Korea masseter Botox relaxes the jaw-closing muscle with botulinum toxin type A, and one round usually lasts about three to four months before the muscle regains strength. Most people notice only a tired bite and slow slimming, but a minority develop a temporary side effect such as a bulge when clenching. Knowing which problems occur, how long they last and what lowers the odds helps you judge a plan before the first injection.
Clinics in Korea
5 clinics for Botox in Korea
| # | Clinic | Area | Languages | Listed price | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kind Global Clinic | Euljiro-ipgu Station | English · 日本語 · 中文 · Español | ₩429,000 | 4.9 (359) |
| 2 | Barog Clinic Seomyeon Station Branch | Seomyeon Station | English · 日本語 · 中文 · ไทย | ₩10,000 | 5.0 (93) |
| 3 | RE:BERRY Clinic Gangnam | Gangnam Station | English · 中文 · 日本語 · Español | ₩9,900 | 4.9 (1,155) |
| 4 | Dear Clinic | Cheongdam-dong | English · Español | ₩30,000 | 4.9 (354) |
| 5 | Rewind Plastic Surgery | Nonhyeon-ro | English · Español | ₩50,000 | 5.0 (54) |
11. Kind Global Clinic
★ 4.9359 Google reviewsKind Global Clinic is by Euljiro-ipgu Station Exit 6, a skin and aesthetic clinic with a 4.9 average from 359 Google reviews. It offers Botox alongside HIFU lifting, RF lifting and fillers. Staff consult in English, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish, and listed Botox prices start at ₩429,000 + VAT. Every procedure is performed personally by one of the clinic's co-directors, with no handoff.
Boutique Myeongdong clinic with co-director-led treatment
- Boutique clinic
- One private floor
- Director-performed care
- A free pre-consultation runs on WhatsApp or LINE, where you send photos and receive a treatment plan.
- Its Botox menu spans wrinkle, jawline, calf, trapezius, skin and hyperhidrosis indications with Korean-made and imported toxin options.
Planning treatment before flying in · Weekend or holiday appointments
- Location
- Euljiro-ipgu Station (Line 2) Exit 6 / Myeongdong Station (Line 4) Exit 8
- Languages
- English · 日本語 · 中文 · Español
- Listed price
- From ₩429,000 + VAT
22. Barog Clinic Seomyeon Station Branch
★ 5.093 Google reviewsBarog Clinic Seomyeon Station Branch is a skin and aesthetic clinic near Seomyeon Station, rated 5.0 from 93 Google reviews. Its menu covers Botox as well as HIFU lifting, fillers and skin boosters. Staff consult in English, Japanese, Chinese and Thai; Botox is listed from ₩10,000 + VAT. Posted price boards apply equally to visitors and locals, with consultations in English, Chinese and Japanese.
Seomyeon filler and lifting clinic with open-vial transparency
- Filler-focused
- Transparent pricing
- Welcoming 2F lounge
- Body filler goes beyond the face, covering ears, hands, collarbones, shoulders and hip contouring.
- Every filler vial is unsealed at the chair in front of you, with lot numbers you can check.
Lifting plans in Busan · Face and body filler seekers
- Location
- Seomyeon Station
- Languages
- English · 日本語 · 中文 · ไทย
- Listed price
- From ₩10,000 + VAT
33. RE:BERRY Clinic Gangnam
★ 4.91,155 Google reviewsRE:BERRY Clinic Gangnam sits a 2-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 10, a skin and aesthetic clinic that holds a 4.9 Google rating across 1,155 reviews. Botox is offered here together with HIFU lifting, RF lifting and fillers. It consults in English, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish, and its listed Botox price starts from ₩9,900 + VAT. Its Botox price list covers wrinkle areas and skin Botox.
Gangnam Station skin clinic built around five-language care
- Five-language desk
- Gallery-style interior
- Regenerative skin menu
- Board-certified dermatologists on staff
- Consultations in English, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Spanish through in-house interpreters.
- Its Botox menu covers frown lines, forehead, crow's feet, masseter, trapezius, calf, neck bands, lip flip, gummy smile and excessive sweating.
