Trying to pin down the acne scar treatment cost Seoul clinics will quote you, for scars that have sat on your cheeks since your teens?
Read this before you price out flights and sessions.
By the end you'll know what decides the cost, what reviews get right and wrong, which methods suit which scars, and what recovery looks like. That's enough to judge which plan fits your skin and your budget.
Hello, I'm Dr. Bae Seung-joo, a Director at Pascal Clinic and a plastic surgery specialist.
Scar reconstruction is my main field, and I trained in reconstructive plastic surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. At Pascal, plastic surgery and dermatology work in one building in Sinsa, Seoul, and the clinic publishes its price list online.
I'm writing this because most people price acne scars per session, as if every scar took the same treatment. That one assumption is where budgets and trip plans usually go wrong.
The cost depends on which scar types you have (icepick, boxcar, rolling or raised), how much skin is involved, whether any scar needs surgery rather than laser, and how many sessions your schedule allows. Pascal quotes scar revision after an exam, because the extent of treatment sets the price.
If you'd like a first step before booking anything, send two daylight photos of the scarred area on WhatsApp, one from the front and one from the side. Ask one question with them: which of these scars look like surgery, and which look like laser?
Send your scar photos on WhatsApp
Get a free consultation in 1 minuteWhy doesn't a per-session price tell you much?
Acne leaves several kinds of scar, at different depths, and each responds to different tools. A per-session price covers one tool, while many faces need two or three.
Icepick scars are narrow and deep. Boxcar scars have sharp edges and flat floors. Rolling scars are wide, soft dips, often pulled down by bands of tissue under the skin. Raised scars sit above the skin around them.
A scar looks different depending on its cause, depth, direction, height compared with nearby skin, and skin tension. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that dermatologists often combine treatments for acne scars and match them to the scar type (AAD).
What matters most to me in an acne scar is its edge and its depth, not its color. A flat red or brown mark is not a scar in the structural sense. It often fades with time and sun protection, and paying for resurfacing to treat it can be money spent too early.
Doctor's note
A scar can be made flatter, narrower or less visible. It can't be erased, by surgery or by any laser. I'd rather you know that before you book a flight than after the swelling settles. Judge every quote against that aim.
Which Korean acne scar treatment suits which scar?
Scar revision surgery at Pascal is led by me, and the clinic also has the UltraClear fiber laser. Which of them fits your face is decided at your exam, not before it.
Scar revision surgery covers surgical and non-surgical scar treatment chosen from the shape, depth and location of your scar. Scar reconstruction is what I focus on, and I trained in reconstructive plastic surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center. On the skin side, the clinic has the UltraClear fiber laser.
On a cheek, the first thing I look at is the edge of each scar and how deep it goes. A pit with a steep wall and a dip that slopes gently into the skin around it can sit side by side, and they are not treated the same way.
If you've been reading up on acne scar laser treatment cost Korea, keep in mind that the laser is often only part of the plan. Dermatologists also use subcision, which releases the bands under a rolling scar, along with microneedling, chemical peels and filler for some soft dips. That is general background. Your exam decides which tools belong in your plan.
One more thing, since many searches here start with Korean acne spot treatments, face washes and skincare routines. Those belong to active acne care: they help with breakouts and oil. A cleanser or a spot treatment will not remove a scar that has already formed. Once the acne is under control, the scars are a separate question, and that is the one this page answers.
| Scar type | What you see | Methods usually considered |
|---|---|---|
| Icepick | Narrow, deep pits | Excision or targeted resurfacing |
| Boxcar | Dips with steep, well-defined walls | Laser resurfacing, excision for deep ones |
| Rolling | Wide dips with gently sloping edges | Subcision, resurfacing, sometimes filler |
| Raised | Firm bumps above the skin | Injections or laser before surgery |
Most faces show a mix. The plan follows the mix, and so does the price.
What decides the acne scar treatment cost in Korea?
Five things move the number for your face. Their combination is why two people with acne scars can be quoted different plans.
- The mix of scar types. Rolling and boxcar scars across both cheeks need a different plan from a few deep icepick scars on one temple.
- The area. One cheek, both cheeks, temples, jawline or forehead each add surface to treat.
- The method. Surgical revision is an operation, and after surgery stitches usually come out at a follow-up visit. Laser plans usually mean more sessions.
- The number of sessions. Resurfacing for acne scars is usually done as a series, with weeks between sessions, so a full plan may mean more than one trip.
- Days in Seoul and follow-up. Each extra day before your flight is part of what treatment costs you, even if it isn't on the quote.
That's how what acne scar treatment costs in Seoul gets worked out: from your scars, not from a menu line. Pascal's published prices are in Korean won, before 10% VAT. A "from" price marks a starting point, and for revision the final quote depends on the condition of the tissue. That is why scar revision is listed on the site as "Quote after exam", and why I can't give you a figure before I've seen your skin.
