I’m sure you’ve heard of this social media-famous skin clinic in South Korea:
Lienjang.
I first heard about them through TikTok and have seen good, bad, and neutral reviews so far.
I was a little skeptical since they seem to cater to foreigners only, which may not be as “authentic” as it may seem despite being a cosmetic service provider in Korea. IYKYK.
So after much deliberation, I’ve decided to give them a go.
And one huge factor that pushed me to book that appointment is that I recently saw some New Year promotions via their Instagram page so I thought it was a good time now.
Anyway, I contacted them via WhatsApp on a Thursday for a Sunday afternoon appointment.
I only sent in my details on Sunday morning itself but still managed to grab that appointment slot.
Thank God!
Just make sure you book early, especially if you’ve got tight travel plans, yeah?
Oh yes, did I mention that Lienjang has several branches in Seoul?
You can view them here: enlienjang.com/lienjang-branches
I went to the one in Hongdae since I was in the area.
To get there, the nearest exit is number 8 from Hongik University Station.
Once you exit via the staircase, just walk straight and you will see the “About Me” building right in front of you.
Enter via the door beside “About Me”.
You will see “Lienjang Reception Beauty Clinic” on the 6th floor of the “Floor Guide” so you know you’re at the right spot.
Take the elevator up to the 6th floor and you will reach the clinic.
As soon as I entered, I was greeted by about 3 staff at the reception counter.
I told them I had an appointment at 1 pm and they asked me to fill up my particulars on a visitors’ log at the front desk.
Also, do bring your passport along for registration purposes!
I was then told to take a seat right in front of the consultation rooms.
The skin clinic was emptier than I expected it to be on a weekend so I guess I was next in line.
You can hang your coats/outerwear right by the racks in front of the reception counter.
I barely had time to settle in… and was whizzed into a consultation booth within minutes.
I was also given a tablet with a pre-treatment form to fill up.
Nothing too difficult here.
I already had an idea of what I wanted to do: Botox injections.
So I was shown this file filled with Lienjang’s services and price list.
I chose the most affordable option, the Korean Wonder Botox at 39,000 KRW (before tax) for 3 concern areas: my forehead, crow’s feet, and under-eyes.
In all honesty, the consultant’s English wasn’t perfect (she’s not Korean, btw) but it was okay enough to get the conversation going and decide on the treatments I wanted for the day.
I had concerns about my smile lines too but was told that they don’t fall under “Botox” but “fillers” instead.
So I was shown this:
They had a promotion apparently and I could get 2cc worth of injections on both smile lines at 178,000 KRW (before tax).
But since it was a little pricey, I had to think about it and maybe get them the next time around.
Anyway, I was asked to make payment immediately in the consultation room before they applied numbing cream to my upper face.
I was charged 42,900 KRW (including 10% tax) and I paid using my YouTrip card and the conversion came out to be 40.10 SGD.
Cheap! Heh.
The numbing cream doesn’t look very hygienic to me (as a clean freak) but let’s get on with it.
The consultant then gave me a treatment tag and I was told to wait for about 20 minutes right outside the treatment rooms.
I look funny with the disposable hairband on and some sparsely applied layer of numbing cream.
I’m not sure if that’s the norm because the other customers who were in the same space as I am had thick, evenly applied numbing cream over their whole face and a plastic wrap over it.
Hmm.
Here’s the powder room where I guess I would be washing my face but even before the 20 minutes was up, I was asked to enter the treatment room.
I told the doctor’s assistant that I’ve yet to wash my face but she told me she would “swab it” for me.
I had no makeup on, only some sun cream but still…
Wouldn’t it be more hygienic if I’d washed my face?
So she wiped away the numbing cream with some alcohol-filled cotton pads and told me to wait a little while for the doctor to come over to do my injections.
Let me tell you, I am NOT a fan of needles so can you imagine the nerves I had while waiting?
It was a mere 10-minute wait but it felt like forever.
I could see on the syringes beside me too so it didn’t make me feel any better. Meh.
Anyhow, the doctor came in, asked for my name, and confirmed the injection areas with her assistant.
I liked how she said “It’s going to sting” at every injection point she made so I could prep my heart for it.
I’m going to be truthful with you…
It hurts.
The sparsely applied numbing cream did not work at all because I could still feel the needle going into my skin and by the end of those “stings,” I had tears in my eyes.
But it was a quick process and the doctor who administered those injections felt professional, at least to me.
After I exited the treatment room, my face had bumps and I had some blood oozing out at selected injection points.
I took a picture of myself right after but I think it’s a little too scary to upload it here…
I don’t want to scar you for life if you’ve never done Botox before 😂
Also, it’s good to note that my skin’s extremely thin and sensitive so it could be a different experience for you, ya?
I then returned to the powder room to apply some sun cream before leaving.
They provide it there but I brought my own so I ended up not using theirs.
To wrap things up, the bumps and bleeding went away in minutes but a few hours after the injections, I had some bruising at selected injection points.
As advised by the consultant, I only washed my face 3 hours after my injections.
As I’m writing this, it’s been about 7 hours and my skin feels a little tight.
It’s going to take effect in about 4 to 7 days and supposedly will last me about 3 months.
Can’t say for now if it will work but I’m excited to see the results in about a week.
For 40.10 SGD, I reckon it’s something worth trying (if it works and lasts).
I would rate it an overall 7.5 out of 10 for the experience.
All image credits to Celeste Elle.
