Peep Korea
Skin
Seven Names. Different Jobs.
Rejuran, Pico, Potenza, Ultherapy and other Korean skin treatments: what each one does, who it suits, and how to decide which is worth your time in Seoul.
Seven names come up again and again: Rejuran, Pico laser, Potenza, Ultherapy, laser toning, LDM and skin boosters. Each one does a different job, so here is what each is mainly for, before any price conversation:
| Treatment | Often used for |
|---|---|
| Rejuran (polynucleotide injections) | Texture, fine lines, elasticity, overall skin quality |
| Pico laser | Freckles, sunspots, certain pigmentation, some acne scars1 |
| Potenza (RF microneedling) | Acne scars, pores, texture, mild laxity2 |
| Ultherapy | Lax skin of the brow, under the chin and on the neck3 |
| Laser toning | Selected pigmentation problems4 |
| LDM | Gentle care, or recovery from other treatments |
| Skin boosters | Hydration, elasticity, overall skin quality5 |
If you spend enough time on Korean beauty TikTok, something strange starts to happen. You arrive looking for a facial, and twenty minutes later you're researching salmon DNA, radiofrequency needles, ultrasound lifting, picosecond lasers, and something called LDM. Welcome to Korean dermatology.
The good news? Korea really does offer an unusually deep menu of aesthetic treatments. The less-good news is that more options do not necessarily make choosing easier, especially when you're visiting Seoul for the first time. So instead of another giant list of everything a Korean clinic can possibly do, here are seven treatments actually worth understanding before you book anything - and, more importantly, what problem each one is trying to solve.
One rule before we start: the treatment everyone is talking about is not automatically the treatment your skin needs. Your skin type, pigmentation, medical history, medications, previous procedures and goals all matter. A qualified clinician should evaluate you before treatment.
Often used for: texture, fine lines, elasticity and overall skin quality. Rejuran is a brand of injectable polynucleotide, or PN, derived from purified salmon DNA. Yes, this is the salmon one, and no, they're not injecting salmon sperm into your face, despite what TikTok may have led you to believe. PN is not the same as PDRN, even though the two get mixed up - here's how PN and PDRN differ.
Unlike traditional filler, the goal isn't to make your cheekbones bigger or change the shape of your face. It's used as a regenerative skin-quality treatment. That's a simple way to understand it: filler changes volume; PN injections are trying to improve the skin itself. People typically consider it for dullness, fine lines, uneven texture, enlarged pores and reduced elasticity.
Recent literature on aesthetic PN treatments describes proposed effects related to tissue remodelling and hydration, although this remains an evolving evidence base - not magic in a syringe.
What nobody puts in the Instagram caption: it's a lot of tiny injections. Numbing cream helps, but don't automatically assume this is a relaxing spa treatment. Small bumps, swelling and redness can stick around for a few days. And don't judge it in the elevator on your way out; this isn't supposed to produce a dramatic instant transformation.
Peep take: Interesting if your goal is better skin, not a different face.
Often used for: freckles, sunspots, certain pigmentation and some acne scars. "Pico" isn't really one treatment: it's a family of lasers that deliver extremely short pulses measured in picoseconds. They're used for several things, including pigmented lesions, tattoo removal, photoaging and - in fractional modes - acne scarring.
Published reviews support picosecond lasers for a range of dermatologic applications, although effectiveness depends heavily on what is actually being treated and which settings are used. That's an important distinction, because brown spot ≠ melasma ≠ acne mark. They may look like variations of "pigmentation" to you; they aren't necessarily the same problem medically.
This is exactly why walking into a clinic and saying "I want the laser I saw on TikTok" is backwards. Start with the diagnosis, then choose the laser.
Fractional picosecond lasers also have evidence for atrophic acne scars. A meta-analysis in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found improvement comparable with other fractional lasers, with lower post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and pain across the included studies.1
Downtime can be relatively modest, but it depends on the device, intensity and indication. And afterwards, sunscreen becomes non-negotiable - and if you're wondering why Korean and Western formulas feel so different, we broke that down here.
