GOURI in Daegu: what spreading it evenly actually depends on
Look for the best clinic for GOURI in Daegu and you will keep meeting the phrase the skill of spreading it evenly. That is correct, but few pages say why. It is because GOURI has no particles. So it leans on the injection plane and on spread more than other boosters do.
The short version
GOURI is 21% polycaprolactone (PCL) in a fully liquid form with no particles. Microsphere PCL suspends beads in a gel and stays where it is placed; the liquid form spreads along the plane it enters. The plane therefore decides more of the result. But the human data for the liquid form is still case-series scale, and the longest follow-up we could verify is 12 weeks in 2 patients.
What having no particles changes
| Item | Microsphere | Liquid (GOURI) |
|---|---|---|
| Form | 25–50 µm PCL beads, 30%, suspended in 70% carboxymethylcellulose gel | No beads. Polymer chains on the order of under 0.1 µm |
| PCL fraction | 30% (v/v) | 21% (manufacturer’s published data) |
| Carrier | Gel, buffer, glycerin; absorbed in 6–8 weeks | Not published |
| Behaviour | Stays where placed | Spreads along the plane it enters |
Beads can be felt if they clump, but they remain where they belong. Without beads the clumping risk falls, but where the material travels is decided by the plane and the technique. The trade-offs are inverted between the two forms.
So “evenly” here is not a marketing adjective. It is a requirement that follows from the formulation. Dividing the dose and laying it thinly across a plane suits this material better than placing a large volume in one spot.
How far the human data for the liquid form goes
This part has to be said plainly. Even within PCL, the two forms hold very different amounts of evidence.
| Evidence | Microsphere | Liquid |
|---|---|---|
| Human biopsy | 1 year +26.7% ± 9.3% (13 subjects, P<0.001), 4 years +48.1% (3 subjects), particles intact at 13 months (2 subjects) | None |
| Randomised human trial | 24 months, 40 subjects (nasolabial folds) | None |
| Longest follow-up | 4 years (biopsy) | 12 weeks, 2 patients |
| Post-market denominator | 323,726 syringes / 1,111 treatments | None |
The manufacturer states that GOURI completed phase 1 and phase 2 trials with more than 200 participants. We were unable to find the paper, the abstract or a trial registration number for those studies anywhere. And the three references usually cited for “lasts nine months” were, as far as we could check, all general polymer science rather than clinical trials.
None of this means the liquid form is inferior. It means that neither “the liquid form is better” nor “same material, so much the same” has ever been tested. No trial has compared the two forms directly.
Nodules — a rate needs a denominator attached
The safety figures usually quoted for PCL come from the microsphere form. Across 323,726 post-market syringes, the overall adverse-event rate was 0.048% (one per 2,089 syringes), of which lumps and nodules were 0.016%. In a three-year retrospective study of 780 patients and 1,111 treatments, nodules, granulomas, infection and intravascular injection were all zero.
It is worth noting that this was not a study that failed to count adverse events — the same paper reported persistent swelling 4.5%, bruising 2.7% and transient palpable lumps 0.45%.
What matters is that these numbers come from the microsphere denominator. The liquid form has no equivalent denominator yet. If a clinic quotes 0.016% as GOURI’s nodule risk, it is fair to ask which formulation that figure belongs to.
Authentic product and correct dose
GOURI was developed by the Korean company Dexlevo. Boxes carry the licence number required under the Medical Devices Act.
We should say, though, that we searched for GOURI’s Korean product licence number on four or more occasions and could not confirm it through public channels. That is not a claim that anything is wrong with the product; it is a statement about what we were able to verify. So we do not present this item as checked. You may ask to see the box before treatment.
Dose is a separate question. Because the liquid form spreads, how many points it is divided across and how much goes into each matters more than “how many cc in total”. If you were only told a total, it is reasonable to ask how it will be divided.
Summary — what is established and what is not
| Established | Not established |
|---|---|
| GOURI is 21% PCL, fully liquid, no particles (manufacturer’s data) | Any human biopsy of the liquid form |
| Microsphere: biopsy +26.7% at 1 year, +48.1% at 4 years (P<0.001) | Duration of effect for the liquid form |
| Microsphere: 24-month randomised trial; post-market 323,726 syringes, 0.048% | A post-market denominator for the liquid form |
| Microsphere: zero nodules or granulomas across 1,111 treatments | Any direct comparison of the two forms |
| Liquid human data — 2 patients, 12 weeks (31G, 5 points per side × 0.2 mL, two sessions four weeks apart) | The paper or registration number for the stated phase 1 and 2 trials |
Worth asking in consultation
- Which plane it goes into — with a spreading material the plane sets the result.
- How many points, and how much in each — this matters more than the total.
- The instrument — needle or cannula, and the reason for the choice.
- Which formulation the quoted safety figures belong to — the denominators differ.
