How to Choose a Dermatology Clinic, According to a Current Dermatology Director

Hello.

'Don’t make it obvious, only do exactly what is needed, and become beautiful!'

I’m Mi-ra Lee, a doctor who performs skin procedures.

There are so many conditions for a 'good dermatology clinic' that different clinics present, such as the importance of a doctor’s abundant clinical experience, the importance of a meticulous procedure process, the fact that consultation with medical staff is essential, and that cost should not be the top priority when choosing a dermatology clinic.

I also run a dermatology clinic in Gangnam (to be exact, my husband is in charge of the plastic surgery part and I am in charge of the dermatology part, but the hospital name is Plastic Surgery). But the dermatology field itself is so fiercely competitive in advertising. It’s so chaotic that the commotion during the Korean War would be nothing in comparison.

In this flood of advertising, for patients to find and choose a 'good dermatology clinic' would not be easy at all, even if I were in your position.

So I fully understand that many patients spend a great deal of time struggling to choose a 'good dermatology clinic.'

I myself have often felt drained by the flood of advertisements when looking for a nice restaurant or an interior design company.

So, as the first post on my blog where I will record my procedure notes, I’d like to honestly talk about the criteria for choosing a dermatology clinic.

I’ll speak candidly so that this post can be of even a little help to patients who are dermatology-clinic nomads. 😊

Criteria for Choosing a Dermatology Clinic, as Told by a Dermatology Director

If you had to pick just one condition for a good dermatology clinic, what would it be?

There are many factors that make up a good dermatology clinic.

Experience, thoroughness, honesty, and more are all important—there are too many to list one by one.

But if I had to choose just one, I think it would be 'honesty.'

| Honest (率直, pronounced soljjikada): sincere and straightforward, without lying or concealing anything. |

For example, let’s say a patient comes in having decided on filler for neck wrinkles. But what if the patient’s neck wrinkle pattern would not improve sufficiently with filler? Yes, that’s right. An honest dermatology clinic would definitely explain the reason in enough detail.

It should say, "Filler is not completely ineffective, but this method is more suitable for you. The reason is…" and discuss the appropriate procedure together in detail. Of course, within the patient’s budget.

In fact, there was a patient who came in for Botox and ultrasound lifting, but because there was almost no sagging in the sides of the cheeks and no double chin at all, I told them that lifting could be done a few years later. I only performed the Botox procedure.

All procedures on the market have their own good effects. But only when it works for you can you say it has a good effect.

Also, an honest dermatology clinic naturally follows the most basic principles during procedures.

Before the procedure, it 반드시 goes through a process of transparently checking with the patient whether the products used are genuine and whether the dosage has been set appropriately.

So personally, among the many elements that make up a 'good dermatology clinic,' I think honesty is the most important virtue of all.

Procedure costs vary widely—what is a reasonable price?

Even for the same procedure, the cost can differ a lot from one dermatology clinic to another, right?

For example, Juvelook alone can cost around 250,000 to 500,000 KRW for 4cc, and some dermatology clinics even charge 700,000 to 900,000 KRW.

At times like this, if the procedure is too cheap, you naturally worry that the effect may be poor; on the other hand, if it is too expensive, you can’t help but wonder whether it is really worth that much.

I honestly think procedure cost and results are not strongly correlated. Pricing generally depends on the clinic’s fixed expenses, so cost has very little impact on the outcome.

In my case, when I opened my current clinic,

I focused on the idea of 'a dermatology clinic where everyone can enjoy the right to become beautiful.'

(As an aside, my husband, whose specialty is revision eyelid surgery, has fast hands, so we were able to set a reasonable price.😅)

I thought the purpose of dermatology procedures goes beyond self-satisfaction and is about improving 'self-esteem' and 'confidence.'

Before an interview,

before a blind date,

before a reunion I’ll attend for the first time in years,

before a meeting between the parents of a son and daughter,

and so on—each person has different reasons for getting a procedure, but the goal is to improve confidence by addressing areas of concern or features they considered complexes.

But while each person may be considering a dermatology procedure before an important event, there will definitely be people who hesitate because of the cost burden.

So, we minimized marketing costs to remove inflated pricing and set procedure fees at a reasonable level.

In other words, procedure costs vary depending on each dermatology director’s philosophy and the fixed expenses required to operate the clinic, so they have no real correlation with the effect.

Therefore, when choosing a dermatology clinic, the best approach is to narrow it down to a few clinics where you can receive treatment within the budget you have in mind, then look at each director’s standards of beauty and the general procedure process to choose the place that matches your preferences.

What is the right price for a dermatology clinic? Yes, that’s right. It depends on what’s in your own pocket. 😊

Whether natural or glamorous, the result is also a matter of choice.

There are many dermatology clinics that say, 'Dermatology procedures should not create unnatural changes or excessive obviousness.' Of course, I also pursue natural-looking changes.

Rather than hearing, 'Oh, I guess you got thread lifting?' at a reunion you attended after a long time, I aim for a result that makes people say, 'Oh, you never seem to age.'

A result where something is clearly different—you have become prettier and more beautiful—but people around you do not realize you had a procedure.

But this is ultimately a matter of personal taste.

There are also patients who want a change that stands out clearly rather than something natural, and there are directors who pursue such results as well.

Whether natural or glamorous, it is simply a matter of personal preference, not right or wrong.

All you need to do when choosing a dermatology clinic is check whether the result pursued by the medical staff matches your taste.

To summarize,

when choosing a dermatology clinic, you should definitely look at the virtue of 'honesty' in the medical staff.

| It is the most important condition for avoiding undesirable outcomes, such as excessive treatment, incomplete results due to tricking the dosage, and side effects caused by using cheap counterfeit products instead of genuine ones. |

Other than that, the right price and the direction of the result are 'good choices' when they match your own standards and preferences.

That’s all I prepared for today.

Starting with this post, I will continue to meet patients through articles on topics and content that can provide practical help.

To you, who are already dazzlingly beautiful.

I’m Mi-ra Lee, a natural beauty designer who brings out your original charm.

Thank you. 😊

PS.

This was my first time taking photos to put on the blog, and they look very awkward.😅

In the next post, I’ll try to appear more natural!