Often used for: acne scars, pores, texture and mild laxity. Potenza belongs to the radiofrequency microneedling category: imagine microneedling, except the needles can also deliver radiofrequency energy beneath the skin. The controlled injury from the needles plus RF energy is intended to stimulate remodelling and collagen production.
That makes RF microneedling particularly interesting for problems that live more in the architecture of the skin than simply on its surface: acne scars, texture, pores, and some fine lines and mild laxity. A 2025 systematic review found that fractional RF microneedling consistently improved atrophic acne-scar scores across the studies examined, though devices, settings and indications varied considerably.2
Here's the trade-off: this isn't usually the treatment we'd schedule immediately before engagement photos. Redness and swelling for several days can happen, and the collagen-related improvements aren't instant. They develop over weeks and months.
Peep take: If acne scarring is your real concern, this deserves a much more serious look than whatever "glass skin" treatment is trending this week.
Often used for: mild-to-moderate laxity around the jawline, neck and brow. Ultherapy is not a facelift without surgery, and that's the misconception to clear up first. It's a non-invasive microfocused-ultrasound treatment intended to heat targeted tissue beneath the skin and stimulate a remodelling response.
The Ulthera System is FDA-cleared for indications including lifting the eyebrow and lax tissue beneath the chin and on the neck, and its imaging function lets the operator visualise tissue beneath the skin during treatment.3
So why does everyone talk about the SMAS? (That's the connective layer surgeons reposition in a facelift - we cover it in detail in SMAS vs. Deep Plane Facelift.) Because focused ultrasound can target relatively deep tissue planes. But that doesn't mean it reproduces what a surgeon physically does during a facelift, and that's a very important distinction.
For the right person - someone with early or moderate laxity who wants a subtle improvement without surgery - it can make sense. For someone with substantial loose skin expecting a dramatic transformation, it's a different conversation. Improvements tend to appear gradually as collagen remodelling occurs, and results vary with age, skin quality and degree of laxity.
Peep take: Think subtle tightening, not new jawline by Friday.
Often used for: selected pigmentation problems. Low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG laser toning has been widely used in Asia for pigmentation, particularly melasma, which is why anyone researching Korean dermatology soon sees incredibly inexpensive "laser toning" packages. But this is one treatment where more is definitely not always better.
A systematic review and meta-analysis found low-fluence Nd:YAG can be effective for melasma, while also reporting recurrence and adverse effects including mottled hypopigmentation, which has been associated with excessive cumulative treatment.4 Aggressive treatment can also provoke hyperpigmentation.
The practical conclusion across this literature is consistent: low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG is better thought of as one part of a multimodal melasma strategy - alongside photoprotection and other appropriate treatments - rather than a standalone cure.
This is one place we'd be especially wary of the "10 sessions for ₩___!" sales pitch. Your skin doesn't care that the package was a bargain.
Peep take: Get the pigmentation diagnosed first. Especially if someone says the word melasma.
Often used for: people who want something gentle, or who are recovering from other treatments. LDM is almost the opposite of Potenza: no needles, no dramatic resurfacing, very little drama at all. It uses alternating ultrasound frequencies and is commonly offered in Korean clinics as a gentle supportive treatment, including after more aggressive procedures - typically for sensitive skin, hydration, temporary inflammation and recovery support.
Worth being straight about the evidence here: LDM has a much thinner published literature than the lasers and energy devices above. Most of what you'll read about it comes from clinics rather than from trials.
And this is where expectations matter. If someone promises LDM is going to dramatically lift your lower face or erase deep acne scars, we'd have questions. Its appeal is precisely that it is gentle.
Peep take: Think supporting actor, not lead character.
