A doctor’s perspective · English edition
Why is the plan I got in Korea different from the one at home?
A second plan is a good reason to ask each doctor the same few questions.
Dr. Jee Hoon JuInternational Director / Aesthetic Medicine Physician6 min read · Sources includedReviewed by Dr. Kwang Yeon Kim and Dr. Seung Yeon Cha
The short answer
Why is the plan I got in Korea different from the one at home?
Two doctors can examine the same skin and propose different plans for several ordinary reasons: what they saw on the day, your travel dates and sun exposure, the products and devices each has available, and how cautious they want to be with your skin type. Some of those differences matter more for a traveller, especially whether a product used in Korea is approved where you live and who looks after you later. Compare plans by asking both doctors the same questions and sharing each plan with the other, rather than choosing on price or session count alone.
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The ordinary reasons plans differ.
A plan is built from an examination at a moment in time. Skin can look different in a different season or after recent sun: the American Academy of Dermatology notes that sunlight triggers melasma, for example. A doctor who sees you in August may reasonably plan differently from one who saw you in March.
Your trip also shapes the plan. A doctor who knows you fly in four days, or have a beach holiday next, may choose a gentler option or a different order than a doctor who can see you again next month. The CDC Yellow Book’s flight guidance after laser and facial procedures is one reason timing enters the conversation.
American Academy of DermatologyCDC Yellow Book 2026Products, devices and how cautious to be.
Clinics in different countries work with different products and devices. The US FDA keeps its own list of approved dermal fillers and warns that some products are not approved for use in the US. A product used in Korea may not be one your home doctor knows or can supply, which matters if you need follow-up care there.
Doctors also weigh risk differently for different skin. The British Association of Dermatologists notes that laser results for melasma are variable and that laser can worsen pigmentation or leave lighter patches, more often in people of colour. One doctor may propose a device-led plan and another a slower plan built on skincare and sun protection. We cannot tell you which is right for you: ask each doctor what they are weighing and why they chose their approach for your skin, and take both answers to whichever doctor will look after you afterwards.
U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationBritish Association of DermatologistsSometimes the goal was heard differently.
A plan answers the question the doctor heard. If you said you want your skin to look brighter and it was understood as removing every spot, the plans will diverge. Write your goal in one or two plain sentences, and ask each doctor to repeat back what they think you want before they propose anything.
How to compare two plans.
NHS guidance suggests asking about the procedure, the products used and what could go wrong, and understanding all costs, including aftercare and anything needed to maintain the result. For treatment abroad it also asks where follow-up will happen. Put the same questions to both doctors and the answers become comparable.
- What does each plan aim to change, and over what time?
- Which products or devices, by name?
- What are the common side effects and the recovery?
- How many sessions, and who does the later ones?
- What is the total cost including follow-up?
Comparing two plans
What travelers ask
The questions behind the search.
Not by itself. Plans reflect the examination on the day, your dates, the products each doctor has and how cautious they choose to be. Ask both doctors to explain their reasons.
If you need care later at home, your doctor there will want to know what was used. The US FDA, for example, keeps its own approved filler list and warns that some products are not approved for US use.
Official guidanceSession count alone is a weak way to choose. Compare what each plan aims to change, the side effects and recovery, the total cost with follow-up, and who looks after you afterwards.
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. Jee Hoon Ju
International Director / Aesthetic Medicine Physician
A doctor’s perspective on asking clearer questions before, during and after 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.
- U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationDermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Fillers) Published 2023-07-06 · Seek immediate medical attention for unusual pain, vision changes, white, gray or blue skin near the injection site, or signs of stroke; read the patient labeling for the specific filler; report to MedWatch.
- British Association of DermatologistsMelasma (patient information) Published 2024-06 · No cure at present; often returns after treatments stop; laser results are variable and can worsen pigmentation or leave lighter patches, more often in people of colour; shade between 11 am and 3 pm.
- American Academy of DermatologyMelasma: Self-care Published 2023-09-12 · Protect skin every day, even on cloudy days and after swimming or sweating; tinted sunscreen with iron oxide and SPF 30 or higher; irritating products may darken spots; treatments take time to work.
- CDC Yellow Book 2026Medical tourism Published 2025-04-23 · Cites the American Society of Plastic Surgeons: wait 7 to 10 days before flying after laser treatments or cosmetic procedures to the face, eyelids or nose; request copies of overseas records in English; do not delay care for a suspected complication after returning home.
- NHSBefore you have a cosmetic procedure Ask about the procedure, the products used and what could go wrong; a cooling-off period after consultation; understand all costs including aftercare and future maintenance.
- NHSCosmetic surgery abroad Published 2022-12-14 · Written for surgery: two consultations, meet the surgeon rather than only sales staff, a language you understand, where follow-up happens, travel insurance limits, do not lie in the sun or go in the water straight after.