There are so many skin clinic treatments. Can you sort them out for me?
“There are so many names, I can't tell what's what.” I hear this from first-time visitors all the time. There are dozens of product names, but grouped by what they do, six groups are enough. Once you know the groups, it gets much quicker to see what fits your concern.
The short answer
Sorted by what they do, facial aesthetic treatments fall into six groups: Botox and skin Botox, which rest the muscles; hyaluronic acid filler and ligament injection, which fill straight away; collagen boosters, which build up slowly; skin boosters, which help texture and density; radiofrequency lifting, which tightens with heat; and dissolving threads, which lift by hooking tissue. No one group solves every concern, so when there are two concerns, we pair two groups. The combinations I often suggest at Miso Clinic are radiofrequency lifting + collagen booster for sagging, Rejuran + skin Botox for texture and pores, and hyaluronic acid filler + collagen booster for deep hollows. At Miso Clinic in Daegu, I start from the one concern that's on your mind right now, not from product names.
What groups do skin clinic treatments fall into?
| Group | What it does | What we use at Miso Clinic | What to expect, and the limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle injection | Rests the muscle to reduce expression lines, a square jaw and shine | Botox · skin Botox | Shows in a few days to 2 weeks and fades at about 3–4 months. Cannot lift sagging |
| Filling injection | Fills a hollow straight away, or places support under a ligament | hyaluronic acid filler · ligament injection | Shows straight away, and hyaluronic acid can be dissolved. Too much looks heavy |
| Collagen booster | Gets your own skin to make collagen, so it fills in slowly | Juvelook · Gouri · Everwrinkle · Sculptra · Radiesse | Fills in over weeks to months. There is no dissolving agent, so we start small |
| Skin booster | Helps texture, glow and the density of thinning skin | Rejuran · Lituo (Re2O) · CellReDM · Reallo | Texture changes, but it does not fill hollows |
| Radiofrequency lifting | Heat made by electric current tightens a wide area beneath the dermis | Density · XERF · Oligio Kiss | Usually back to daily life the next day. The change comes over 2–3 months |
| Thread lift | Dissolving threads hook sagging tissue and move it | dissolving threads | Lifts straight away, but with bruising and swelling. Cannot fill hollows |
The devices that search results lump together as a “lifting laser” are, for the large part, not lasers at all but radiofrequency or ultrasound. They make heat with electric current or sound energy, not light. Asking which energy works on which layer helps you compare far more than the name does. Pigment concerns such as melasma and spots need a different examination, so I left them off this map.
→ Read more: Lifting without Ulthera or Thermage
Which group fits my concern?
| Concern | Group to look at first | Combination at Miso Clinic | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blurred jawline, cheeks settling down | Radiofrequency lifting | Density · XERF + collagen booster | Lifting does not fill deep hollows |
| Rough texture, pores and shine | Skin booster + muscle injection | Rejuran + skin Botox | Skin Botox wears off after 3–4 months |
| Deep hollows at the front cheeks or temples | Filling injection | hyaluronic acid filler + collagen booster | If there is sagging too, lifting comes first |
| Thinning skin that is losing firmness | Skin booster + radiofrequency | Lituo (Re2O) + radiofrequency lifting | Not an injection that adds volume |
| Expression lines (forehead, between the brows, around the eyes) | Muscle injection | Botox | Lines that stay at rest need filler or a booster added |
| Cheek and jawline tissue that has clearly dropped | Thread lift | ligament injection + dissolving threads | If the skin sags enough to fold, a surgical consultation |
Look at the table and almost every row has two groups in it. Facial concerns rarely come one at a time. That said, I couldn't find trials showing that combining works better than doing one. We do two because there are two concerns.
→ Read more: Which skin booster is right for me?
Why are these combinations paired this way?
Radiofrequency lifting + collagen booster is a combination that splits the work. Lifting can't create volume, and a collagen booster can't lift a sagging line. When sagging and hollowing come together in your 40s to 60s, I use the two in order. I split the dates or the areas so they don't overlap on the same spot on the same day.
Rejuran + skin Botox looks after surface texture together with pores and oil. With the areas split, it can be done on the same day. For a first-timer, it's hard to tell 2 weeks later which one you are reacting to, so I sometimes suggest starting with one side first.
Hyaluronic acid filler + collagen booster means filler takes care of the deep hollow first, and the booster slowly fills the wide, shallow base afterwards. Filler can be dissolved if you don't like it, so I look at it first when filling for the first time.
→ Read more: Types of collagen injection and how they differ
It's my first time. Where should I start?
- Expression lines are starting to bother you → start with Botox for that area. It shows quickly and recovery is short
- Texture and pores are the concern → start with one, skin Botox or Rejuran, and decide the next step after seeing the response at 2 weeks
- Your jawline is starting to blur → start with radiofrequency lifting alone
- Hollows make you look tired → a small amount of dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler
I don't suggest doing several groups all at once from the start. Trying one, seeing how your face responds, and then adding is easier for reading the result, and it's lighter on you too.
→ Read more: Before your treatment
When I look at things differently
- I don't suggest repeating strong lifting when there's hardly any sagging, or putting volume in ahead of time where nothing has hollowed.
- If the skin has loosened enough to fold, it may be beyond what non-surgical treatment can do, and a surgical consultation may be the right step.
- If you have metal or electronic implants, are pregnant, or have inflammation in the treatment area, I don't do radiofrequency that day.
- We don't offer dedicated focused ultrasound devices such as Ulthera or Shurink, or Thermage, Onda, InMode or liposuction. Oligio Kiss has a focused ultrasound function built in.
