Fillers

Fillers in Seoul: Planning Your Visit

A visit-planning guide to hyaluronic acid fillers at RESUM in Gangnam: how long to allow, what the first week looks like and when a top-up is considered.

Plan a consultation

Published: 2026-10-15

Updated: 2026-10-15

At a glance

A session takes 10-30 minutes and daily activities can resume right after.
The change is visible straight away, and the contour usually settles at around 1 week.
The usual plan starts with less and adds more after 2-4 weeks if needed.

What are fillers?

Fillers are injections of cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) placed under the skin to adjust volume and contour. They are used on the nose, forehead, chin, lips, anterior and lateral cheeks, under-eyes, temples, nasolabial folds and glabella.

The product is not the same for every area. At RESUM Plastic Surgery Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, firmer volumizers with a high G' go where structure is needed, such as the cheekbones and chin, and soft low-G' products go to the lips and under-eyes. Dr. Jin-Young Kim sets the product, depth and amount for each area in a 1:1 consultation.

How long does a filler appointment take?

The injection itself takes 10-30 minutes, depending on how many areas are treated. Allow extra time before it for the consultation and for the topical anaesthetic to work. If your stay in Seoul is short, send us your travel dates first so that the consultation and the treatment can be arranged on the same visit where possible.

Treatment time	10-30 minutes
Anaesthesia	Topical anaesthesia; local anaesthesia in some areas
Back to daily activities	Right after the treatment
How long it lasts	About 6-12 months

What fillers cannot do

Fillers are not the right tool when a large structural change is needed. For a nose that needs a big change, rhinoplasty with autologous cartilage may suit better, and for a markedly receding chin, implant surgery may suit better. The nose is also reported as one of the areas with the highest risk of vascular complications, so the clinic is cautious about suggesting nose filler in the first place. If one of these applies to you, the doctor says so in the consultation.

Photo gallery

Purpose & suitability

You want to refine one or two contours, such as the forehead, chin, lips or cheeks, without surgery.

You have limited days in Seoul and need a treatment with a short recovery.

You prefer to build the result in stages and decide yourself whether to add more.

An earlier filler looks unnatural or uneven and you want it reassessed and replanned.

Treatment process

Consultation. The doctor looks at your facial structure and contours, asks about earlier treatments and tells you whether filler suits the area you have in mind.
Plan. Product, depth and amount are fixed separately for each area, along with the point at which a top-up would be considered.
Numbing and injection. After topical or local anaesthesia, small amounts are placed step by step. In higher-risk areas a cannula is preferred.
Before you leave. The contour is checked on the spot and you are told how to look after the area and when to review it.

Time & recovery

Swelling, tenderness and mild bruising are common for the first 1-2 days and usually calm down within a few days.

The contour generally settles at around 1 week. Judge the final shape after about 1-2 weeks, once the swelling has gone. For many visitors that is after they have returned home.

If more volume is wanted, it is added after 2-4 weeks. Tell us how long you are staying so that this second step can be planned around your trip or left for a later visit.

Limitations & precautions

Fillers are not performed during pregnancy or on skin with an active infection or severe inflammation. Tell the doctor if you take anticoagulants.

Nodules, asymmetry and hypersensitivity reactions are reported in rare cases, and part of the filler can sometimes be adjusted with a dissolving enzyme (hyaluronidase).

Vascular complications, including blindness, have been reported very rarely with fillers. For this reason hyaluronidase is kept on hand, emergency steps are checked beforehand, and injections in higher-risk areas are slow, small and cannula-first.

Results differ from person to person, and a consultation with a specialist is required before treatment.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have fillers on a short trip to Seoul?

Yes, in most cases. The injection takes 10-30 minutes and daily activities can resume right after. Expect swelling, tenderness or mild bruising for the first 1-2 days, and note that a top-up, if you want one, is done after 2-4 weeks.

Do filler injections hurt?

Topical anaesthesia is applied before filler is injected, and local anaesthesia may be used depending on the area. Tenderness at the injection site can follow and usually settles within a few days.

Can fillers replace nose or chin surgery?

Not when a large change is needed. Filler can refine the line of the nasal bridge or add length to the chin, but for a big change in the nose, rhinoplasty with autologous cartilage may be more suitable, and for a markedly receding chin, implant surgery may be more suitable.

Can fillers be combined with Botox?

Yes. A common combination is masseter Botox to reduce the width of the jaw together with chin filler to add length. The order of the two is decided in the consultation.

How long do fillers last, and can they be dissolved?

Fillers last about 6-12 months, and the lips are described as lasting a shorter time than other areas because they move a great deal with expression. Hyaluronic acid filler can be partly adjusted with a dissolving enzyme, although taking filler out is more of a burden than adding it.