Does skin botox really work? What changes?

Skin botox, or dermotoxin, injects botulinum toxin shallowly into the epidermis and dermis to reduce oil and improve pores, fine lines and texture. You can expect less shine and skin that looks smoother and more polished. People who had a lot of oil and large pores to begin with notice the change most easily. It is one of the top five steady sellers at our clinic, and patients keep coming back for it.

Skin botox, Rejuran or a hydrating injection — which should I get?

They can all be done together. For oil, pores, shine and texture or firmness, skin botox comes first; for texture, redness, fine lines and skin repair, Rejuran; and if dryness is the biggest concern, a hyaluronic acid "water glow" injection. Depending on the concern, they are sometimes mixed. Most people worry about all three, so in practice we usually inject them together. Separate injections for every product mean more needle passes and more irritation, so hydrating hyaluronic acid and Rejuran are usually mixed. Skin botox is not injected around the mouth, so depending on the area it is given separately or mixed.

Where on the face is skin botox injected?

We treat many areas — forehead, between the brows, temples, around the eyes, under the eyes, front of the cheeks, above the smile lines, the butterfly zone, jawline and neck lines. Around the mouth and the side cheeks, though, toxin can temporarily weaken the muscles that move the mouth, making a smile look awkward or one corner of the mouth lift less, so we do not inject there except for the philtrum when there is a specific purpose. As a rule, we do not inject around the mouth or the side cheeks, except the philtrum.

When does it work, and how long does it last?

Changes usually appear within a few days to two weeks and fade gradually over three to six months. Many people come back when oil increases again or firmness drops, and we do not recommend injecting too often at short intervals. I recommend a gap of about two to four months, but it is not something you have to keep repeating.

Does it hurt? What about downtime?

Very fine needles go in shallowly many times, so it stings, but it is quick; an ice pack or numbing cream is usually enough. Small redness and bumps at the injection points settle within minutes to hours, and an unexpected bruise can last one to two weeks. For people who are very sensitive, we leave numbing cream on for close to an hour, and offer sedation if it is still uncomfortable. You can wash your face a few hours later on the same day. Makeup or hard exercise usually waits one to two days, until redness and irritation have settled.

Treatments

Skin Boosters in Korea

Name: 3D animation of toxin droplets placed between hair follicles in the shallow dermis, spreading to the nerve endings around the oil glands, with less oil on the treated side
Uploaded: 2026-10-23
Description: A very fine needle places toxin in the shallow dermis between follicles, where it spreads to the nerve endings that signal the oil glands. The left side fills with oil as before treatment; on the right the glands shrink and release less oil. Illustration of the mechanism.

Injection Types, Cost & Before and After

Written by BeautyCoordi Editorial TeamMedically reviewed by Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOReviewed 2026-10-234 min read

Contents · 9

01Types of skin boosters in Korea
02How does skin botox work?
03Skin booster before and after
04Where is skin botox injected — and where not?
05How long does skin botox last?
06Pain, downtime and side effects
07Planning skin boosters on a trip to Korea
08How much do skin boosters cost in Korea?
09FAQ

Key points

"Skin booster" is an umbrella term for injections placed in the shallow layers of the skin to improve the skin itself, such as oil, pores, texture, hydration and firmness.
Skin botox (microbotox, dermotoxin) injects diluted botulinum toxin into the dermis rather than muscle, in many small shallow points, to reduce oil and improve pores, fine lines and texture.
Botulinum toxin is described as blocking the acetylcholine signal between nerves and oil glands, reducing oil production; a 2021 review by Korean researchers summarised this mechanism.
In a US randomised double-blind study of forehead oiliness (50 people), groups above a certain dose had significantly less oil, the effect lasted through the six-month study, and there were no treatment-related adverse events.
In a Thai randomised study of enlarged pores (32 people), intradermal toxin reduced pore volume and skin roughness, with a better response in people with oilier skin.
Rejuran uses PN (DNA fragments from salmon) to support skin repair, hyaluronic acid injections add hydration, and Juvelook uses PDLLA particles to stimulate collagen.
Skin botox effects usually appear within a few days to two weeks and fade gradually over three to six months.
Common reactions are small bumps, redness and bruising at injection points; rarely, toxin that acts too strongly can make expressions feel awkward or weak.

Skin boosters are injections placed shallow in the skin to improve the skin itself — oil, pores, texture, hydration or firmness — rather than to fill or lift. In Korea the four you will hear about most are skin botox, Rejuran, hyaluronic acid "water glow" injections and Juvelook, and clinics often combine them in one session.

Skin boosters at a glance

Oil, pores, shine: skin botox
Texture, fine lines, skin repair: Rejuran
Dryness: hyaluronic acid (water glow)
Firmness, hollows, shallow scars: Juvelook
Combining: common — Rejuran and hyaluronic acid are usually mixed into one injection
Downtime: small bumps for minutes to hours, makeup after one to two days

Types of skin boosters in Korea

Type	Main ingredient	Main goal	Change shows
Skin botox	diluted botulinum toxin	oil, pores, fine lines	days to 2 weeks
Rejuran	PN (salmon DNA fragments)	repair, texture, fine lines	builds over sessions
Water glow	hyaluronic acid	hydration, dryness	soon after
Juvelook	PDLLA + hyaluronic acid	collagen, firmness, shallow scars	weeks to months

Rejuran and Juvelook have their own guides: Rejuran in Korea and Juvelook.

