While the added costs of a plane ticket and hotel stay may not be cheaper than getting a single appointment at home, the savings can rack up over multiple treatments. Botox for Lee’s forehead, jaw and eyebrows ran her about $70 in Seoul, for example. The same amount of Botox would ring in anywhere from $500 to $1,400 in New York City.
For some, there’s the benefit of being able to travel while also getting these cheaper treatments done; in the creator economy, there’s also value (think monetized videos) in sharing such journeys on social media. Influencers offer tips on the best treatments to book when you only have a few days in the country or film their “glow-up days,” beating a constant refrain of affordability and innovative technologies. “Did u even go to Korea if u didn’t get a facial,” one TikTok user captioned their glow-up vlog.
On her next stop, Lee was put under general anesthesia to undergo a series of treatments at a plastic surgery clinic. This was her most intensive visit, she said — figuring she may as well make the most of being put under. All of the procedures targeted her face: three kinds of collagen-promoting “skin booster” injectables, including Juvelook (one vial, $400), Juvelook Volume (two vials, $830) and Rejuran Healer (one vial, $330); Botox ($70) in her forehead, jaw, and between the eyebrows; CO2 lasers ($8) that zapped off moles on her face and neck; and 600 shots of Ultherapy ($1,275), an ultrasound treatment that is intended to stimulate collagen production and define features.
“Ultherapy is well known to be the most expensive and effective procedure, as well as the most painful one,” she said. “That’s what left me with the most bruising and swelling after. I know some people get it done without going under, and I always see videos of people crying. They give you a very fluffy plushie to hang onto.”
