What Is a Glow-Up Trip?

A glow-up trip is elective aesthetic travel: you fly to Seoul specifically for cosmetic procedures, recover there, and return home looking refreshed. You’re not here for emergency surgery. You’re here because Korean clinics do this better and cheaper, and you want to look like yourself, just a little younger.

Here’s the thing. The technology is not more advanced here. Ulthera, Thermage, Sofwave, CO2 lasers: all available in the US. But I do think that Korean dermatologists get more practical experience in a shorter time than many of their counterparts elsewhere. The government subsidizes financing for these machines, so the top equipment is in virtually every clinic. Then there’s the density of the metropolitan area, the widespread usage of skin care services, and the assembly line style processing of customers. Each doctor gets a ton of reps. There’s real comfort in knowing that the person who diagnosed and zapped off my first age spot (!) with a CO2 laser last year had done it 10,000 times before.

Seoul became the global center for aesthetic procedures for three reasons:

• Volume. Korean surgeons perform more procedures per capita than any country on Earth. Practice makes perfect.

• Price. Procedures cost 40-60% less than US equivalents. Same skill, different markup.

• Technique. Korean clinics specialize in natural-looking results. The goal is “you slept really well” not “you had work done.”

How long you stay depends on what you’re getting. The usual lineup of lasers, Botox, filler? Two to three days is plenty.

The trip structure is straightforward. The harder question is whether you’re the right fit for this guide.

Who Is This Guide For?

This guide serves independent travelers who can research their own procedures but need a decision-making framework for the logistics. You should be able to:

• Travel independently. You’ve navigated airports and foreign cities before. You’re not asking me to hold your hand.

• Research your own procedures. You already know what you want to improve and enhance. Plus, I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice.

• Make financial decisions. Trip Budget $5,000-25,000+ depending on what treatments you’re getting, what you want to buy, and how fancy you want to travel. This isn’t cheap travel.

• Manage recovery. Either alone or with a companion. These trips are always more fun with the right friend. 🙂

Who should look elsewhere:

If you want specific clinic recommendations, I can’t help. Liability, relationships, and everyone’s face is different.

If you need medical advice, talk to a licensed practitioner.

If you want someone to plan your trip for you, hire a medical tourism facilitator.

I give you the decision-making framework. You make the decisions.

If that sounds like you, welcome!

But first, let’s start by tackling some popular misconceptions: Glowups don’t involve surgery and Botox takes real skill

How Is the Framework Organized?

The framework separates glow-up planning into four categories: travel logistics, clinic evaluation, planning tools, and ongoing updates. Each section has checklists, questions to ask, and the stuff I wish someone had told me before my first procedure here.

Who Writes This Guide?

Arar is an overseas Korean who has lived in Seoul on and off since 2017 with an American husband and (as of 2023!) three children. Her Seoul base is currently in Hapjeong (the West Village of Seoul??), in a high-rise building that reminds her of Columbus Circle.

Learn more about me and who this site is for →

What Should You Know Before Using This Guide?

Three policies shape how this guide operates: no clinic payments, no specific recommendations, and framework-only guidance.

No money from clinics. No affiliate links, no paid placements, no sponsored content.

No specific clinic recommendations. Choosing a skin care clinic is closer to choosing a good dental hygienist than it is to choosing a wedding dress. It’s not that singular. Everyone’s face is different. What worked for me might not work for you.

Framework, not plan. I teach you how to evaluate. You do the evaluating.

My own bias is in favor of the Korean-only clinics. If they’re able to thrive in this tough market catering only to locals, they’re doing something right. Koreans are notoriously fickle and demanding consumers. I’d put my trust with those they also trust.

If you have questions, use the annotation feature to ask them right where they come up in the guide. I’ll answer as thoroughly as I can, as quickly as I can. Over time, this site will evolve as more people ask, as I learn what’s confusing, as Seoul itself changes.

Welcome. I hope this helps, and I hope you have a wonderful trip.