To get the figure for your own case, ask on WhatsApp what it would cost for your scars, with your photos attached. A coordinator passes your photos to your surgeon and replies with options and the matching lines from the price list.
A worked example: rolling scars and one week off
Say you're 46, with rolling scars across both cheeks, a handful of icepick scars near the temples, and seven days of leave.
Here's how I'd reason. The icepick scars and the rolling scars respond to different things, so I wouldn't put them under one laser plan. The deepest icepick scars might be handled surgically. After surgery, stitches usually come out at a follow-up visit, so I'd confirm the schedule with you at booking before you fix a flight. The rolling scars might start a laser series, and one session is a start, not the whole plan.
If time is tight, I'd rather do one part well than squeeze everything into seven days. Your own mix may point another way, and that changes what the treatment costs more than anything on the menu.
If your scars look like this, take one more photo with a lamp to one side of your face so the shadows show the dips. Send it on WhatsApp with the dates you could travel.
Send your scar photos on WhatsApp
Get a free consultation in 1 minuteWhat do reviews of acne scar treatment in Korea get right?
Some of it, and not always the parts that sound most convincing. Here are the claims that come up most often, checked against what's known medically.
One session cleared my scars. Laser resurfacing can make a visible difference, but for most acne scars it's a series, and the skin keeps remodeling for months after each session. A single session is a start.
Downtime was just a weekend. That's true for some lighter treatments and not for deeper resurfacing or surgery. A review only tells you about the method that person had.
The redness meant something went wrong. Usually not. Brown marks, called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, can follow, especially in darker skin, and they also tend to fade with sun protection.
Icepick scars need something different. That one is right, and it's the reason a single laser package rarely fits a mixed face.
Recovery: planning your days in Seoul
Recovery follows the method, so plan your days around the one in your plan.
After laser resurfacing, skin is usually red and can feel like a sunburn, with small crusts or flaking for some days. After surgical revision you'll have stitches and a dressing, then a stitch-removal visit. Either way, sun protection matters for months, and most doctors ask you to avoid saunas and heavy sweating until the skin has closed.
Pascal is open Monday to Friday 10:00–19:00 and Saturday 10:00–17:00, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. It's at Sinsa Station (Line 3 · Shinbundang Line), Exit 8. If you land on a Saturday evening, your first visit is Monday. Ask at booking how many days to leave between treatment and your flight, then add one spare. Our scar revision guide covers the surgical side in more detail.
Risks and side effects to know
The common reactions are temporary: redness, swelling, crusting and itching after laser, and tenderness and bruising around stitches after surgery. Brown marks can appear for a while, more often in darker skin. Surgery carries risks such as bleeding, infection and inflammation, and your surgeon explains them before you decide.
In general medicine, these are reasons to wait or to tell your doctor first:
- Active acne breakouts. Breakouts are usually brought under control before scars are treated.
- A recent course of oral isotretinoin. Many doctors prefer to wait some months before resurfacing or surgery.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- An infection or cold sore in the area to be treated.
- A history of raised or keloid scars, which can change the plan for surgery.
If the treated skin gets hotter, more painful or starts to ooze after you're home, see a doctor locally that day and send a photo on WhatsApp as well. The CDC advises planning follow-up care and getting copies of your records before you leave the country where you were treated (CDC).
Individual results vary.
When you're ready, one photo of your scars on WhatsApp is enough to start, and you can ask what treatment would cost for your case before booking anything. When you come in, I'll examine your scars in person and recommend the method that fits each of them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I treat active acne and acne scars on the same trip?
Active breakouts are usually brought under control first, and scars are treated once the skin is calm enough to judge their depth. Korean acne treatment for breakouts and scar work are separate steps, so a trip planned around scars works better when breakouts have already settled.
Are Pascal's prices shown in US dollars?
No. The price lists are in Korean won, before 10% VAT. Ask your coordinator for a conversion at the time of booking, because exchange rates change.
Will one trip be enough for my acne scars?
Sometimes it is, when only a few deep scars need surgery. Laser resurfacing is usually a series of sessions spaced weeks apart, so a full plan can mean more than one visit to Seoul.
Do I need to stop any skin medicines before treatment?
Tell the clinic about everything you use on your skin and take by mouth. Retinoid creams are often paused shortly before treatment. Don't stop a prescribed medicine without asking the doctor who prescribed it.
Does a quote include the follow-up visits?
Ask when you receive the quote. Surgical revision involves a stitch-removal visit, and the number of check-ups depends on the method, so confirm what the figure covers before you book flights.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Individual results vary, and surgery carries risks such as bleeding, infection and inflammation. Your surgeon confirms suitability at an in-person exam. Read the medical disclaimer.
Scar reconstruction · Facelift · Rhinoplasty · Eyelid surgery · Skin
