Renewme Skin Clinic

Another blog post contributed by Dr. Ko Na Young of our Hwagok branch!  Click here to view original post in Korean. __________________________________ Facial flushing/redness can be troublesome for many, especially during the wintertime. I myself have been victim to blushing since my twenties, and have been steadily receiving laser treatment. Flushing actually runs in the whole family; my brother and parents all turn red as well, and so they receive treatment along with me. I've tried most available lasers, from V-Beam to IPL, Vantage, etc. but since Excel-V was introduced to our clinic last year, it has become my go-to laser. Why? Because I've tried so many different treatments for my flushing, but Excel-V has by far shown the best results. With Excel-V, I can adjust the laser wavelengths, pulse duration, and energy, and I am able to set the mode to treat either flushing, pigmentation, and skin elasticity . Since my main concern is flushing, this is the mode I se...

Discoloration in the armpits can be quite distressful and embarrassing, especially in the summertime when it's time to bring out the sleeveless tops. It has nothing to do with cleanliness or hair, which makes it even more frustrating. And although it's not a severe medical condition, if you're super self-conscious like me, I know that it will worry and bother the heck out of you until you can fix it. What causes it in the first place? There's no one right answer, but to name a possible few: - Deodorant . Maybe it's not right for you and you should consider switching. - Shaving . Tiny hairs, that stubble you can't shave off, might make your underarms look darker. - Bacteria . You might have a skin infection that causes darkness. - Acanthosis nigricans . A skin condition that causes hyperpigmentation. - Hormones /pregnancy. Changes in your body may cause discoloration. Maybe you can actually treat it by changing your diet, or deodorant, or hair removal m...

Of all the facial anti-aging solutions available out there, a surgical facelift might have the most drastic and immediate results, despite the horrific downtime which could be overlooked considering the astounding effects. I've been googling some testimonials and before/after photos myself, and I must admit I was pretty impressed. I could definitely understand why people would want to go through it. But would I myself consider getting one for myself when I'm older? Maybe I'm too young to actually know what it feels like, but at the moment, I'm way too scared. It's a pretty big surgery that requires a lot of conviction and patience until the results are natural and wounds are completely healed. I'm not sure I would be brave enough to go under the knife. So what do you do, if you're scared like me, but still want some face lifting results? A popular treatment in Korea, and many other parts of the world, is called Ultherapy . Ulthera is a device t...

Facial pigmentation (melasma) can make your face look blotchy, messy and unclean, no matter how hard you scrub and exfoliate. Pigmentation is not considered cute like freckles; it can actually be a source of distress and I'm sure those who've experienced it have also lengthily researched on ways to get rid of it. So what causes this discoloration? Though the fundamental causes are still not 100% clear (pregnancy, birth control, genetics, sun exposure are a few), we can still explain what happens once it's triggered. To start off with, melanin cells are the source of skin pigmentation. Existing in the lowest parts of our skin, these cells take on the role of distributing color across our skin. It protects skin cells from UV light, but when we're exposed to excessive sunlight, melanin grows rapidly both in size and in proportionate quantities.  As a result, the pigments can be unevenly distributed across the skin, causing darkened spots and freckles. In cases...

So last Friday night, I went out with some friends to a restaurant right across from Renewme Skin Clinic Seocho branch. Our Seocho branch is conveniently located right in front of the subway gate, at Nambu Bus Terminal Station, line 3. Close by is the Seoul Arts Center, a major hub for the arts, with concerts and exhibitions ongoing throughout the whole year. The bus terminal, after which the station is named, was built in 1968 and stands old and strong, midst bustling Gangnam city life. The main street, and all the alleyways behind and in between, are lined with restaurants of all sorts, for a quick office lunch or for a relaxed dinner (+drinks) with coworkers after a long day of work. The menu of choice this time was jokbal. This might be a daring dish to try for some foreigners - it's a dish consisting of pig's feet/legs, soaked in soy sauce and all sorts of other goodness. It's quite a greasy dish as well, so if you're a meat-lover up for trying something new, try...

T.G.I.F! Fridays are the best. It's only morning here but I'm already completely psyched for what the weekend has in store for me. I hope everyone else also has awesome plans. Even if you're not going out, staying home all day, eating and watching movies also counts as awesome - we all need time for rest and relaxation, don't we? ;) Anyway, I am super excited to finally announce that Renewme Skin Clinic is hosting an event for our expats and international patients out there! For any treatment over 500,00 KRW, we are offering a FREE cosmetic product of your choice, out of three! We have our own line of functional cosmetic products, offered only to our clinic patients at the moment at 38,000 KRW each. Check out what's in store: 1. Intensive Moisturizing Cream Renewme Intensive Moisturizing Cream is free of the 4 major harmful chemical ingredients (parabens, mineral oil, benzophenone, triethanolamine). It is a mild moisturizer for dry and sensit...

They say a smile is the best makeup a girl can wear, and to this I agree completely. A genuine smile can be contagious in a good way - it's heartwarming and can remind you that perhaps the world is not such a bad place to live in after all. :) In my opinion, any smile - as long as it is real and natural - is beautiful, and the more we have reason to smile the better. Sadly, however, some people are self-conscious about their appearances when they smile. Perhaps you're not happy with your teeth alignment, or the way your face wrinkles up, or how small your eyes look when you do (Asian problems here). Gummy smiles can be another thing people might be quite bothered about. This refers to excessive exposure of gums - but what defines 'excessive'? There is no such thing as a perfect ratio of gum to teeth exposure, but generally we consider 1 millimeter the perfect amount of gum exposure, and about 2 millimeters as the maximum limit. Many would say that 3 mm and over m...

