Beauty services in Seoul
What each kind of visit involves, how long it takes and what people paid to start, so you can plan before you pick a shop. Prices are starting prices we saw on one booking site on the date shown. We do not book or recommend shops; the steps at the bottom show how to pick one yourself.
Personal color analysisA consultant tests colored fabrics against your face to find the shades that suit your skin tone.About 1 to 3 hours, depending on the programFrom $35 to $201, middle $109MyeongdongHongdaeHair salon: color and permA cut, color or perm at a Korean salon, usually after a short talk about your face shape and hair.HongdaeMyeongdongHead spa and scalp careA scalp treatment with cleansing, scaling and massage, often after a camera check of your scalp.About 60 to 90 minutesHongdaeMyeongdongHair and makeupA makeup artist and stylist do your face and hair, often in an idol or actress style, sometimes with a photo shoot after.About 1.5 to 2 hours for hair and makeup, or about 4 to 5 hours with studio photosFrom $17 to $100, middle $50GangnamHongdaeNail artA gel manicure or pedicure with a single color or a designed nail art set.From $11 to $50, middle $23HongdaeMyeongdongSemi-permanent brows and lashesPigment placed in the skin to shape brows or other features, plus lash perms and similar services.From $26 to $166, middle $38HongdaeMyeongdongWaxingHair removal with warm wax that is pulled off with the hair.From $4 to $38, middle $11HongdaeGangnamID and profile photosA studio portrait, from a plain ID photo to a styled profile shot, usually with retouching.From $19 to $219, middle $64HongdaeGyeongbokgungSpas, facials and body scrubsSkin care shops, massage and Korean body scrubs, including private one-person scrub rooms.About 50 minutes for a private scrub sessionFrom $11 to $151, middle $60MyeongdongJamsilDermatology and skin clinicsMedical skin treatments at a doctor's clinic. We give background only and do not recommend clinics or treatments.GangnamMyeongdongKorean pharmaciesPharmacies sell over-the-counter medicine, pharmacy skin care and supplements, and pharmacists give free advice.MyeongdongHongdae
Where the shops are
How many of the services above list each neighborhood among their most-viewed shops.
Hongdae 11Myeongdong 8Jamsil 7Gangnam 5Seongsu 4Sinsa 3Gyeongbokgung 2Hannam 2
Next step: choosing a shop yourself
- Pick two or three shops near where you are staying. The neighborhoods above are where most listings are.
- Send each shop the same questions: the total price with tax, whether it is per person, whether English is available, and the deposit and cancellation rule.
- Compare the written answers. Booking-site banners are often promotions and change without notice.
- For lasers, injections or anything a doctor does, read the treatment page first and ask the clinic for its registration to treat foreign patients.
Public help in English
- Korea Travel Hotline 1330 | Korea Tourism Organization. Call 1330 in Korea for travel help in English and other languages.
- Medical Korea | Government site for foreign patients, including clinics registered to treat them.