"I Don't Want Double-Eyelid Surgery or Rhinoplasty"... Where Are Doctors Who Put Down Their Scalpels Going?

Gangnam Plastic Surgery Revenue Declines... Dermatology on the Rise
Regular Skin Care with Botox, Fillers and Lifting Gains Popularity
Preference for Treatments Over Surgery... Lower Operating Burdens and Profitability

Among doctors who have entered the aesthetic medicine field, a trend is emerging toward favoring nonsurgical skin treatments, such as Botox, fillers and lasers, over plastic surgery.

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Plastic Surgery Revenue Falls in Apgujeong and Sinsa... Dermatology Clinics See Growth

According to data from the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, as of July, there were 88 plastic surgery clinics in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, down 4.3% from a year earlier. Average monthly revenue per clinic also fell 1.3% to KRW 149.8 million.

Nearby Sinsa-dong saw a similar trend. The number of plastic surgery clinics remained unchanged at 157, but average monthly revenue per clinic declined 10.3% to KRW 195.75 million.

By contrast, the number of businesses and revenue in the dermatology and urology sector increased in both neighborhoods. There were 80 such businesses in Apgujeong-dong, up 6.7%, while average monthly revenue rose 6.2% to KRW 222.27 million.

Over the same period, the number of businesses in Sinsa-dong also increased 8.1% to 93, and average monthly revenue per business rose 15.6% to KRW 302.03 million.

Regular Skin Care Gains Popularity... Demand Rises Among Middle-Aged and Older People and Foreigners

Behind this shift is a change in consumer behavior in aesthetic medicine. In the past, double-eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty were the mainstays of the aesthetic medicine market. Recently, however, more people have been receiving relatively simple treatments, such as Botox, fillers and lifting procedures, on a regular basis. The growing demand for skin care among middle-aged and older people, as the population of people in their 20s and 30s shrinks, is also cited as a factor driving growth in the nonsurgical treatment market.

Demand for dermatological treatments is also growing in the foreign medical tourism market. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 1,313,000 foreign patients visited dermatology clinics in Korea last year, accounting for 62.9% of visits across all medical departments. That was more than five times the 233,000 visits to plastic surgery clinics (11.2%).

A similar trend is evident in the Korea Tourism Data Lab's figures. From January to September this year, dermatology's share of foreign tourists' medical spending in Korea rose from 53.72% to 55.72%. By contrast, the share for plastic surgery fell from 24.53% to 19.53%.

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Doctors, Too, Favor Skin Treatments Over Surgery... Profitability and Lower Operating Burdens Are Factors

Market changes are also affecting doctors' choice of practice areas.

According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service presented at last month's parliamentary audit by the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, as of the end of July, 3,319 solo clinics in Seoul had reported dermatology as a treatment area. Of these, 385 clinics employed dermatology specialists, just 11.6% of the total. The remaining clinics were found to be staffed by general practitioners or specialists in other fields, such as family medicine and plastic surgery.

Profitability and relatively low operating burdens are key factors prompting plastic surgery specialists to turn to skin treatments. Plastic surgery requires considerable time and staff to treat each patient. By contrast, Botox, filler and laser treatments require relatively fewer resources to operate facilities and staff, and it is also easier to secure demand for regular treatments.

The burden of medical accidents and disputes also influences doctors' choice of practice area. Plastic surgery can lead to serious long-term disabilities or substantial compensation claims if an accident occurs. According to the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency, it received 175 applications for mediation or arbitration involving plastic surgery and 114 involving dermatology last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.