Surprisingly, where the evidence has built up over years isn't a treatment. People who applied sunscreen every day had 24% less photoaging over 4.5 years. Whichever group you choose, this is the base.
→ Read more: Different facial wrinkles, different approaches
How does the consultation work, and how do I book?
On a first visit we take photos from the front, at 45 degrees and from the side, and together we pick the one concern that bothers you most. I'll ask about any medications you take, any metal or electronic implants in your face, and whether you might be pregnant, and then I split things into what we can do today and what can wait for later. It's completely fine to come in just for a consultation and go home.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Booking | Naver booking · KakaoTalk chat · Phone +82-53-428-2700 |
| Location | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu (Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station, Line 3) |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 · Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays |
Skin clinic treatment types FAQ
How many kinds of skin clinic treatment should I think in?
Sorted by what they do, six groups: muscle injection (Botox), filling injection (filler, ligament injection), collagen boosters, skin boosters, radiofrequency lifting and thread lifts.
What's the difference between Botox and filler?
Botox rests the muscle to reduce lines that fold, and filler fills a hollow. They do different jobs, so one can't stand in for the other.
Are skin boosters and collagen boosters the same thing?
No. Skin boosters help texture, glow and density; collagen boosters get the skin to make collagen and slowly fill shallow hollows and loss of firmness.
Is a lifting laser really a laser?
Usually not. Lifting devices make heat with radiofrequency (electric current) or ultrasound. Density, XERF and Oligio Kiss at Miso Clinic are radiofrequency devices too.
Is it better to have several things at once?
I couldn't find trials showing that combining works better. If there are two concerns we do two, but for a first time I suggest seeing your response to one at a time.
Where can I get a skin treatment consultation in Daegu?
At Miso Clinic in Daegu (4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Exit 1 of Kyungpook National University Hospital Station). You can book through Naver booking, KakaoTalk or by phone at +82-53-428-2700. Weekdays 11:00–19:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Read next
Product pages
Related care: Botox · Rejuran · Lituo (Re2O) · Gouri · Density · XERF · Oligio Kiss
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, director of Miso Clinic, Daegu. The treatment standards and injection design set out here are the ones we use in practice.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Miso Clinic map by concern — Miso Clinic columns daegu-sagging-treatment-types · daegu-skinbooster-which-for-me · daegu-collagen-injection-types · daegu-face-wrinkle-types. There is no comparative study ranking the three radiofrequency devices.
- Cochrane review of botulinum toxin — Camargo CP et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021;7:CD011301. PMID 34224576. 65 studies, 14,919 people.
- Human studies of radiofrequency lifting — Density: Oku 2025 (16 people, 24 weeks); XERF: Hwang 2025 (20 people), Weiss 2026 (39 people), Erlich 2026 (16 people); none had a control group. I could not find a clinical trial of the Oligio Kiss device itself.
- Evidence on PN and PDRN — Miso Clinic column pn-pdrn-difference: the same substance (purified DNA fragments from salmonid fish) with different chain lengths (PDRN short, PN long); I could not find a human trial comparing the two directly; a systematic review of 9 studies and 219 people rated the evidence low to moderate; the main trial had 27 people.
- Human trial of Lituo — Lee YI et al. Int J Mol Sci 2026;27(5):2193. NCT07155278. Split-face, double-blind, randomised, 20 people, 20 weeks.
- Human data on Gouri — Ponzo M et al. PMID 41210393 (a 30-person pilot study) plus 3 case reports, 33 people in total, followed for up to 6 months.
- PLLA versus hyaluronic acid filler — Nasolabial folds, 208 people randomised; at 120 weeks, 55.56% versus 25.00%. PMID 42594306.
- PDLLA plus hyaluronic acid versus PLLA — Nasolabial folds, 33 people, split-face; results were similar up to 24 weeks. PMID 41532837.
- Adverse events with absorbable threads — Ojha AS et al. Dermatol Surg 2025;51(3):272-6. PMID 39442180. 19 studies, 1,406 people: bruising 19.49%, swelling 16.79%, tenderness 9.96%, infection 2.49%, haematoma 0.64%.
- Daily sunscreen and skin ageing — Hughes MCB et al. Ann Intern Med 2013;158(11):781-90. PMID 23732711. Randomised trial, 903 people, 4.5 years: 24% less photoaging in the daily sunscreen group.
- When results show — Miso Clinic column when-results-show: at day 90, 92% of doctors versus 42% of patients. In biopsies after collagen-stimulating products, no new collagen at 2 weeks, type III at 2 months, type I at 3–4 months.
- Korean medical advertising law — Korean Medical Service Act Article 56(2) (no treatment testimonials, no comparisons with other clinics, no superlatives). This is why this column carries no prices, reviews or before-and-after photos.
- Miso Clinic treatment policy — What we have: Density Noir (ALPHA · BOOST tips), XERF, Oligio Kiss; Lituo (Re2O), CellReDM, Reallo; Rejuran; the full Juvelook lineup; Gouri; Everwrinkle and Everwrinkle V; Radiesse; Byryzn; D-Classy; hyaluronic acid filler; Botox (all areas, skin Botox); ligament injection; dissolving threads. What we do not offer: Onda, Thermage, InMode, Ulthera, Shurink, liposuction. Hollow cheeks get dissolvable hyaluronic acid filler first, sagging gets lifting first; no radiofrequency that day with metal or electronic implants in the face, pregnancy or skin inflammation; threads are the dissolving kind, used conservatively over age 50; we decide by the change that bothers you, not by age; results are judged after 2–3 months with photos taken under the same conditions.
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.