How a south korea beauty injection day runs, from skin check to flight home

A south korea beauty injection is usually a skin booster: a small amount of material such as PDRN (the "salmon injection"), polynucleotide (Rejuran) or a collagen stimulator like Juvelook, placed in many tiny points across the face. It works on texture, hydration and fine lines rather than on shape. For a visitor, the practical worry comes on top of the medical one: will the injection bumps still show when you board the flight home? At Delphic Clinic the doctor injects directly, treatment can happen on the same day as the consult, and English and Chinese interpreters are on site.

I'm Dr. Hyunji Kim, Director · Lead Physician at Delphic Clinic in Gangnam (Korea University Medical Center; Member, Korean Academy of Aesthetic Surgery & Laser Medicine; Member, Korean Filler Society). Visitors ask me "which Korean injection should I get?" more than almost anything else, so this page goes through the visit one station at a time, in the order it happens.

In short:

• Skin boosters work on skin quality. They don't lift a jowl or fill a fold; filler or a lifting device does that.
• PDRN, polynucleotide and collagen stimulators suit different skin problems, so the choice starts with your skin and has nothing to do with what's trending.
• Put the injection early in the trip. If you land Thursday and fly Sunday, Friday is your treatment day.
• At Delphic: direct access from Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station, weekday hours until 21:00, same-day treatment possible.

To start, send two things on WhatsApp: one daylight photo of your face without makeup, and your landing and departure dates. With those in the thread, your consult starts from your own skin and calendar, and you can ask about weekday slots that run until 21:00.

Which injection are people actually searching for?

Filler, fat-dissolving injections and glutathione drips often get grouped under the same phrase, but each one does a different job.

PDRN and polynucleotide both come from salmon DNA. They differ in chain length and in how the product behaves in the skin, and a 2025 review in Pharmaceutics compares the two at the molecular level. For the practical side, I wrote a separate piece on choosing between the salmon injection and Rejuran.

If you were really searching for a change in shape, start with what to look for before you trust a filler injector. If you meant a whitening drip, what a glutathione IV can and can't do covers it. Jawline slimming is its own topic, explained in how fat-dissolving injections slim a jawline. Delphic is a dermatology and aesthetic clinic, so plastic surgery and hair transplants aren't on our menu.

Arrival and the consult room

The clinic is directly connected to Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station (Line 9 and the Shinbundang Line) at 476 Gangnam-daero, Urban Hive Bldg 2F. You can come by subway and walk straight in. The consultation is 1:1, and English and Chinese interpreters are on site.

Do you take blood-thinning medication or supplements? Do you have any allergies, including to fish, since PDRN and polynucleotide are salmon-derived? Do you get cold sores? Have you had a laser or filler recently? Could you be pregnant? Do you have a big event or a flight in the next few days? Your answers shape the plan more than the product name does.

How do I choose between PDRN, Rejuran and a collagen booster?

Match the product to what you see in the mirror.

Risks and side effects to know

A doctor assessing skin for a booster looks at three things. First, do the fine lines disappear when the skin is gently stretched (surface dehydration), or do they stay (structural)? Second, is there redness or reactive skin that makes microneedling a poor first step? Third, is the skin thin under the eyes, where a lighter dose and a shallower depth are needed? Pores and acne scars are a separate question. They often need a device like Potenza alongside the injection, which is why some of our one-day packages pair the two, for example Potenza + PDRN.

This matters if a clinic at home told you filler wasn't right for your face. A skin booster answers a different question, so that "no" may still stand while a booster is worth discussing.

The injection itself, in general terms

People commonly describe pinpricks and a brief sting, stronger along the jaw and under the eyes. Afterwards there are small raised bumps at the injection points, some redness, and sometimes pinpoint bruises.

In our package descriptions, the PDRN and the Potenza pore tip are listed as unboxed in front of you, so you can see exactly what is used.

What can go wrong, and who should skip it

Most reactions are mild and short-lived: swelling, redness, tenderness and bruising where the needle went in. Infection, lumps and allergic reactions are rare.

A systematic review of polynucleotides in aesthetic medicine in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that the reported side effects were mostly mild and temporary. Filler carries more risk. The FDA's page on dermal fillers lists bruising, redness, swelling, pain and itching as common, and warns that accidental injection into a blood vessel is rare but can cause serious harm. That is one reason to know which category you're actually booking. Fat-dissolving injections have their own list, covered in the side effects reviews tend to understate.

Who should skip it or wait:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding: aesthetic injections are generally postponed.
• An active breakout, infection or cold sore in the treatment area.
• A known fish allergy or a past reaction to a salmon-derived product: tell the doctor before anything is opened.
• Blood thinners: expect more bruising, and never stop a prescribed medication on your own for a cosmetic treatment.
• A wedding, photo shoot or flight in the next day or two, with no room for visible bumps.

When you don't need to come: if what bothers you is a jowl or a deep fold, a skin booster won't fix it. And if your skin feels comfortable and you only want a glow for one photo, sunscreen and sleep may get you most of the way. Whether a booster fits your skin is decided in the consult once the doctor has examined it, and skin responds differently from person to person.

How many days should sit between the injection and your flight?

At least the listed downtime, plus a night to spare. On our menu, Rejuran lists about 1–3 days of downtime.

Opening hours shape the plan. Weekdays run from 10:30 to 21:00, which helps if you land in the afternoon. Saturday hours end at 17:00 and the clinic is closed on Sundays, so on a weekend trip Saturday is your last possible treatment day.

The CDC's medical tourism guidance advises building recovery time into the trip and taking copies of your records home, so a doctor there knows what was injected if you need care later. The recommended interval for Rejuran is 2–3 weeks, so a series means a second trip or continuing closer to home.

If your dates are tight, send them on WhatsApp with one extra detail: the date of your last laser, filler or injection. That date shows whether a booster belongs on day one of this trip or the next one, and you can ask about a matching consult slot in the same thread.

Questions to bring to the consult

Take these with you. The interpreter can pass any of them to the doctor.

• Which product, and how many cc, are you planning for my skin?
• Can I see the vial opened?
• Is this a single session or a series, and at what interval?
• Which reactions are normal on the flight, and which ones mean I should contact the clinic?
• Can you write the product name down for my doctor at home?
• If I also want a laser or Potenza, should it be the same day or a separate one?

The easiest next step is a WhatsApp message with your daylight photo and travel dates. Once you arrive, the 1:1 consultation runs with English or Chinese interpreters on site. The clinic is directly connected to Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station, and because same-day treatment is possible, the booster can happen on the same day as the consult.