- The box and its licence number — distinguished from the advertising review number.
- How session intervals are set — by the calendar, or by the skin.
How we judge it at Miso Clinic
Rather than applying GOURI uniformly for loss of firmness, we assess suitability by considering skin thickness, the degree of laxity and the distribution of facial fat. Because the material spreads, we set the plane first, divide the points next, and decide the total last.
And we say in consultation that the human data for the liquid form is still case-series scale. We do not transfer the microsphere form’s 323,726-syringe figures onto GOURI’s safety. That is not an argument against the product — it is separating what is known from what is not.
Which treatment suits you can differ with skin condition, how much change you want and what you have had before.
Frequently asked questions
Why does spreading GOURI evenly matter so much?
Because it is a fully liquid formulation with no particles. Microsphere PCL stays where it is placed, while the liquid form spreads along the plane it enters. Where it travels is therefore set by the plane and by how the dose is divided.
Which is better, liquid or microsphere?
It has never been tested. No trial has compared the two forms directly. The microsphere form has human biopsies (+26.7% at one year, +48.1% at four years), a 24-month randomised trial and 323,726 syringes of post-market data; the liquid form has case-series data with a longest follow-up of 12 weeks in 2 patients.
Can GOURI cause nodules?
The frequently quoted 0.016% nodule rate and the zero events across 1,111 treatments both come from the microsphere denominator. The liquid form has no equivalent denominator yet. The expectation of lower clumping risk follows from the formulation, but we could not find incidence data for the liquid form itself.
Does the number of cc matter?
With a spreading material, how many points the dose is divided across and how much goes into each affects the result more than the total volume. If you were given only a total, it is worth asking how it will be divided.
I read it completed clinical trials.
The manufacturer states that phase 1 and phase 2 trials with more than 200 participants were completed. We were unable to find the paper, the abstract or a trial registration number for those studies, so we do not present this item as verified.
Is there evidence for the nine-month duration claim?
The three references usually cited for that claim were, as far as we could check, all general polymer science rather than clinical trials. We are not in a position to promise a duration as a number.
How do I check the product is genuine?
The box carries the licence number required under the Medical Devices Act. That said, we searched for GOURI's Korean product licence number on four or more occasions without being able to confirm it through public channels. You may ask to see the box before treatment.
How many sessions will I need?
We prefer to set the next session by the state of the skin rather than by the calendar. We could not find a trial comparing session numbers or intervals for the liquid form.
Further reading
Author and clinic
Dr Lee Chi-Hak, Director, Miso Clinic
4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Kyungpook National University Hospital station, exit 1)
+82 53-428-2700 · www.clinicmiso.co.kr
References
- Kim JS. Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2019;39(12):NP484 (13 Asian women, within-subject control — dermal thickness +26.74% ± 9.3% at 1 year, +48.1% ± 5.8% in 3 subjects at 4 years, P<0.001)
- Kim JA, Van Abel D. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy 2015;17(2):99 (2 subjects, biopsy 13 months after dermal injection — particles intact with surrounding collagen)
- Moers-Carpi M, Sherwood S. Dermatologic Surgery 2013 (40 subjects, 24 months, randomised controlled, nasolabial folds)
- Manufacturer post-market safety report (products marketed to December 2015) — 323,726 syringes, 155 adverse events (0.048%), swelling 0.017%, lumps and nodules 0.016%, inflammation and infection 0.002%
- Lin SL, Christen MO. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 2020;19(8):1907 (780 patients, 1,111 treatments, 3 years — nodules, granulomas, infection and intravascular injection all zero; persistent swelling 4.5%, bruising 2.7%, transient lumps 0.45% were reported)
- Brito K, Ong D. Annals of Case Reports 2023;8(4):1371 (liquid-form human data — 2 patients, 31G, 5 points per side × 0.2 mL, two sessions four weeks apart, 12-week follow-up; local swelling and erythema under 48 hours, one required oral steroid)
- Byeon H, et al. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology 2026 (liquid composition — polymer chains on the order of under 0.1 µm, against 25–50 µm for conventional fillers)
- Manufacturer’s published data — 21% PCL, no microparticles
- Medical Devices Act art. 20 — labelling requirements including the product licence number
- Medical Service Act art. 56(2) — restriction on testimonial advertising
What we could not verify
- Any human biopsy of the liquid form — there is none.
- Any direct comparison of the two formulations — none exists.
- The paper, abstract or registration number for the stated phase 1 and 2 trials (200+ participants).
- Clinical evidence for the nine-month duration claim — the three cited references were general polymer science.
- GOURI’s Korean product licence number — searched four or more times without confirmation.
- A nodule rate and post-market denominator for the liquid form.
- Any trial comparing session numbers or intervals for the liquid form.
- Any study validating our sequence of plane first, points second — it is clinical judgement.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.
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