Complications in Busan Seomyeon, and which ones need a message tonight.

This page exists because vague reassurance is not useful at eleven at night in another country. What follows is the specific list — what is normal, what is not, and which of the second group cannot wait until morning.

What is expected and needs no action

Bruising at injection points, resolving over five to ten days. Swelling peaking at day one to two after filler and settling by day five. Tenderness on pressure for several days. Small firm areas in the first fortnight after filler or boosters. Mild asymmetry in the first two weeks, before swelling has fully resolved. All of these are normal and none require anything but time.

What needs reporting the same hour

Severe or increasing pain after filler, particularly if disproportionate to what was done. Skin that blanches white or develops a dusky, mottled or bluish patch. Any change in vision. These are the signs of vascular occlusion — filler entering or compressing a blood vessel — which is rare and time-critical. Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved and circulation restored, and the window matters in hours rather than days.

What needs reporting within a day or two

Spreading redness with warmth, which suggests infection. A lump that is growing rather than settling. Fever after any injectable. Persistent one-sided weakness or drooping after botox. Blistering or a defined burn after laser. None of these are emergencies in the way the previous group is, and all of them are managed better early than late.

What needs raising at two weeks

Asymmetry that has not resolved once swelling has gone. A firm nodule that remains palpable. Puckering along a thread entry that has not settled. An outcome that looks different from what was agreed. The two-week review exists for exactly these, and they are considerably easier to correct at that point than at two months — see timing around an event.

Why is pain the most useful signal?

Because it is the one thing that should follow a predictable curve, and a departure from it means something. Injection discomfort settles over hours; tenderness on pressure fades over days. Pain that increases on day two, that is out of proportion to a small treatment, or that persists beyond a few days is the single most reliable early indicator that something needs looking at. Swelling and bruising vary enormously between patients and are poor signals for that reason — pain trending the wrong way is not.

What does a good aftercare arrangement look like?

Written instructions in a language you read, a named contact that reaches a person, and specific rather than general warnings. The questions that matter arrive at eleven at night three days later, which is exactly when a spoken instruction you half-followed is least useful — see do you need a translator. For visitors this is the part of the service that differs most between clinics, and it is worth asking about before booking rather than discovering afterwards.

Why does early reporting matter so much?

Because almost everything on this page is manageable when caught early and harder afterwards. Vascular occlusion is the extreme case where hours matter. But asymmetry corrects in minutes at two weeks and requires waiting out a full cycle if left. A nodule responds to treatment early and organises into something firmer if ignored. Patients who wait to see whether something resolves are usually the ones whose correction takes longest.

What are the specific risks by treatment?

Botox: temporary asymmetry, brow heaviness, rarely eyelid droop — all self-limiting within three to four months. Filler: bruising, swelling, nodules, and rarely vascular occlusion. Threads: puckering, extrusion, infection. Laser: pigmentation change, rarely burns or scarring. Energy: the lowest risk profile of the group, with rare nerve irritation or fat loss at incorrect settings.

What reduces risk before treatment?

Disclosing medication, particularly blood thinners and isotretinoin. Disclosing previous treatment and surgery, which changes tissue planes and vascular anatomy. Avoiding fish oil, aspirin and alcohol beforehand. And choosing where the treatment happens — dose, depth and placement decide most outcomes, which is why who performs it is the question worth asking — see safety standards.

How does this work if I have flown home?

You are given a direct contact rather than a general line, and follow-up continues in your language on WhatsApp, LINE or KakaoTalk. Treatment notes recording product, lot, dose and area are provided so a doctor anywhere can act on them — which matters more for international patients than for anyone else. For hyaluronic acid specifically, any clinic with hyaluronidase can dissolve it if that ever became necessary.

What should a clinic tell you before you leave?

The specific signs to watch for, given verbally and confirmed in writing, and a contact that reaches someone. Generic advice to call if worried is not the same as being told to report blanching, disproportionate pain or vision change immediately. If you were not told what to look for at any clinic, ask before you leave the building — see patient rights.