Smooth Skin Without Breakouts: Erica's Seoul Visit, and How I Plan for Acne-Prone Skin

“I just want my skin to stop breaking out” is probably the sentence I hear most from patients under thirty, and it comes from every country we see. I'm Dr. Hyunji Kim, director of Delphic Clinic in Sinnonhyeon, Gangnam. I trained at Korea University Medical Center, and I consult and treat international patients myself. Erica's caption asks who wants smooth skin without acne and pores, but it doesn't name the treatment she had, so I won't. This page focuses on acne: how I tell what kind of acne-prone skin you have, the options I weigh, what they cost, and when a clinic visit isn't the right first step.

Medically reviewed · Dr. Hyunji Kim · October 8, 2026

First question: which kind of acne-prone skin is it?

“Acne” covers very different skin. Some people have red, painful spots that need calming now. Others rarely get big breakouts but have oily, congested skin with constant small bumps and blackheads. And some mostly have marks left behind by breakouts that already healed.

I treat these three situations differently, so the consultation always starts by looking closely and asking how long it's been going on, what makes it worse, and what you've already tried.

The options I weigh, matched to what's going on

1. 1

   Active, inflamed spots → acne care

   Self-cleansing, careful extraction, anti-inflammatory injections into the inflamed spots, then 10 minutes of blue LED. It deals with what's on your face today.

2. 2

   Oily skin that keeps breaking out → Accu sebum laser

   A 1450nm laser that acts on the sebaceous glands to reduce oil production. 10–20 minutes, same-day return, and an option for people who'd rather not rely on medication.

3. 3

   Recurring acne with large pores → Gold & Platinum PTT

   A gold and platinum solution is absorbed into the skin, then light makes it heat up and target the oil glands and acne bacteria. About 30 minutes; the solution also contains hyaluronic acid to offset dryness.

I've written about what an acne clinic session in Seoul involves, and separately about which acne lasers help and which won't.

What one visit can and can't do for acne

Acne is a cycle, not a single event. One visit can calm active spots and clear congestion, and many patients leave with skin that feels cleaner. But new breakouts form underneath for weeks, so a single session rarely ends acne on its own.

For visitors, I often combine an in-clinic session with a prescription to continue at home. If you only have one appointment, my plan for what a single acne visit can realistically do before you fly home goes through the options.

Why I treat acne before pores

Erica's caption mentions pores too, and many people want both fixed at once. I usually calm active acne first, because treating pores or texture on inflamed skin raises the risk of irritation. Once breakouts settle, pores and leftover marks become much easier to plan for.

What an acne visit costs at Delphic

Our prices are public, and international patients pay the same as Korean patients. As the caption doesn't say what Erica had, these are example menu prices for a typical acne visit:

Inflammation injections alone start from ₩10,000 for fewer than five spots, and prescriptions are listed separately on the menu. Your total depends on what we find at the consultation.

Before you come in

1. 1

   Send a photo

   Message us on WhatsApp with a daylight photo, your travel dates and any medication or acne products you use.

2. 2

   Skip picking

   Try not to squeeze spots in the days before. It makes inflammation harder to read and treat.

3. 3

   On the day

   A free 1:1 consultation with me; English and Chinese interpreters are on site. Treatment can be the same day.

4. 4

   Finding us

   We're a short walk from Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam.