How to plan your surgery trip to Korea like a pro
Hi, this is DM Plastic Surgery in Seoul.
Working as a translator/consultant and helping overseas patients plan their surgery, I’ve noticed that a LOT of people underestimate how complicated the logistics can get.
Most people don’t just come to Korea for surgery. I mean even if you just come here for surgery, you still would want to make the most out of it.
So here are a few things I genuinely think overseas patients should know before planning a Korea surgery trip:
• Check Korean holidays in advance
Clinics close during major holidays (Children's day, Buddha's birthday for this Month, Election day and Memorial day for the next month...etc)
Treatment schedules can get delayed.
Also, a lot of Korean patients purposely schedule surgeries around long weekends and holiday periods, which means the weeks leading up to those dates can get booked out REALLY fast.
Especially winter season around/after the 수능 (Korean college entrance exam season). A lot of students get procedures done before starting university, especially eye surgery.
• Go to cute aesthetic places BEFORE surgery
If there are cafes, photo spots, shopping areas, etc. you really want content from, go before surgery while you still can dress up and wear make ups.
A lot of people imagine casually exploring Seoul post-op, but realistically you may be swollen, tired, wearing compression garments/bandages, or just not in the mood for pictures anymore.
• Same goes for saunas, clubbing, heavy drinking, etc.
You can't go to these places after your surgery.. so plan it ahead!
• Be careful with eyebrow tattoo appointments
I know a lot of you are planning to get microblading in Korea and this is something people underestimate a lot.
Certain surgeries can change your eyebrow placement.
- ptosis correction can reduce how much you use your forehead muscles to open your eyes
- forehead lifts/facelifts can affect brow position altogether
So if you get your brows tattooed before surgery without considering those changes, there’s a chance the shape or placement may not suit you afterward.
A lot of overseas patients only stay in Korea for around 7–10 days, so people often feel pressured to get everything done before flying home.
But being slightly inconvenienced drawing eyebrows every day is probably better than regretting your eyebrow shape for the next few years.
• Consultation is usually NOT quick
A “1 PM consultation” does not mean you’ll magically be done by 1:30.
Especially for overseas patients who need translation, consultations can easily take over an hour, and delays happen all the time.
Scheduling Clinic A at 1 PM and Clinic B at 2 PM usually just becomes stressful for everyone involved. Give yourself buffer time.
• Nail appointments → AFTER surgery
A lot of surgeries require nail removal for monitoring purposes during anesthesia.
Some clinics may only require one hand or foot uncovered depending on their policy,
but just don’t risk it.
• Hair appointments → sometimes BEFORE surgery is smarter
Depending on your procedure, washing/styling your hair afterward may be restricted.
If you’re getting something like a facelift or forehead lift, incision areas need to be handled carefully.
In those cases, doing your hair beforehand is usually easier.
• Skin treatments need cross-checking
Not every treatment can safely be combined with every surgery.
For example, if you’re getting lower blepharoplasty and also planning full-face Ultherapy, timing matters.
Always confirm with BOTH the surgery clinic and the skin clinic.
And one last tip because I KNOW a lot of you go crazy at Olive Young before flying home:
Don’t overbuy skincare/makeup BEFORE surgery.
Especially after eye/nose surgery, your makeup style can change A LOT.
And after procedures that affect skin texture/tightness (like facelifts), your skin concerns may change too.
Post-op skin can also become more sensitive, dry, irritated, or react differently because of recovery + Korea’s weather.
Before surgery I’d mainly recommend buying:
• toner pads (you might not be able to wash your face for awhile, this is A MUST)
• mild moisturizers
• simple essentials
Then do the bigger skincare/makeup shopping AFTER recovery when you actually know what your face/skin needs!!!!
Hope this helps yall :)))
DM Plastic Surgery