If there may be one factor the algorithm of my TikTok will get appropriate each single time, it’s skin care. Whether or not it’s new products or procedures, I’m going to stay round and see what it’s. So clearly, after I began getting served movies about skincare tourism, I used to be all in. Combining my love of skin care with my other love of travel? Say much less, I’m there for all the video.
I had heard of medical tourism earlier than — particularly, horror tales of individuals getting botched liposuction or breast augmentation — in addition to possibly getting a facial at a spa throughout trip? However what I used to be seeing was girls heading to Mexico, Turkey, Korea, and past for skincare therapies with downright spectacular outcomes.
For Sophia Sparks, who handled herself to aesthetic therapies in Turkey to rejoice her fortieth birthday, taking the plunge on skincare tourism got here after considerate consideration.
“I’ve struggled with persistent pores and skin points for many of my grownup life and spent some huge cash engaged on enchancment and seeing little distinction,” the Los Angeles primarily based founding father of GlowDecoded, tells Scary Mommy, including that she has tried a variety of therapies within the U.S., together with lasers, peels and regimens at med spas in addition to working with board-certified dermatologists.
Sparks says she started wanting internationally after realizing that many clinics overseas supply comparable procedures, in addition to extra modern know-how, with extra customized care fashions, shorter wait instances, and extremely aggressive pricing relative to the U.S. market.
“I wished to reduce downtown and maximize my time having fun with the journey, so I scheduled non-surgical pores and skin procedures to handle getting older and pores and skin laxity,” she explains.
Whereas in Turkey, Sparks had Platelet-Wealthy Plasma (PRP) Pores and skin Rejuvenation, Lumecca (an intense pulsed mild remedy), BroadBand Gentle Photorejuvenation (BBL), Ultherapy (a skin-lifting remedy), Botox injections, and skin-brightening IV drips.
Sparks was “astounded” by the worth distinction relative to the U.S. market, noting she paid $1,200 for all of her procedures in Turkey, which might simply set her again $10,000 or extra at residence within the U.S.
However she says that affordability wasn’t the one draw.
“The physicians had been top-notch, the standard of care was customized, and downtime was minimal. What would have taken a number of visits over a number of days was accomplished with absolute effectivity inside a number of hours over the course of some days. In spite of everything my therapies, they put sunscreen on me, served tea and pastries, and I used to be good to go to take pleasure in my days,” she says. “The clinic adopted up after every session to make sure I used to be comfy and therapeutic correctly earlier than my flight residence. It was a five-star expertise.”
Sparks isn’t an outlier. Statistics from the Korean Ministry of Health confirmed that just about 1.2 million folks from 202 international locations visited in 2024 for aesthetic causes.
Sara Yoon, a mother of two primarily based in Seoul, tells Scary Mommy that she thinks skincare tourism in Korea is booming as world curiosity within the nation has grown over time.
“Fifteen years in the past after I final lived in Korea, there have been by no means this many vacationers,” Yoon says. “Additionally, I believe an enormous issue is social media. It appears everyone seems to be on TikTok or Instagram lately, and I believe that is the place lots of people are studying about what’s obtainable in Korea.”
Yoon’s total social media presence, aptly sloganed “Your Korean Glow Up Information,” shares what you possibly can have accomplished in Korea — and the place to go to do it.
“I’ve met folks and have had folks inform me that they got here to Korea after watching my movies, and my first thought is… ‘That is loopy!’ However I believe they simply wanted that little inspiration and to see what they will truly do. I assume as a result of I share in a extra unpolished and weak approach, it’s extra relatable and other people can get a greater understanding of what to anticipate.”
In July 2025, Yoon shared in a now-viral video that she had undergone a process in Korea to take away undereye baggage for simply $1,500.
“Doing any type of beauty surgical procedure at all times felt inconceivable or one thing I would not even think about given the excessive price within the States, however right here in Korea all the things was a lot extra reasonably priced,” Yoon explains. “The outcomes had been nice, and I couldn’t not share about it.”
The video, which has amassed a million views, garnered greater than 850 feedback from intrigued customers starting from compliments on her outcomes to questions on which clinic she went to and the title of the physician.
Yoon says that at instances she feels “foolish” about what she shares and worries it feels trivial or useless.
“However the suggestions I get from folks feels in any other case. I can inform that even one magnificence journey to Korea has both given them some respite and wanted self-care or was a visit with family and friends and made actually good recollections on the similar time. I believe plenty of my followers are in the same age group as myself and are actually searching for just a little glow up, whether or not it is for themselves or as a enjoyable ladies’ journey,” Yoon says. “I’ve gotten plenty of suggestions from followers saying that taking a few of my suggestions helped make planning their journey a lot simpler.”
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