I spent a month reading forums before flying to Seoul for medical aesthetics. I had initially shortlisted several big-name clinics in Gangnam, but Dana Dermatology Myeongdong’s “14-year track record + Key Doctor personally injecting” ultimately won me over. This is a complete record of my journey from booking to consultation to 30 days post-treatment — for anyone hesitating about Myeongdong as a destination.
Why I Picked Dana in the End
Honestly, the “14-year track record” tagline felt a bit like marketing at first. But after digging into the Naver Map reviews (all in Korean) and confirming Director Lee Eun-ji’s Key Doctor credentials, I started taking it seriously. Key Doctor is not just a title — it means she participated in the clinical research and physician training for products like Rejuran, Ultherapy, and Sculptra. In other words, she is among the top-tier practitioners, not merely someone who knows how to operate the device.
I consulted three clinics before settling on Dana, for three reasons:
1. Director personally injects: Many Myeongdong clinics delegate injections to nurses or consultants. Dana insists the director does everything.
2. Transparent pricing: Mainstream treatments like Rejuran and Ultherapy have their prices listed on the official WeChat account — no on-site haggling.
3. Chinese-friendly support: From booking onward, all communication can go through WeChat, with a Chinese coordinator present during consultation.
My Two Treatments
My concerns were simple: deepening nasolabial folds, loss of apple-cheek volume, and overall dull skin tone. After discussing with the director, we settled on a combination of [Ultherapy Prime (US 2nd gen), 400 shots] + [Rejuran Healer manual injection, 2cc] — one for deep-tissue lifting, the other for skin-quality rejuvenation.
Booking and Arrival Flow
I booked two weeks before departure through the WeChat service account “明洞丹雅皮膚科” (Dana Dermatology Myeongdong). The flow was roughly:
1. After adding WeChat, fill out the booking form with desired treatments, preferred dates, and prior medical-aesthetic history.
2. The Chinese coordinator replied with available slots; I took a Friday afternoon.
3. I sent recent photos to the director for a pre-assessment, which made the in-clinic consultation much more efficient.
4. On the day, from Myeongdong Station Exit 6 it was about a 5-minute walk to the 3rd floor of Arnuvo Centum.
The Real Consultation Experience
The first impression walking in: this is a proper medical institution, not an Instagram-friendly boutique. The Chinese coordinator greeted me at the front desk, the waiting area was simple and clean, and the wall displayed the director’s certificates and brand authorizations.
During the consultation, Director Lee Eun-ji carefully assessed my skin, compared current photos with previous ones on her phone screen, then explained how the 400 shots would be distributed — forehead, both cheeks, jawline — and why Rejuran would be injected manually rather than by machine (manual injection reaches the precise dermal depth needed for true skin-quality improvement).
The whole consultation ran about 20 minutes. No hard-sell, no “would you like to add this too” lines. Once the plan was confirmed, we went straight into the treatment room.
Ultherapy Prime Treatment Notes
The biggest worry going in: would it pain. My actual experience:
· Forehead (over bone): most intense, about 6/10, but bearable.
· Both cheeks: moderate, around 4/10.
· Jawline: relatively gentle, around 3/10.
Between each shot, the director watched the device screen, confirmed energy was being delivered to the right fascial layer, and proactively told me where she was working and why she was switching transducers. The full session took about 60 minutes. Afterward my face was slightly red and mildly swollen, but not to the point of not wanting to be seen.
Rejuran Manual Injection
After a 15-minute rest, we moved to the Rejuran manual injection. One small detail here left a strong impression: the director changed to a fresh needle after every 1cc. Her reasoning: a dull needle causes more pain and bruising, so every injection point gets a sharp, new needle.
Pain-wise, manual Rejuran was actually a bit gentler than Ultherapy, around 3/10. Tiny red dots appeared across the face afterward, but they were not noticeable. Full face took about 20 minutes.
Post-Treatment Recovery Journal
· Day 1: Redness, no obvious bruising. Gentle cleanser that night, no makeup.
· Day 3: Swelling down 80%. Visually, nasolabial folds started to look softer.
· Day 7: Skin noticeably brighter; makeup applied much more smoothly.
· Day 14: The strongest firmness sensation. Coworkers asked if I had lost weight — actually my jawline just looked cleaner.
· Day 30: Effects stabilized. Overall skin quality stepped up a level, with visible improvement in nasolabial folds and apple-cheek fullness.
How Much Did It Cost?
Direct breakdown:
1. Ultherapy Prime (US 2nd gen, 400 shots): ₩2,000,000
2. Rejuran manual injection, 2cc: ₩700,000
3. Post-treatment repair mask set: ₩50,000
4. Tax refund (with passport, on-site): approximately -₩150,000
5. Round-trip airfare: NT$ 9,000
6. 3 nights of accommodation (next to Myeongdong Station): NT$ 7,500
7. Meals and local transport: NT$ 4,000
Net-net, the Ultherapy Prime + Rejuran manual combination was about 30-40% cheaper than equivalent pricing locally, even after airfare and accommodation.
Honest Review
✓ Pros:
· Key Doctor personally injecting — not a tagline; every shot was matched to a target tissue layer.
· Rejuran manual with needle change every 1cc kept pain and bruising very low.
· Full Chinese-language support from booking through post-treatment.
· Transparent pricing with no on-site upcharges.
▲ Areas for improvement:
· Director-led slots book up fast, so plan ahead.
· Closed Thursday and Sunday, so schedule carefully.
· Small clinic — the space is not Instagram-fancy, so don’t set your expectations too high.
3 Tips If You’re Considering Going
1. For ultrasound lifting, ask specifically for the “US 2nd gen Ultherapy Prime.” Korean versions (Titan/Oligio) are priced lower but use different output modes, so results aren’t directly comparable.
2. For Rejuran, insist on [manual injection] rather than machine-assisted. Manual reaches deeper layers and produces more visible improvement.
3. Plan at least 5 days in Seoul. The first 2 days are recovery — keep the schedule light.
Summary
If, like me, you care deeply about whether the doctor is the one actually treating you, Dana Dermatology Myeongdong delivers real reassurance. The Ultherapy Prime + Rejuran manual combination delivered visible improvement on my early signs of contour laxity and dull skin tone. Next time I go back, I’ll likely add Thermage FLX to round out the anti-aging plan.
Disclaimer: This article is a personal account of medical aesthetics treatment in Korea and is not medical advice. Everyone’s skin is different; please rely on a qualified medical professional’s in-person assessment for your actual treatment plan.
