What should you ask about a "Korean facial" before you book?
Before you book anything listed as a “Korean facial”, find out what that specific menu item involves. A price list or social post gives you a name, not the product, the method, the strength or the person who applies it, and only the clinic can tell you those. Ask which product or method is being offered to you, how deep or strong it is, and who carries it out. If the answer turns out to be a chemical peel, a suction-based aqua peel or HydraFacial-style treatment or LDM ultrasound skin care, read about that treatment on its own page, because each one has its own risks and its own questions.
England's consultation on licensing non-surgical cosmetic procedures has proposed grouping treatments by how deep they go and how they are delivered, not by a marketing name — under that proposal, a stronger chemical peel would sit closer to a laser resurfacing session than to a basic facial (GOV.UK, licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures: consultation response). No law has been finalised yet, but the same way of thinking is useful for any "facial" offered abroad too: ask what is actually being applied to your skin, and how far it goes, before you compare one clinic's offer with another's.
How do I find out if it's a graded peel rather than a basic facial?
Ask the clinic to name the exact product or device used, not just the service name on its menu. A single word like "peel" or "facial" can cover a very light surface treatment or a stronger one that needs a longer recovery, and only the clinic can tell you which is planned for you.
- Which acid, product or device is used, and at what strength or setting
- Whether a patch test is done before the full session, and what it showed
- How many sessions are recommended, and why that number
- What a normal reaction looks like afterward, and what would not be normal
Who should actually be doing the treatment, and what should you ask?
Ask about training, experience and registration, not the clinic's marketing claims. NHS guidance on choosing a practitioner for a cosmetic procedure recommends asking how many times they have done the specific treatment and what training they hold (NHS, Choosing who will do your cosmetic procedure). In the UK that is usually checked two separate ways: whether the practitioner is on a voluntary register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, and separately, whether they belong to an independent professional association for their field. Korea does not use the same registers, so ask the clinic directly which qualification, register or association applies to the person treating you, and treat a vague answer as a reason to ask another clinic.
- How many times they have carried out this exact treatment
- What training and qualification they hold for it
- Whether a doctor reviews your skin before a peel or device session, not only a therapist
- What the most common skin reactions are, and how the clinic handles them
What should a written treatment plan cover before you pay?
Before you pay anything, get written confirmation of the exact method being used, who is responsible for each step, what aftercare to expect, and who you contact if your skin reacts. The table below sets out what that written confirmation should cover.
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Treatment | Exact product or device and its strength or depth, not just "facial" |
| Practitioner | Who applies it, and their training for this specific treatment |
| Skin check | Patch test or consultation before any full-strength session |
| Aftercare | What to avoid afterward, and for how long |
| Reaction plan | Who you contact if your skin reacts, and how they assess it |
| Changes | What could change after the consultation, and how you agree to it |
Treat this table as the minimum for any clinic, in Korea or anywhere else. Ask for it in writing before you pay a deposit, not as something you piece together afterward from a receipt.
How are "Korean facial" ads shown to UK readers regulated?
Whether UK advertising rules apply to a clinic abroad depends on a few specific conditions, not simply on whether a UK reader sees the ad. ASA guidance says that unpaid marketing from an advertiser without a UK registered address generally falls outside its remit, but paid-for advertising or sponsored content that targets UK consumers does fall within the ASA's rules, as does any marketing on a .uk domain or from an advertiser with a UK registered address (ASA, In or out? Cross-border media and the ASA's jurisdiction). CAP's guidance on cosmetic interventions explicitly covers non-surgical treatments such as chemical peels and non-ablative laser sessions alongside surgery (CAP/ASA, Cosmetic interventions).
- Marketing built mainly around flights, hotels and sightseeing rather than the treatment itself
- A countdown, an "ending soon" message, or a price that only applies if you book immediately
- Wording that plays down ordinary skin reactions such as redness, flaking or sensitivity
- Heavily edited result images that leave out how long any glow or change actually lasts
- A sponsored post that does not clearly say a creator was paid to promote the clinic
CAP's cosmetic interventions guidance also keeps ads for these treatments away from under-18 audiences, across print, online and broadcast placements (CAP/ASA, Cosmetic interventions).
