K-beauty and spa in Korea: what can visitors book without seeing a doctor?

What is the difference between a beauty service and a medical procedure?

A beauty service cares for the surface of the skin, hair or body and is given by beauty staff in a shop, salon or spa. A medical procedure, such as laser treatment, injections or anything that needs a prescription, is done by a licensed doctor in a clinic. The two can look similar in advertising, so check who performs the service and where.

If a shop offers something that sounds medical, ask whether it is a clinic and whether a doctor performs the service. The dermatology guide linked below explains how clinic visits work.

What is a jjimjilbang, and how does a first visit work?

A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse with bathing areas separated by gender and a shared area with warm rooms, sauna rooms and places to rest. You bathe without swimwear in the bathing area and wear the clothes provided by the facility in the shared area. Rules differ between facilities, so read the signs at the entrance or ask the staff.

Drink water, take breaks between hot rooms and leave a room if you feel dizzy or unwell. If you have a wound, a dressing, stitches or skin that is still healing, stay out of the baths and sauna rooms until your doctor agrees.

1. Entrance: pay at the desk and receive a locker key, towels and a set of clothes for the shared area.
2. Shoes and lockers: leave your shoes in the shoe locker, then go to the changing room for your gender.
3. Washing: shower and wash thoroughly before you enter any bath. This is expected of everyone.
4. Baths: move between pools of different temperatures at your own pace. Tie up long hair and keep towels out of the water.
5. Shared area: put on the provided clothes to use the sauna rooms, rest areas and snack counter with companions of any gender.
6. Extras: a body scrub or massage by staff is usually booked and paid for separately. The scrub is firm, so tell the staff if the pressure is too strong.

What should you expect at a head spa or hair salon?

A head spa is a salon service for the scalp and hair, typically a look at the scalp followed by cleansing, massage, shampoo and drying. Hair salons offer cuts, color, perms and styling. Both are beauty services: they do not diagnose or treat hair loss or scalp disease.

• Bring photos of the style you want. Pictures cross a language gap more reliably than descriptions.
• Ask what the service includes and the total price before it starts, including added products and any extra charge for hair length.
• Tell staff about allergies or past reactions to hair dye, perm solution or fragrance, and ask about a patch test.
• Ask whether a reservation is needed and how changes or cancellations work.
• If you have hair loss, a painful or inflamed scalp or a skin condition, see a dermatologist instead of booking a salon service.
• After a hair transplant or any procedure on the head or face, ask your doctor before coloring, perming or scalp massage.

How do you shop for Korean beauty products as a visitor?

Skin care and makeup are sold in beauty stores, department stores, duty-free shops and pharmacies, and many shops have testers you can try before buying. Choose by the ingredient list and by how your own skin reacts, not by trends. If your skin is healing after a procedure, ask your doctor before you try anything new.

• Read the ingredient list. A translation app with a camera function helps when the label is in Korean.
• Patch test a new product on a small area before you use it on your whole face.
• Introduce one new product at a time so that you can tell what caused a reaction.
• Check the expiration date and the period after opening printed on the package.
• Ask whether the store offers a tax refund for visitors and what you need to show, such as your passport.
• Check your airline's rules for liquids and pack full-size bottles in checked luggage.
• Prescription creams and medicines come from a doctor or a pharmacy. Do not buy them from informal sellers.

Product descriptions are marketing, not medical advice. For a skin condition, see a dermatologist.

How do you fit spa and beauty services around medical treatment?

Book heat, massage and skin services before your treatment, or wait until your doctor agrees afterward. After a procedure, ask your doctor before saunas, hot baths, massage, alcohol or strenuous activity. The answer depends on the procedure and on how you are healing.

Put the experiences you care about most at the start of the trip, before treatment. That way a recovery that takes longer than expected does not cost you the booking.