Non-English speakers wanting own language · Evening or holiday appointments
- Location
- Gangnam Station (Line 2) Exit 10, 2 min walk
- Languages
- English · 中文 · 日本語 · Español
- Listed price
- From ₩9,900 + VAT
44. Dear Clinic
★ 4.9354 Google reviewsDear Clinic runs a skin and aesthetic clinic in Cheongdam-dong; its Google rating is 4.9 from 354 reviews. It offers Botox alongside HIFU lifting, RF lifting and fillers. Staff consult in English and Spanish; listed Botox prices start at ₩30,000 + VAT. An EVE Muse 3D skin scan is taken and read before any treatment is recommended.
Scan-first Cheongdam lifting clinic, open every day
- Lifting-focused
- 3D scan first
- Warm-luxury interior
- Open every day of the year, with English consultation and WhatsApp booking before you fly.
- Its Botox price list covers wrinkle areas and the jaw (masseter).
Short trips needing weekend slots · Filler beyond lips and chin
- Location
- Cheongdam-dong
- Languages
- English · Español
- Listed price
- From ₩30,000 + VAT
55. Rewind Plastic Surgery
★ 5.054 Google reviewsRewind Plastic Surgery is a plastic surgery clinic in Nonhyeon-ro, rated 5.0 from 54 Google reviews. Its menu covers Botox as well as plastic surgery, HIFU lifting and RF lifting. Staff consult in English and Spanish; Botox is listed from ₩50,000 + VAT. The same surgeon carries each case from first consultation to final follow-up.
Apgujeong lifting surgery clinic with a skin-care side
- Surgical lifting
- Same surgeon throughout
- Calm, private floors
- Board-certified plastic surgeons on staff
- Interpreter-assisted consultations via WhatsApp or Instagram, with English-subtitled doctor explainer videos.
- Botox, Ultherapy Prime, Thermage FLX, Rejuran and Juvelook are offered, planned separately from surgery.
Combining Botox with lifting consult · Jawline and neck concerns
- Location
- Nonhyeon-ro
- Languages
- English · Español
- Listed price
- From ₩50,000 + VAT
Prices
Botox cost in Korea
Prices below come from the listed clinics' own price lists, before VAT. 10% VAT is added at payment.
Botox · 50 units
Range across 2 listed clinics · approx. $21–$109₩29,000–₩150,000 + VATCompare clinicsBotox · 100 units
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $57₩79,000 + VATCompare clinicsWrinkle Botox 1 Area (Domestic)
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $7₩9,900 + VATCompare clinicsBotox
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $7–$73From ₩10,000–₩100,000 + VATCompare clinicsWrinkle Botox (1 area: forehead / glabella / crow's feet / mouth corners / chin dimpling / bunny lines) — Korean
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $22₩30,000 + VATCompare clinicsWrinkle Botox 1 Area (Nabota)
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $28₩39,000 + VATCompare clinicsSquare Jaw Botox — Korean
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $29₩40,000 + VATCompare clinicsWrinkle botulinum toxin (per area)
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $36₩50,000 + VATCompare clinicsGuide
What a review of 46,250 jaw treatments found
Nishikawa and colleagues, writing in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology in 2024, looked back at 46,250 patients who had toxin injected into the masseter during 2022. They counted only side effects that a physician diagnosed at a return visit and then followed, which gave 223 cases.
In the Nishikawa review, paradoxical bulging accounted for 88.3 percent of those cases. Every side effect in the series was temporary. The average time until a doctor confirmed improvement was about 160 days, with a range from 13 to 667 days, so some people waited well over a year. The authors note that this figure includes the time before patients returned to the clinic, so the real recovery was probably shorter.
Guide
Paradoxical bulging: the lump that appears when you clench
The typical picture is a firm, rounded lump at the jaw corner that shows only when you bite down, while the rest of the muscle looks flatter. It is usually explained as a band of fibers that the toxin did not reach working harder than the treated part.
In the 2024 review, patients who had a corrective treatment and patients who were simply observed improved over a similar period, with no significant difference between the groups. That does not mean nothing should be done; it means a calm review with the treating doctor is a reasonable first step before adding more toxin.
