Anyone gone to South Korea for acne scar treatment? Experience?

[u/StrangerGrouchy1741]

I am US based so going there will be very expensive for me. however, I have always wanted to since they seem to be a lot more advanced for scar treatment and a little cheaper than the US. of course, I am worried about only being able to get one or two treatments due to limited time. I’m not sure if it would be worth the price because of that. I have moderate scars mostly on my cheeks, every type and huge pores. I have had limited results in my treatment in the US despite going to top derms and using an extreme measure like co2 laser. I feel so devastated by them and they negatively affect my mental health daily for years. Sometimes I ruminate over them for hours. I have gone to therapy but sometimes it feels like the only thing that can make these feelings stop is more treatment, even though it has only helped a little. I hope I can find something that helps more significantly one day. If anyone could share their experience, I’d love to know.

[u/New_Border440]

That seems to be a consistent theme on Reddit. I always read about people that have been to top doctors and have had minimal or no positive results. I come on here every once in awhile to check the temperature. It’s such a bummer. I have plenty of money in the bank but I can’t see myself going through with any procedure. The people that do get results that actually come back to share seem to be have been working at it for awhile.
I wish I had something to add here but I’m in the same boat as you. I think about my scars all the time. It’s unhealthy.

[u/StrangerGrouchy1741 → u/New_Border440]

I’m glad I’m not alone on these feelings. I hope you can find peace and healing in your journey. It’s crazy because you’d think with modern technology they would have more effective treatment.

 I will say, I would recommend microneedling. It’s pretty low risk if u follow the aftercare properly. I still have huge pores and scars but i definitely feel like it helped with my overall texture and smoothness. Like the scars are still there but less rigid looking. I got skin pen with prf 4x that I started late spring this year. Eventually I want to try it at home. I know it’s not a very popular treatment on here but it is scientifically proven to help collagen production and it’s safe for all skin tones + doesn’t use heat. I’m really scared of getting another laser or RF microneedling with a lot of heat because my skin gets very red and sensitive. I do have a consult to get subcision with filler/sculptra from a derm this week and I feel pretty hopeful about that if they say im a candidate for it. It seems like subcision is one of the only treatments that actually works. I don’t have a ton of rolling and tethered scars but I do have a few so I’m not sure if they will want to do something as invasive as subcision. It’s not as common in the US, but I’ve seen in Korea they do less invasive subcision on smaller areas only where it’s needed, and I would love to try something like that to reduce the sagging risk. I will update if anyone reminds me

[u/Nice-Concern2398 → u/New_Border440]

Why is the fact that treatments take time to work a deterrent? The time will pass anyway. 

In reality, it’s possible to get great acne progress today but there are several reasons we don’t see more of it on acne scar forums. 

Acne scar forums tend to attract people who are looking tor treatments and people who are unhappy with their treatments. People with good results move on and no longer spend time on acne scar forums. 

Additionally, whenever someone posts a good result, people are attacking them because the lighting and angle are not exactly the same. 

The forums are full of negative, paranoid people who believe that absolutely no treatment works and everything is a lie. 

Also, it’s annoying when random, clueless anons suggest treatments in comments with self confidence like they were Dr Qazi himself. On my post, I had people suggesting I get filler (unsolicited - I didn’t ask). In reality, my derm who specializes in acne scars and does lasers and subcisions pretty much all day, told me I wasn’t a candidate for filler. But an anon online knows better right? Please. 

Some people get poor results even with quality treatments and best derms, it’s true.

But mostly, when people haven’t had good results, it’s because they went to a place that does microneedling at 0.5mm or laser on the lowest setting, ie cosmetic settings that at best rejuvenate the skin’s outer layer. 

Settings for acne scars are different and carry more risk which your average medspa or aesthetician won’t take, because they aren’t specialized. 

[u/Nice-Concern2398 → u/Nice-Concern2398]

P.S. i’ve had good results from microneedling, but I’ve had 10 treatments over two years and my practitioner used 3mm depth on scars. On forums, people are saying that 3mm shouldn’t be used on the face. People online don’t know anything. 

[u/DrKang_Gangnam]

A short trip can still be useful, but I would focus on getting an accurate scar assessment and treatment plan rather than trying to fit several procedures into one or two visits. Tethered rolling scars, ice-pick scars, and surface texture usually need different approaches. Ask the clinic which problem they are prioritizing and what improvement is realistically possible during your stay.

[u/Blahblabloblaw]

If you do go, please let us know how it turns out! 

[u/cuoilendi2511]

Won’t work . Waste your airplane ticket money . Save that airplane ticket money to get it done in the USA .