A doctor’s perspective · English edition
Botox and filler in Korea: what should you ask about the product and the amount?
A price for an area is not a plan. Ask what goes in, and how much.
Dr. Seung Woo JangPhysician in Aesthetic Medicine6 min read · Sources includedReviewed by Dr. Kwang Yeon Kim and Dr. Seung Yeon Cha
The short answer
Botox and filler in Korea: what should you ask about the product and the amount?
Ask for the name of the product, where it came from, and how much will be used, and have all three written down. Botulinum toxin injections are prescription-only medicines in the UK, and U.S. regulators advise receiving them only from a licensed, trained provider using product from an authorized source. For toxin, the amount is counted in units, and the units of one product cannot be converted into units of another, so a number means little without the product name. For fillers, ask to see the sealed, labelled package. Choosing between brands is the doctor's job with you; your job is to make sure the answers are clear.
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Why the product name matters.
NHS guidance describes botulinum toxin injections as prescription-only medicines and suggests knowing who the prescriber is and who gives the treatment. For dermal fillers it suggests asking for the name of the product and where it came from.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned in 2025 that botulinum toxin products sold outside proper channels may be counterfeit or contaminated, and advises receiving them only from a provider licensed and trained to inject them, with product from an authorized source. Its filler guidance similarly advises properly labelled, sealed vials or pre-filled syringes from licensed providers. Asking to see the package is a reasonable request, and a clinic that works this way will not mind it.
NHSU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationWhy the amount matters.
Botulinum toxin is measured in units. The FDA prescribing information for one toxin product states that its units cannot be compared to or converted into the units of any other botulinum toxin product. So if a quote says a number of units, the number only means something next to the product name.
For fillers, ask how many syringes or how much volume is planned, and what happens to the price if the doctor suggests more or less on the day. The right amount is a clinical decision made with you after an examination; having it written down simply lets you compare quotes fairly and tell a doctor at home what was done.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (prescribing information database)Risks worth knowing and what to take home.
The FDA advises seeking medical care at once for trouble swallowing or breathing after a botulinum toxin injection. For fillers, it notes that injection into a blood vessel is rare but can cause tissue death, stroke or blindness. NHS guidance suggests asking about the most common complications and what to do if something goes wrong. In Korea, call 119 for a medical emergency.
Before you leave, get the product name, the amount, the areas treated and the date in writing. The CDC advises requesting treatment records in English and giving them to any clinician you see later.
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationNHSKorea Tourism OrganizationCDC Yellow Book 2026Before you pay for injections
What travelers ask
The questions behind the search.
Only if the product is the same. Prescribing information for one toxin product states that its units cannot be converted into units of another product, so compare the product name together with the number.
Official guidanceNo. U.S. regulator guidance advises receiving injectables from licensed providers using properly labelled, sealed products, and asking lets you record the product name.
Official guidanceThis guide does not rank brands. Ask the doctor why they suggest a particular product for you, and make sure its name is in your records.
Official guidanceThe FDA advises seeking medical care at once for trouble swallowing or breathing after a botulinum toxin injection.
Official guidance119 is the number for fire and medical emergencies. The 1330 travel hotline can help with language, including English, Japanese and Chinese.
Official guidanceBring these with you
Questions to ask at your consultation
Pick the questions you want to raise, then save them or open them in text translation.
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Dr. Seung Woo Jang
Physician in Aesthetic Medicine
A doctor’s perspective on what to understand and ask before choosing care in Korea.
Author profileSources & further reading
Checked September 18, 2026. Official sources describe rules and services as published; confirm current details with the provider before you rely on them.
- NHSChoosing who will do your cosmetic procedure Published 2023-06-23 · Ask how many procedures they have done, their training, common complications, aftercare and what happens if something goes wrong; the practitioner should explain anaesthetic and expected pain; botulinum toxin injections are prescription-only medicines; for fillers ask the product name and where it came from.
- U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationFDA warns companies over illegal marketing of Botox and related products Published 2025-11-05 · Receive botulinum toxin only from a provider licensed and trained to inject it, with product from an authorized source; unauthorized products may be counterfeit or contaminated; seek medical care at once for trouble swallowing or breathing after an injection.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (prescribing information database)BOTOX Cosmetic prescribing information, revised 10/2024 Published 2024-10 · Potency units of this product cannot be compared to or converted into units of any other botulinum toxin product. Cited only for that point; not a product endorsement.
- U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationDermal filler do's and don'ts for wrinkles, lips and more Published 2023-07-07 · Ask the provider about the product type, where it will be injected and the possible risks; fillers should come from licensed providers in properly labelled, sealed vials or pre-filled syringes; do not use needle-free injection devices; rare injection into a blood vessel can cause tissue death, stroke or blindness.
- Korea Tourism OrganizationEmergency situations 119 fire and medical emergencies; 1339 infectious-disease emergencies; 1330 travel hotline in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian; hospital international health care centres mostly open weekdays with limited or no weekend hours.
- CDC Yellow Book 2026Medical tourism Published 2025-04-23 · Talk to your usual clinician well before travel; request copies of overseas medical records in English and give them to clinicians you see afterwards; tell later clinicians about every treatment received on the trip; arrange local follow-up before leaving.