Guide
Other effects of jaw toxin and what usually helps
Most other effects are mild and fade as the muscle adapts. They are worth knowing because some appear only after you have flown home.
| Effect | When it tends to show | Usual course | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruising or tenderness at the points | Treatment day to day 3 | Fades within days | Cold pack, avoid pressing |
| Tired bite on chewy food | First few weeks | Eases as the muscle adapts | Softer food for a while |
| Smile looks slightly different | One to two weeks | Temporary, settles with time | Photos, then a doctor review |
| Hollow look below the cheekbone | As the muscle thins | Can soften as strength returns | Discuss spacing of rounds |
| Weaker response after many rounds | After repeated sessions | Varies by person | Ask about the product used |
Guide
When one side of the jaw is bigger than the other
Uneven jaws are common, and the dose per side does not have to match. Nilesh and colleagues described in BMJ Case Reports in 2021 a patient with enlargement of one masseter of unknown cause, treated with botulinum toxin type A, in whom muscle volume decreased and facial balance improved. The report also lists the usual triggers of an enlarged masseter, such as gum chewing, clenching and grinding.
A single case cannot predict your result, but it shows why the doctor should feel both sides while you clench and write the plan per side. If one side is much larger, ask whether bone or a dental cause has been considered before toxin.
Guide
Lowering the odds of a problem
Most of what reduces risk happens at the consultation and in the first weeks afterward.
- Ask the doctor to mark points while you clench, so the whole muscle is mapped
- Confirm the product name on the vial and on your written plan
- Mention earlier jaw, forehead or other toxin injections and their dates
- Take front and side photos, relaxed and clenching, before treatment
- Book a review about four weeks later, in person or by photos
- Keep enough time between rounds rather than topping up early
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Treatment of masseter muscle hypertrophy with botulinum toxin type A injection: A review of adverse eventsJournal of Cosmetic Dermatology · 2024 · doi:10.1111/jocd.16462
Retrospective study of 46,250 masseter toxin patients in which 223 had a physician-diagnosed side effect, most often paradoxical bulging, and all side effects were temporary.
- Management of unilateral idiopathic masseter muscle hypertrophy with botulinum toxin type ABMJ Case Reports · 2021 · doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-239056
Case report of one-sided masseter enlargement of unknown cause in which toxin injection reduced muscle volume and improved facial appearance.
FAQ
Questions about Botox in Korea
Which clinics offer Botox in Korea?
Clinics offering Botox in Korea include Kind Global Clinic (Euljiro-ipgu Station), Barog Clinic Seomyeon Station Branch (Seomyeon Station), RE:BERRY Clinic Gangnam (Gangnam Station), Dear Clinic (Cheongdam-dong) and Rewind Plastic Surgery (Nonhyeon-ro). Each lists Botox on its own menu; message the clinic directly to confirm the doctor, product and current price.
Should I go back to the doctor if a lump shows when I clench?
Yes, a review is sensible, though a lump is usually temporary and not an emergency. Send clear photos taken while relaxed and while clenching, or visit in person if you are still nearby. In the 2024 review by Nishikawa and colleagues, bulging was the most common side effect and every case improved, whether or not extra treatment was given. Ask the doctor to explain the options before agreeing to more injections.
Can I have masseter Botox in Seoul again after a side effect?
Often yes, but the next plan should change based on what happened. A bulge may lead the doctor to map more points, while a changed smile may lead to placing points further from the mouth. Bring the product name and the date of the earlier round so the total dose and spacing can be judged. If the side effect is still present, waiting until it has settled is the usual approach.
How soon after the injections would a side effect usually appear?
Bruising shows on the day or the next morning, while muscle-related effects follow the toxin and appear over the following weeks. Toxin generally starts to act within several days, so a tired bite or a slightly different smile tends to show in the first two weeks. A bulge is often noticed later, once the treated part of the muscle has thinned. Keep photos so any change can be timed.
Does the toxin brand change the risk of side effects?
The main side effects come from placement and dose more than from the brand. Clinics in Korea offer imported products such as Allergan Botox and Merz Xeomin alongside Korean-made toxins such as Coretox and Nabota. Purified products with fewer accessory proteins are often chosen for people who have had many rounds, because a weaker response over time is one concern. Ask which product is planned and why.
Is jaw toxin appropriate during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
No, toxin injections are generally postponed during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The reason is caution, as safety data in these groups are limited rather than reassuring. The same applies to people with a neuromuscular condition or an infection at the injection site. If you are planning a pregnancy soon, tell the doctor at the consultation so the timing of any round can be discussed.
Can a slimmer jaw make loose skin along the jawline more visible?
In some people it can, mainly when the skin is already lax and the muscle was providing much of the fullness. As the masseter thins, the lower face may look flatter and skin above the jawline can appear heavier. This is more often discussed in older adults than in younger ones. The doctor should mention this at the assessment and may suggest a lighter plan or a different treatment.