Five Years Ahead, One Flight Away: Why New Yorkers are chasing Seoul’s beauty frontier
Across the world, the hunt for eternal youth now has a new epicenter: Seoul. Treatments are billed as more advanced and cheaper, drawing celebrities and skincare enthusiasts alike. Last month, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, La La Anthony, Stephanie Suganami, and skincare expert Vanessa Lee joined a girls’ trip to Seoul to test Korea’s cutting-edge beauty work. 'The US and the rest of the world are at least five years behind,' said Y. Lee, a New York–based influencer who documents glow-up trips on TikTok. Her post detailing 15 non-invasive treatments—from fat-dissolving injections to Juvelook skin boosters, lasers, Botox, and eye-sizing for colored contacts—has racked up about 1.7 million views.
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Celebrity-backed trend: Seoul as the new beauty capital
Celebrities and skincare enthusiasts are flocking to South Korea for cosmetic procedures they say are cheaper and often more advanced than in America. The trend is reinforced online, with Y. Lee’s glow-up posts drawing millions of views. For example, Lee notes jaw Botox costs about $100 in Korea, versus roughly $700 in the United States. The broader claim that Korea leads the world’s cosmetic field frames much of the reporting and experiences shared by travelers.
From corporate life to beauty concierge: Y. Lee’s glow-up empire
In December, Lee quit her corporate job to focus on advising others seeking beauty trips to Korea. In July, she launched BookDoctra.com, a website offering reviews of Korean doctors and the ability to book directly with them. She acknowledges language barriers can complicate things, but she continues to build her network while still having family in Korea.
A solo glow-up: Annette Bragas’ Seoul facelift, stem cells, and a $35,000 package
A native of Germany now living in New York, makeup artist Annette Bragas traveled to Korea alone for a facelift, neck lift, and stem-cell therapy with Dr Song Hyungmin. She paid about $35,000 for the procedures, plus nearly three weeks in a hotel for recovery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a driver to appointments, and a skincare goodie bag she estimates at $600. She says the results are striking: 'It doesn’t look like I had surgery, I just look younger.' She estimates the same surgery in the U.S. would cost at least $50,000, not including aftercare or lodging. She initially worried about being the only Caucasian patient, but the clinic spoke English and recovery allowed her to connect with other patients: 'It was basically plastic surgery city, there were so many people bandaged up.'
Expert cautions and the complexity of medical travel
Dr. Roy Kim, a plastic surgeon with offices in San Francisco and Beverly Hills, says he is 'in favor' of Americans traveling to South Korea for skin care and plastic surgery, as long as they do their research. 'Korea has very high standards of medical care, sanitation, cleanliness and ethics,' he told The Post. 'The Korean government is quite aware of the economic gains of foreign citizens coming to Korea for medical and surgical care, and the same high standards for Korean citizens are the same for non-Korean citizens.' He cautions that serious procedures require weeks of recovery, possible blood clots, and notes that many clinics rely on a patient ambassador rather than the surgeon as the main contact. He adds: 'It is very common to be able to meet with the patient coordinator and plastic surgeon the same day, and get all pre-op blood testing, EKG, chest x-ray, and more in the same visit. Surgery is scheduled the next day or so.' He also warns about language barriers and a possible 'factory' feel, urging patients to do their homework and understand exactly what procedures they are getting. Bragas, for her part, isn’t done: she says, 'I want to go back in January and get another injection of stem cells.'