Often used for: hydration, elasticity and overall skin quality. "Skin booster" is a category of injectables, not one universal product, and it differs from conventional filler in its goal: traditional filler is about shape and volume, a skin booster about skin quality. Different injectables use different ingredients and behave differently, which is why asking "should I get a skin booster?" is a little like asking "should I take medicine?" Which one? For what?
A well-established ingredient in this category is hyaluronic acid (HA). HA attracts and retains water, and injectable HA formulations intended to improve skin quality have shown promising evidence. A systematic review of 13 studies reported improvements in measures including hydration, firmness, brightness, texture, radiance and elasticity, while also noting the need for larger randomised trials.5 Temporary bumps or swelling can occur after the microinjections.
Peep take: Don't shop for "a skin booster." Ask exactly which product, what's in it, and why that formulation fits your skin.
Book the treatment that matches what is actually happening with your skin, which a consultation can show you, and that may not be the treatment you planned to get. You might arrive convinced you need Ultherapy and discover pigmentation is what really bothers you. That's actually one of the advantages of doing this properly.
You might want Rejuran because everyone on TikTok got it, while a dermatologist looks at your acne scars and recommends RF microneedling instead. Or you may discover that what you thought was a sunspot is melasma - and suddenly the treatment strategy changes completely. That's why the consultation matters. A good consultation should answer three things:
Medical history, medications, allergies, previous procedures, skin type and treatment goals can all change what is appropriate for you.
Ask what is actually happening with your skin before you ask for a treatment, and don't try to do everything just because you're here. Korea's enormous aesthetic-treatment menu is part of what makes it exciting; it's also what makes it easy to overdo. A good first visit isn't the one where you leave having tried seven treatments. It's the one where you understand what your skin needs. And maybe that's the real Korean skincare secret nobody puts on TikTok.
There's no universal "starter" treatment. The right choice depends on your skin concern. Someone with acne scars needs something very different from someone with pigmentation or laxity. Start with a consultation to identify your actual issue before choosing a treatment.
Prices vary widely by clinic, device, area and treatment intensity. Ask for the per-session price in won, the number of sessions, and what is included, after the clinician has named the problem. Very cheap laser toning packages are a reason to reread the section above on why cheaper isn't always better. We have not found a dated, attributable source for Seoul session prices, so we do not print a range.
It depends on the treatment and your condition. Rejuran and skin boosters typically involve 2-4 sessions spaced weeks apart. RF microneedling might need 3-6 sessions for acne scars. Ultherapy is often a single treatment. Laser toning for melasma can require ongoing maintenance. A good clinician will give you a realistic treatment plan, not just sell you packages.
Varies significantly. LDM has essentially none. Rejuran may leave tiny bumps for a few days. Pico laser can cause redness for 1-3 days. Potenza and aggressive RF microneedling may need 3-7 days of visible recovery. Ultherapy can cause swelling and tenderness for days to weeks. Plan accordingly, especially if you're visiting Seoul for a short trip.
Sometimes, but not always safely. Some treatments can be layered; others shouldn't be done together. Doing too much at once can increase side effects or complicate recovery. A responsible clinic will tell you what can safely be combined and what should be spaced out.
This article is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for diagnosis or medical advice. Product and device names are used to describe treatment categories, not as endorsements. Treatment suitability, risks, settings and recovery vary by patient, product and device. Consult a qualified medical professional before undergoing an aesthetic procedure.
Melasma is why many visitors book laser toning in Seoul. What studies say toning can do, why melasma comes back, and what a short trip can finish.
Pico laser in Korea: what picosecond lasers treat, sessions, downtime, risks for darker skin, and what to ask a licensed doctor.
Fraxel and CO2 lasers in Seoul are not the same appointment. What ablative and non-ablative mean, how many days your face needs, and where it fits in a trip.
A Seoul skin booster menu puts PN, PDLLA, hyaluronic acid and exosomes under one word. What each is, how Korea regulates it, and how the price is built.
