What to bring, and what to leave at home.

Four things change what a consultation can do for you, and most patients arrive with two of them. The rest of what people bring — printed research, competitor quotes, reference photographs of other faces — is not unwelcome but rarely alters the outcome. This is what to prepare, and why each item matters.

The four things that actually matter at a Busan skin clinic

Your passport, a list of any regular medication, two or three photographs of the concern, and your travel dates. That is the whole list. Everything else is optional, and arriving without any of it still allows a consultation — these items make the visit more efficient and the plan more accurate rather than being requirements at the door.

Why is a passport needed for a cosmetic appointment in Korea?

Korean clinics record identification for foreign patients as a matter of medical record-keeping, the same way a national ID is recorded for Korean patients. It is not a customs or immigration matter. A photograph of the passport page is usually sufficient if the original is in a hotel safe, though bringing the document itself avoids a conversation. Your details are held as part of your medical record rather than shared.

Which medication matters before treatment in Busan, and what if I do not know the name?

Three categories change the plan: blood thinners including aspirin and fish oil, which raise bruising risk; isotretinoin, which requires a documented gap before laser resurfacing; and anything affecting immune response or healing. If you do not know the English name, photograph the box or the pharmacy label — the active ingredient is usually printed in Latin script and that is enough. Nothing is stopped without discussing it with the doctor who prescribed it.

What photographs help a Seomyeon dermatology consultation, and which do not?

Two or three well-lit shots of the concern in natural light, taken straight on and from the side. No special angles, no filters, and no need for good lighting equipment. What genuinely helps is a photograph of the problem as it looks on an ordinary day. What helps less is a reference image of someone else's result — that outcome was produced on different anatomy, and describing what bothers you about your own face is more useful than showing someone else's.

What if I have had treatment before but do not know the details?

Say so, and say roughly what and roughly when. Exact product names help but are not essential — knowing that you had filler under the eyes about two years ago changes the plan considerably even without a brand name. What matters most is disclosing previous filler in an area being treated, and any threads or surgery, since both alter tissue planes in ways that affect what can safely be done.

Should I bring a list of what I want, or leave it open?

A list of what bothers you works better than a list of treatments. Saying you dislike how tired you look in photographs gives the doctor something to examine; saying you want under-eye filler commits you to a solution before the cause has been identified. Dark circles are the standard example — hollow, pigmentation and thin skin look identical in a mirror and need three completely different treatments. Come with the problem rather than the answer.

What if I am visiting Busan for several days: should I book everything at once?

Usually not on the first visit. Booking a full programme before anyone has examined you means committing to a plan built from a website rather than from your face. The more useful approach is a consultation early in the trip, then treatments scheduled across the remaining days once the plan is clear. Anything with visible swelling goes at the start, anything with no downtime can sit anywhere.

Is there anything I should stop taking before a Busan skin treatment?

Nothing without discussing it first, and never a prescribed medication on your own initiative. Fish oil, high-dose vitamin E and aspirin taken for general health raise bruising risk and can reasonably be paused for a few days before injectables — but aspirin prescribed for a cardiac reason should not be, and that decision belongs to the doctor who prescribed it. Alcohol the night before increases bruising and swelling noticeably, which is the one thing worth avoiding without needing anyone's permission.

What can I leave at home?

Printed research, price comparisons from other clinics, and screenshots of results you would like to replicate. None of it is unwelcome and nobody will be irritated by it, but the consultation covers the same ground more accurately. There is also no need to arrive knowing the name of a treatment — patients frequently ask for one thing and leave with something different because the concern turned out to have a different cause than assumed.

How do I pay at The Boom in Busan, and what is accepted?

Foreign-issued Visa, Mastercard, Amex, UnionPay and JCB are accepted, as is cash in Korean won. No deposit is required to hold a consultation and payment is taken after treatment rather than before. Korean medical receipts are provided for insurance claims. Korea has ended VAT refunds on cosmetic medical treatment, so the figure you agree is the figure you pay — the price list reflects that.