What happens if your skin reacts after you're back in the UK?
Ask the clinic, before you pay, exactly what to do if your skin reacts and who assesses it. NHS guidance on choosing a cosmetic practitioner lists "what aftercare you can expect" and "what to do if something goes wrong" among the questions to ask before booking, and the same logic applies to a peel or device session as much as to surgery (NHS, Choosing who will do your cosmetic procedure).
Get a named contact at the clinic, not a general enquiry address, who can look at a photo or video of the reaction and tell you whether it is an ordinary part of healing or needs an in-person check. Ask your own travel insurer directly what it covers for a reaction to a non-surgical skin treatment before you book, since cover varies between policies and providers.
What does COMEDI actually do, and what does it not do?
COMEDI is not a hospital and does not apply any treatment itself. It does not assess your skin, choose a treatment for you, or recommend a single clinic as the only option — those decisions stay with the clinician who examines you in person. COMEDI helps with clinic information, English-language consultation scheduling, written treatment plans and interpretation, so you can work through the checklist above before you commit to a trip.
Chemical peel: what is used
| Devices, products and methods | |
|---|---|
| Glycolic acid (AHA) peel | An alpha-hydroxy acid used for superficial peels that act on the outer layer of skin; glycolic acid is also used for medium-depth peels. |
| Salicylic acid peel | A mild acid used for superficial peels. |
| Jessner's solution | A named peel solution that the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery mentions alongside medium-depth peels; ask the clinic what its version contains. |
| TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peel | Used for medium peels that reach the outer and middle layers of skin, and for deep peels depending on strength. |
| Phenol peel | A deep peel that penetrates the middle layer of skin; it has the longest recovery and is done only once. |
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| How it works | A chemical solution is applied to remove the outer layers of skin so that new skin grows in its place. The type and strength of acid decide how deep the peel goes. |
| Healing time | Light peels heal in about 1–7 days, medium peels in 7–14 days and deep peels in 14–21 days. Swelling after a medium peel tends to peak at around 48 hours. |
| Anaesthesia | Light peels need only skin cleansing beforehand. Deep peels are done under general anaesthesia in a surgical setting. |
| Sessions & interval | Light peels are often given as a series of 3–5 treatments spaced 2–5 weeks apart. Light and medium peels can be repeated; a deep peel is done only once. |
| Aftercare | Medium and deep peels involve daily soaks, ointment and a course of antiviral medicine. After a deep peel you need to stay out of the sun for 3–6 months. |
| Known risks | Possible effects include lasting redness, temporary darkening or permanent lightening of the skin, cold sore flare-ups and, rarely, scarring. People with darker skin tones have a higher risk of lasting colour change and should see a doctor experienced with their skin type. |
Full details and sources: Chemical peel
Facts to check before you book
| Registration | Clinics and agencies that work with international patients must be registered with Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare. Medical Korea lists 3,114 registered medical institutions and 1,927 registered agencies (as of March 2025), and registered institutions have had to carry medical malpractice liability insurance since 2016. Ask for the registration number before you pay a deposit. [1] |
| Official help line | The Medical Korea Information Center answers on +82-2-1577-7129, daily 09:00 to 18:00 Korea time, and has desks at Seoul Station (B2, Airport Railroad) and Incheon Airport Terminal 1. It gives information on clinics, takes complaints and dispute enquiries, and takes reports of illegal brokers. [2] |
| Tax refund | Korea's VAT refund for cosmetic procedures for foreign visitors (Restriction of Special Taxation Act, Article 107-3) applied only to procedures received at registered clinics on or before 31 December 2025, and the refund had to be claimed within three months of the procedure. Procedures received now are not covered, so do not plan your budget around a refund, and ask the clinic whether VAT is included in the written quote. [3] |
| If something goes wrong | The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency accepts mediation applications from foreign patients. Patients living abroad apply by email or fax ([email protected]), and the counselling line is +82-2-1670-2545. Keep your records, receipts and consent forms. [4] |
Checked on 2026-10-07. Rules change, so confirm with the official source before you travel.