchase refund (the tax refund guide) is unaffected.

Booking like a Korean

Koreans book through Gangnam Unni (강남언니 — the global app is in English, Japanese, Chinese and Thai) and Babitalk, which list clinics' event prices and verified reviews and let you message the clinic; the price you see there is the price Koreans pay. Clinics must post their non-covered prices (비급여 진료비 고지) in the lobby and online — ask for the list. A 피부과 전문의 is a board-certified dermatologist; many aesthetic clinics are run by other specialists or general practitioners, legally, and the sign says which. Consultations are free or ₩10,000–30,000, often with a skin scan; walk-ins work on weekdays, weekends and the pre-holiday weeks book out. Clinic interpreters (Chinese, Japanese, English, increasingly Thai and Vietnamese) are free; independent "medical tourism agencies" are paid by commission built into your price — the main source of the "foreigner price" complaints in the Korean press. Pay by card, keep the receipt and the consent form.

Timing and aftercare

Laser and peel procedures need sun avoidance; injectables show bruising for a few days; the energy devices (Ultherapy, Thermage, Shurink) are one visit with results over months. Book downtime procedures at the start of a trip, and remember the pharmacy (Part 2) sells the healing ointments and sunscreens the clinic will recommend. Complications, if any, are handled by the clinic first and by the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency for foreign patients. The next part moves from the clinic to the app most residents open every day: Coupang.