Botox in Korea: wrinkle, skin and jaw botox explained, with brands, units and Gangnam prices

Quick answer: Botox in Korea comes in four types: wrinkle botox, skin botox, jaw (masseter) botox and body botox. Price depends on the area and on the brand tier: Korean-made, Coretox, Xeomin or Allergan. At Repic Clinic in Gangnam, wrinkle botox starts at KRW 20,000 per area and masseter botox 50U at KRW 30,000 (September 2026, VAT excluded).

Wrinkle, skin and jaw botox: what is the difference?

Same drug, different depth and purpose. Plenty of people book by simply saying "botox", but Korean clinic price lists split it at least four ways.

• Wrinkle botox: relaxes the muscles that fold when you make expressions, such as the forehead, between the brows and around the eyes, so the lines get shallower. Priced per area.
• Skin botox (microtox): heavily diluted toxin placed in many small points in the shallow layers of the skin to calm oil, pores and texture. Your expressions stay the same.
• Masseter (jaw) botox: reduces the bulk of the chewing muscle that makes the jaw angle look wide, slimming the lower face. 50U is the standard dose.
• Body botox: for large muscles like the trapezius and calves. 100U is the standard.

This is where first consultations most often go sideways. I have seen it more than once: someone hoping for a slimmer jawline who booked a forehead wrinkle treatment.

Korean botox, Coretox, Xeomin or Allergan: which brand should I choose?

Onset and duration do not differ much across the four tiers. What differs is the manufacturer, the purification method, and the price.

• Korean-made: toxins manufactured in Korea and approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The entry price point, and easier on the wallet for large muscles like the masseter or trapezius that take a lot of units.
• Coretox: a Korean brand with the complexing proteins removed. For when you want a Korean product without complexing proteins.
• Xeomin: an imported toxin from Merz in Germany, also free of complexing proteins. For an imported product at a mid-range price.
• Allergan: the American original. It has a long clinical track record since its US approval in 1989, and people who have always used it tend to stay with it.

Many people want to move up a brand because their usual treatment no longer seems to work as well. You can switch. More often, though, the cause is dose and injection placement rather than brand. At Repic we look at your previous treatment record first.

How many units of botox do I need?

The unit of calculation itself differs by area. Wrinkle botox is priced by area, not units (forehead, between the brows and around the eyes are the usual three). Masseter botox starts from 50U, and body areas like the trapezius and calves from 100U. Skin botox is diluted, so it is measured in cc; 2cc covers the full face.

So are more units always better? No. Even with the same 50U, the split between left and right changes if the two masseters differ in thickness. Push the dose up blindly and chewing strength can drop too much, or the cheeks can look hollow. The dose is set from muscle size and how you use it. Do tell us which brand and how many units you had last time, though. For repeat treatments, that is the single most useful piece of information.

When does botox start working, and what should I avoid afterwards?

Wrinkle and skin botox kick in within 3 to 7 days, with the final result at two weeks. Wrinkle botox lasts 3 to 6 months; skin botox around 3 to 4 months, varying by person. Masseter botox runs on a different timetable. You start to notice it from 4 to 6 weeks, and it is most visible at around 3 months, because muscle bulk takes time to shrink.

For 4 hours after treatment, do not rub the injection sites or lie down, and skip the sauna and exercise that day. Needle marks and faint redness usually fade within a few hours, so your plans for the day are generally not affected. If you are also planning filler, doing botox first and filler 7 to 14 days later makes the result more predictable. The same day is also possible, which helps on a short trip. With a wedding or event coming up, schedule botox 2 to 3 weeks ahead to be safe.

How much is botox in Gangnam? (September 2026)

Prices are from Repic Gangnam's September 2026 price list and exclude 10% VAT, which is added at payment. The same prices apply to Korean and international patients; the tax-refund scheme for cosmetic procedures is no longer available in Korea. Pricing depends on area and dose, and you get an exact quote after assessment.

Special areas such as the mouth corners, nostrils, gummy smile and lip flip are listed separately. A large masseter may need more than 50U, which raises the cost. The full list is on our price page, and the consultation fee is fully deducted if you are treated the same day.

How we do it at Repic

The injection is quick; the planning is not. We look at your face both mid-expression and at rest, and the doctor feels both masseters by hand to check for differences in thickness. Left-right asymmetry is more common than people think. Mark-Vu photographs the skin surface, then we choose the brand tier and dose, and the doctor injects personally. We also give you a two-week check point and home-care guidance.

Related reading

• Jaw and trapezius botox: when do results show?
• Skin botox: does it really help pores and oil?
• Botox aftercare and side effects

Consultations and booking: Repic Clinic, B1 & 2F, 318 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Yeoksam-dong, TOWER837) · +82-2-6952-0312 · English-speaking staff on site · Book online

This is general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Results vary from person to person.