In-Clinic Acne Treatment
여드름 치료 · also: 아큐토닝, 골드PTT, acne toning, 여드름압출, 염증주사
Active acne in a Korean clinic is treated as a stack, not a single procedure: physical extraction, an intralesional injection to flatten an angry spot fast, and laser or light work aimed at the oil glands and inflammation. Individually the items are startlingly cheap; together they add up.
This breaks the skin or carries vascular/systemic risk, so a medical intake is required before treatment.
How it works
Extraction physically clears blocked follicles. An intralesional injection puts a tiny anti-inflammatory dose directly into an inflamed lesion, which is the fastest way to flatten one. Laser toning protocols reduce inflammation and bacterial load and calm oil production, while gold-microparticle photothermal therapy coats the follicle with light-absorbing particles so a light pulse can selectively heat and suppress the sebaceous gland itself.
Non-ablative laser · acts at 0.5–2 mm · deepest layer: Dermis
Where collagen and elastin live. Almost every 'skin quality' treatment is aimed here.
Depths are indicative and vary by device, cartridge, body area and individual.
Non-ablative laser
Heat is delivered in microscopic columns below an intact surface, so remodelling happens with far less visible recovery.
People choose this for
Products & devices used
Not all "In-Clinic Acne Treatment" is the same — the specific brand or machine changes the price and the feel. Common options in Korea:
Picosecond lasers for pigment, melasma and tattoo removal; low-fluence 'toning' brightens with little downtime.
A well-regarded microneedling RF for pores, acne scars, texture and firmness with fast recovery.
What it does
- ✓Inflamed spots flattened within days
- ✓Fewer new breakouts
- ✓Reduced oiliness
- ✓Less post-acne redness
Good for you if
- •Active inflammatory acne
- •A single spot before an event
- •Oily, congested skin
- •Acne that topicals haven't controlled
Aftercare
- ✓Extracted areas are red and can crust for 1–4 days — don't cover with heavy makeup on day one.
- ✓Keep hands off; extraction sites are open follicles.
- ✓Bland moisturiser and SPF; post-acne marks darken with sun.
- ✓Expect a possible short purge after some laser protocols.
Not suitable if
- !Isotretinoin use — extraction and lasers both need care, and most clinics will wait.
- !Active skin infection beyond the acne itself.
- !Pregnancy (limits which medications and lasers can be used).
- !Keloid tendency.
FAQ
Why is my bill higher than the price I saw?
Because extraction and injections are usually priced per spot rather than per visit. Ten inflamed lesions injected individually cost ten times the listed unit price. Ask for the full-face flat rate if you have many, and ask what the total will be before treatment starts.
What's in the injection?
Typically a very dilute corticosteroid. It flattens an inflamed lesion within a day or two and is the reason people book a clinic visit before an event. Overused or too concentrated, it can leave a small depression in the skin, so it isn't for routine weekly use.
Does gold photothermal therapy work?
The mechanism — selectively heating sebaceous glands via light-absorbing particles — is sound and there's published support for gland-targeting acne treatments. It's expensive relative to the rest of the menu, so ask what result and how many sessions they expect before committing.
Should I be on medication instead?
Possibly. Moderate to severe acne often responds better to prescription treatment than to repeated clinic procedures. A clinic that only offers you procedures for significant acne is not giving you the whole picture.
Price range by care tier
Market ranges for reference — actual quotes depend on the clinic, doctor and area.
Before you compare quotes: what this price is actually per
- Priced per lesion removed. A face with many spots is quoted as a flat full-face price instead.
- A flat per-visit price. The thing to check is how many visits the full course needs.
This is the menu most likely to surprise you at checkout, because items are priced individually: one Seoul list charged ₩5k per extraction and ₩10k per injected spot, or ₩50k flat for a full face of either — while an acne laser session was ₩150k and gold photothermal therapy ₩308k. A visit that felt like 'a facial' can bundle three or four line items.
- Per-spot extraction and injection charges on top of a laser session
- Soothing mask or LED afterwards
- Prescription topicals or antibiotics
Won prices quoted above are from a dated reference price list for one Seoul clinic chain (2026-07-24), used to show the shape of pricing — not a national average, and not a quote. Prices include 10% VAT: the foreign-patient cosmetic VAT refund ended on 31 December 2025.
How it compares
In-Clinic Acne Treatment beside the other Acne & Breakouts options travellers usually weigh against it.
| Comparison factor | In-Clinic Acne Treatment여드름 치료 | Medical Peels필링 | Skin Botox스킨보톡스 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best at | What Korean clinics actually do for active acne | Decoding a peel menu with ten names on it | Pore-tightening micro-botox |
| Depth reached | Dermis · 0.5–2 mm | Epidermis · 0–0.2 mm | Dermis · 0.3–1 mm |
| How it works | Non-ablative laser | Chemical peel | Intradermal injection |
| Downtime | 1–4 days | 0–2 days | 0–1 daysleast downtime |
| Pain | gentlest | ||
| Visits for full result | 3–6 visits | 1–6 visits | 1 visit |
| Results last | Ongoing management, not a cure | 1–3 weeks per session | 3–4 months |
| Trip fit | One visit, plus recovery days to plan around | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days | Any trip — one visit, no recovery days |
| Priced per | per lesion · per session | per session | per area |
| From | ₩30k–120k | ₩30k–80k | ₩80k–150k |
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