One thing I have heard over and over and over, is how great Korean skin care is. Every aspect in fact, from the cosmetic brands, to the lotions and potions. This also includes dermatology and all things skin related such as tattoo removal, acne scar repair and everything in-between. I had some work done, here is my Botox treatment at ReNewMe Skin Clinic in Busan.
Brief History
I’m not a huge proponent on extended personal care. I am clean, daily showers, brushing teeth, removing make up before bed, the basics. Most of my life I simply didn’t have time or funds to do anything beyond this.
In 2015 I was in a car accident; my vehicle was T-boned and I suffered from neck/back pain and severe headaches for about two years. One of the treatments tried for these headaches was Botox. I went a total of 5 times if my recall is correct, and had 42 injections put into my scalp, traps and forehead at each visit.
This was my first experience with Botox, and the effects it could produce for me on my 11’s and forehead lines. I admit, I was taken aback by how much I liked the results. For the first time in my adult life, I didn’t have such a strong RBF (resting bitch face) 🤣
For a few years, around 2018-2021 I continued with Botox a little, if I had the funds for it. My little town in Canada had a clinic and I had a great physician.
Renewme Skin Clinic
Having arrived in Korea, I was super curious about receiving skin treatments here. As I age, my skin of course gets worse and worse and the urge to treat what I can and for a reasonable price is on my mind. With research and trying to find a clinic that some English was spoken, I settled on Renewme Skin Clinic.
There is a street in Busan called ‘Medical Street’ if you can believe it. It is full of high-rise buildings that are home to offices that cater to everything medical and many of these are skin care related.
On a day I was feeling brave, I headed for Medical Street to see if I could find any clinics that had English in the shop front. I found two, one of which was Renewme.
In I went, up to the sixth floor and was met by Valeria, a lovely young woman from Mexico. She spoke with me about my concerns and after a consultation with the doctor, was able to provide a price list.
Botox
The first thing I was inquiring about was Botox. Not having had a treatment in two years, my 11’s were as deep as ever. I was offered a price list that showed three varieties of Botox, the prices and corresponding area of the face.
The least expensive is a Korean brand, doesn’t last as long and is fairly weak. Coretox, the mid-priced one is also Korean but stronger and lasts as long as I was used to the Canadian procedure lasting. The most expensive is the German Botox. In an effort to save a little money and put my trust in what I was being told, I chose the middle range, more expensive Korean product.
The Procedure
I was taken into a room right then and there, and ask to remove my shoes and lay down. The Botox was already placed into syringes with a silver bulb type item beside them.
The doctor told me it would hurt a little, but having had Botox multiple times already, I knew what to expect. She marked out the areas on my forehead where she would inject the shots.
Before each one, she pressed the ice-cold bulb onto my skin to slightly numb the area. Normally they would have applied a numbing cream, however I was having another procedure done so that was not an option today.
The injections did hurt a little more than my regular practitioner in Canada, I will admit. They were not really bad though in the whole scheme of things.
The Results
Once finished, my forehead was cleaned and I was told not to massage or rub the area for a couple of days, same advice in Canada.
Before photo’s, the morning at the clinic, that I took myself in the waiting room.
I began scrunching after 24 hours to see what the changes were. I did not notice a significant difference for at least 72 hours. After one week I was still getting big forehead waves and could scrunch my worry lines easily. These photo’s were taken in my flat, the lighting is drastically different.
After two and a half weeks the effect was definitely less, but still more than I would have been able to do in Canada, especially the 11’s between my eyes. In Canada at this point I was not able to frown at all.
Final Thoughts
I had opted to have the ‘forehead’ and ‘glabella’ (11’s) done, each at 90,000 won or $90 CAD plus tax. The total came to $225 CAD. In Canada I was paying $315 for this. The product I feel has less strength than what I have used previously and I am noticing less of an effect, now that three weeks has passed.
I am not unhappy though. I am older than I was when I received my Botox in Canada, and my lines are deeper and more ingrained. As with any treatment, it may take multiple times to get the full effect and I believe this is what is happening here.
I may look out for a clinic in three months time, to get another dose. It will depend where in the world I am and the prices and quality that are available.
Renewme took good care of me, I am really happy with the service I received. While it was not as inexpensive as I have read or seen others getting on social media, I believe the price was fair for this part of the city and for a clinic that can cater to English speakers and tourists.
Would you try skin procedures outside of your home country?