Here is another blog post contributed by Dr. Ko Na Young (modified in English), director of our Hwagok branch. Original post (in Korean) can be found here . For all of you out there with super sensitive skin , I definitely share your pain. My skin is so sensitive, I haven't been able to try out any new foundation for over 10 years. Every time I try something new, my skin breaks out or I end up with allergic reactions. I once even broke out from a new shampoo that trickled down onto my face when I washed my hair! And one time, I applied a new body lotion I received as a gift and ended up itching all over and unable to use it. Facial scrubs? Couldn't even dream of it. Plus, my skin turns red at the slightest touch or stimulation (also known as dermographism). Luckily, it isn't the itchy type, so I don't need to take any medications, but it still causes so many discomforts. For example, if the chain from my handbag touches my arm, that area swells and turns red. P...

Finally, the last in our series about facial peel programs offered at Renewme Skin Clinic! Here are posts about the first three, click to read: 1. Oxygen Peeling 2. Skin Scaling 3. Aquapeel The last one is called Aladdin Peel , and it's actually quite a popular treatment in Korea, among locals and to foreigners alike. The main purpose of this peeling program (and of many others for that matter) is to remove dead cells and regenerate new and fresh skin. Aladdin Peel is a deeper, more intense procedure that uses a solution made of natural ingredients to rub into the skin, exfoliating and letting the nutrients and minerals from the solution permeate through the new fresher layers of the skin. It can ultimately stimulate metabolism and regenerate skin cells, resulting in a evened and clearer skin tone. The procedure takes about 7-10 minutes depending on skin type. Results are best with 3-5 continuous treatment sessions. Advantages of Aladdin Peel With just one treatment...

Hi y'all! What a dreary Friday afternoon here in Seoul. It's drizzly, cloudy, and hazy - just about everything depressing you could expect from the weather. While I would give anything to be at home under the covers in my pajamas, napping and watching pirated movies all day, I am instead sitting at my office desk in deep thought, wondering what other tips I could share with you lovely people out there on how to maintain beautiful skin. In Korea, the V-line, or egg-shaped face, is considered a necessity for a beautiful face. Facial shape is taken quite seriously here - we like our slim, pointed chins. Developed square jaws are a major no-no and just not attractive to Koreans. The obsession with the term "V-line" is actual fairly recent, according to my memory. I think it really started to become a thing after it came out in some TV commercial about a drink that was supposed to be good for getting slimmer. Anyway, I remember when I was a student, the chin roll...

The third in our facial peel program series, after Oxygen Peel and Skin Scaling , is something called Aquapeel . As the name might suggest, Aquapeel is a hydrating + exfoliating procedure that removes blackheads and sebum as well. The solution used for this treatment is a combination of AHA and BHA. Let's take a look at what this is first: AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) is a water soluble ingredient that cleanses the outer layers of the skin. This is the agent that works to treat dryness and sun damage on the surface. BHA (beta hydroxy acid), contrary to AHA, is dissolved by oil, and can therefore penetrate the sebum and dead skin cells that clog up our pores. It can prevent oily skin and treat inflammatory acne as well as infections, and is the preferred ingredient for products used at dermatology clinics. A combination of the two can thoroughly cleanse the skin, remove sebum/dead skin cells, treat acne, and moisturize . Aquapeel can remove blackheads as well as whitehead...

Here is a blog post written by Dr. Ko Na Young, director of our Hwagok Branch. The post has been translated from Korean to English; you can read the original post by clicking here . I noticed an article in the newspaper yesterday about low-temperature burns. With the increase in burn patients I've been treating lately, I thought I might share some information about low-temperature burns with you today. We normally tend to think burns occur from hot temperatures higher than 100 degrees (Celsius), but this is a common misconception. Our skin can also get burned from prolonged exposure to temperatures as low as 40-45 degrees ; this is called a low-temperature burn . Most often, such burns are caused by heating products such as electric heating pads, hot water mats, and hot packs. Low-temperature burns can actually be more dangerous than high-temperature burns, since the skin is exposed longer to heat and damages layers deeper in the skin. Typical second-degree burns can hea...

Following yesterday's post about chemical peel programs at Renewme Skin Clinic, today's post will be about something called skin scaling . When I hear the word "skin scaling," normally what comes to mind is a snake, or some other reptile with scales shedding its old skin. We also use the term "scaly" skin for when the skin gets flaky and dry and starts to peel off - except for this treatment, that scaling is done intentionally. Skin scaling is the ultimate form of exfoliation. A scaling solution is applied all over the face, which melts and removes all the dead cells resting on the outer layers of the skin. The pores, which had previously been clogged with the dead skin cells and sebum, can now open up and discharge excess sebum as well as calm down any inflammation, therefore treating acne as well as clear up and even out the skin tone. For dry skin especially, skin scaling can keep your skin moisturized and better absorb the effects of your daily sk...

Good skin can do a lot for your appearance - it makes you look younger, refreshed, and livelier. And if you're getting prepped for some special event; say, a first date or an interview, you can't afford to break out all over or look dull, or seem pasty under layers of foundation to cover up all your blemishes. If you're looking for a fast way to even out your skin tone and get clearer and smoother skin, a facial peel might be just what you need. This is a treatment in which a chemical solution is spread across the face, causing the dead skin cells to "peel" off, giving way to new and fresh skin from underneath . Chemical peels can control sebum and therefore treat acne , as well as hydrate and allow your skin to better absorb the nutrients and minerals from your everyday cosmetic products . It's like giving your skin layers a chance to start anew! Since it's such a well-known and popular treatment in Korea, we at Renewme Skin Clinic offer different ty...