How does skin botox work?

Skin botox uses the same ingredient as regular Botox, but it goes into the dermis instead of muscle, in many small shallow points. Oil glands make oil in response to the nerve signal acetylcholine; toxin blocks that signal, so oil drops and pores look less obvious. Tiny muscle fibres in the skin relax too, smoothing fine lines and texture.

Oily skin (before) → shallow, closely spaced injections on the forehead, between the brows, around the eyes, front cheeks, butterfly zone, jawline and neck, avoiding the mouth area and side cheeks (dashed line) (injection map) → small bumps right after that settle within minutes to hours (right after) → less shine and smaller-looking pores weeks later (weeks later).

A very fine needle places toxin in the shallow dermis between follicles, where it spreads to the nerve endings that signal the oil glands. The left side fills with oil as before treatment; on the right the glands shrink and release less oil. Illustration of the mechanism.

	Regular Botox	Skin botox
Where	muscle	dermis (shallow skin)
How	a few set points	many small shallow points
Main goal	expression lines, square jaw	oil, pores, fine lines, texture

Skin booster before and after

Weeks later — Less shine and smaller-looking pores weeks later, shown on a 3D face model. Oilier skin notices it more, and it fades over three to six months. Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareLess shine and smaller-looking pores weeks later, shown on a 3D face model. Oilier skin notices it more, and it fades over three to six months. Illustration of the mechanism.

A few weeks later — Oil glands shrink and less oil fills the pores. In randomised studies, forehead oil dropped and stayed lower for six months (Kesty 2021), and cheek pore volume decreased (Vachiramon 2025). Illustration of the mechanism. — ↔ Drag to compareOil glands shrink and less oil fills the pores. In randomised studies, forehead oil dropped and stayed lower for six months (Kesty 2021), and cheek pore volume decreased (Vachiramon 2025). Illustration of the mechanism.

The research behind these changes: in a US randomised double-blind study of forehead oiliness (50 people), groups above a certain dose had significantly less oil, lasting through the six-month study, with no treatment-related adverse events. In a Thai randomised study of enlarged cheek pores (32 people), intradermal toxin reduced pore volume and roughness, especially in oilier skin. Before-and-after photos you see online vary with lighting and angle, so judge by oil, pores and texture rather than overall glow.

Where is skin botox injected — and where not?

Concern	Areas
Oil, shine, pores	forehead, butterfly zone (beside the nose to front cheeks), front cheeks
Fine lines, texture	between the brows, temples, around and under the eyes, above the smile lines
Neck lines, jawline	jawline, neck
Not injected	around the mouth, side cheeks (philtrum only, for a specific purpose)

Not sure which booster fits your skin? Ask us before you book.

Ask on WhatsApp

How long does skin botox last?

Days to two weeks: less shine, smoother skin
Three to six months: fades gradually; varies with oil level, area and dose
Next session: when oil or laxity returns — usually a two-to-four-month gap, and repeating is optional

Pain, downtime and side effects

Reaction	Usually lasts
Small bumps (wheals)	minutes to hours
Redness	hours to a day
Bruise, if any	one to two weeks

Thin-skinned areas such as around the eyes and the forehead bruise and sting a little more easily. Rarely, toxin that acts too strongly makes a smile feel awkward or weak; it wears off completely with time. Good clinics check your expressions and feel the muscles before injecting.

Tell the clinic first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a muscle disorder, recently had Botox elsewhere, or have inflammation or a skin condition in the area.

Planning skin boosters on a trip to Korea

Easy to fit into a trip: most people go out the same day; plan makeup-free sightseeing for a day or two.
Combining with lifting: devices such as Ultherapy or Thermage go first, injections last.
One visit vs a course: skin botox works from one session; Rejuran and Juvelook usually need a few sessions weeks apart, so ask how to split them across trips.

How much do skin boosters cost in Korea?

Prices differ because the conditions differ. Compare on the same basis:

Which product and how many units or cc, and the mixing ratio if combined
Full face or part of it
Whether genuine products are opened in front of you
Whether numbing and soothing care are included

Once conditions match, detailed differences in technique rarely change the result much, so comfort with the consultation and value for your situation matter too. Current package prices with English support are on the DR.BAQUO packages page.

FAQ

Will skin botox dry out my skin?

Less oil can feel tight on skin that was already dry. If that worries you, mixing in hyaluronic acid is a common option.

Can I get skin botox and regular Botox the same day?

Often yes, but the total dose adds up, so plan the areas and units together.

Is Xeomin different?

Xeomin, from Merz in Germany, removes complex proteins to reduce concern about resistance. Korean toxins are also good quality now; an imported product is an option if resistance worries you.

Sources

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Park HwonhamDR.BAQUOPPEUM Clinic Konkuk Univ.

Contents · 9

01Types of skin boosters in Korea
02How does skin botox work?
03Skin booster before and after
04Where is skin botox injected — and where not?
05How long does skin botox last?
06Pain, downtime and side effects
07Planning skin boosters on a trip to Korea
08How much do skin boosters cost in Korea?
09FAQ

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