How We Rank Clinics

The K-Beauty Clinic Index scores skin clinics in Seoul and Gangnam on six criteria. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 100 and weighted as shown below. The Index is updated on the 1st of every month, and each edition stays online so changes can be compared.

The six criteria

• Genuine device check (25%). Whether the clinic shows the device and consumables (tips, cartridges, vials) before treatment, and whether authentication stickers, QR codes or serial numbers can be checked.
• Doctor experience (20%). Whether a licensed doctor, not only a counselor, runs the consultation and treatment, the doctor's specialty and years of practice, and how clearly risks are explained.
• Price transparency (15%). Whether prices are published by unit (lines, shots, cc), whether VAT is stated, and whether the quoted price matches the listed price without pressure to add treatments.
• English support (15%). Whether consultations, consent forms and aftercare instructions are available in English, by staff or a trained interpreter.
• Patient reviews (15%). Volume, recency and consistency of reviews on independent platforms such as Google Maps, adjusted for signs of paid or incentivized reviews.
• Aftercare (10%). Follow-up appointments, how the clinic handles side effects, and how patients can reach the clinic after flying home.

Status: our first scored edition is in preparation. Until it is published, the Index pages show sample data to preview the layout, and no clinic has been scored yet.

How we collect information

Scores are built from clinic visits and consultations, published price lists, quotes requested as a visitor, the clinic's own website, and independent review platforms. Every price we publish carries the date it was checked. We do not accept payment for a higher score.

Partner clinics

Some clinics have a commercial relationship with us. They are marked “Partner” wherever they appear and are scored with exactly the same criteria and weights. See our partner disclosure.

Corrections

If a clinic or reader finds an error, we review it and correct the page with a dated note. See our editorial policy.