Koreans do not like waste. Even Seoulites are frugal. But no one in this city will bat an eyelash if you tell them you had two skin care treatments in the same week. Must have really needed it… that’s the prevailing thought. Skin Care in Korea is no joke and of course the options can be dizzying.
The first thing you need to figure out is whether the skin care place is: 1) more on the clinic side 2) more on the massage side or 3) more on the side of a spa. Here are reviews of all three examples. The Seoulite didn’t go to all three in a week. Now that would count as excessive.
This is the owner / doctor of Marilyn J Clinic. Places these days love launching with the help of celebrities. The girl is an actress named Lee Seung Shin. The Seoulite went here because the gym across the street gave him a free gift certificate. Apparently this doctor works out there too and struck up a deal with them... making him a bonafide hustler.
Marilyn J Clinic loves to use shots in their facials. A basic facial is 50,000 won and one that includes extractions and shots is 60,000 won. This is a decent price as the famous place across the street, Yein Skin Care charges 150,000 won and even 5,000 won just to have a ‘consultation’.
Lasers, injections, machines... whatever latest skin care technology there is... places like these will have them. In that way it's even easier for a Seoulite to access the latest in skin care than a Beverly Hills housewife. But be careful. Though there is a Korean version of the US FDA that has to oversee new products coming to the market, in the skin care category they seem very liberal if you see how fast the trends here change.
One thing to remember is that a place like this is also a hospital. They are licensed to give botox injections and boob implants. They are usually aesthetically pleasing and nice, but it’s not a place where you go to unwind. You go for all the results western medicine and technology can give. I even got a flu shot after I saw a sign that said they were 50% on the elevator as I was about to leave.
MarilynJ Skin Clinic
www.marilynj.co.kr
02-565-6163
Line 2, Seolleung Station, Exit 4
Walk straight out of the subway station heading west for a few blocks. Building is on your left.
If you go be prepared for pain. They will extract things you never thought possible.
Get a facial and then a flu shot. Seoulites know how to take care of business.
If you want to go a little more downmarket, there are plenty of places that give facials and massages… even the popular facial massage called Gyoeng Nak (경락). It’s supposed to massage your jawline so you get a sharper line. People swear by it. The place we Arirang people went to today… because you know it’s an investment in our careers… is called JH Skin. It’s tucked away in a little neighborhood near Sadang Station (Lines 2 and 4).
They also give great back massages. All treatments are 50% off for your first time here.
JH Skin Care
www.jhskin.com
02-523-2177
JH Skin Care is very hard to find. You might miss it because it's a little neighborhood place with good growth potential. But they are very good at what they do.
And of course the third option is the spa that many westerners are accustomed to. Seoulites don’t seem to really go to these because for the price… they are not as clinical as the skin clinics and they are not as cheap as the skin care centers. So… rich Korean housewives and foreigners can often be found here.
If you do decide to go this route… where is one of the best Seoul has to offer? The Park Hyatt at Samseong Station (Line 2) across the street from COEX. Not to be confused with the Grand Hyatt. Even many taxi drivers do not know the Park Hyatt. It looks just like another office building. But it is its own little world.
The view is amazing from the locker room and plunge tubs.
Before your spa treatment you can go swimming on the 24th floor. Amazing view while you're doing laps. And if you have a nice body, you will offer an amazing view for those in the lobby lounge... yeah it's on the same floor and it's only glass panels separating you and them.
Park Hyatt Spa and Fitness Center
Samseong Station (Line 2)
02-2016-1234
http://seoul.park.hyatt.com
Oh, and if you're wondering... Botox to make your jaw slimmer is 300,000 won. This is so not glamorous.
