Where to start, by skin concern
Searching by treatment name makes it complicated fast. Start from what is actually bothering you and the list gets much shorter. Here is what to check first for each concern, with the doctor columns that go deeper.
Start from the concern and it narrows like this
Rarely just one thing
Most people have more than one concern at once: active acne, the marks it left, and wider pores. Order decides the result here. If inflammation is still active, it keeps making new marks, so that comes first.
Treat several things at once and you cannot tell what worked and what irritated. One at a time is faster in the end.
Read nextWhy several treatments at once is not a bargainDr Lee Sang-soo on what happens when recovery periods overlap.Acne and the marks it leaves
Active inflammation and existing marks are treated differently. Chase the marks first and the inflammation keeps making new ones.
- Acne or scars: which is treated first?
- Why brown marks and red marks are treated differently
- Why dermatologists prescribe azelaic acid for acne
- Acne before every period
Melasma and pigment
This is not an area where stronger is better. Find the cause, then set the strength.
- Does treating melasma aggressively make it darker?
- Is pigment laser really off limits in summer?
- Brown and red respond to different things
Laxity and sagging
Which layer has dropped decides the device. Lost volume and loose skin are different problems.
- Ultherapy, Thermage or Shurink: which do you need?
- RF vs HIFU and the layers each reaches
- Ultherapy without hollow cheeks
- Had both and still no change
Pores and scars
Indented and stretched are not the same. What is left on the nose may be a pore or a scar, and that changes the approach.
Once you know which family you are in, the consultation moves much faster. The treatment name can wait until after that.
Read nextKorean treatment names, decodedGot the family sorted? Reading the names comes next. Read nextPlanning a Korean skincare tripFor when you are fitting this into a visit to Korea.