Why treatment costs differ between clinics in Daegu — what to check before the price list
This column contains no prices. Instead it explains why a treatment with the same name is quoted at different amounts by different clinics, and what has to be the same before numbers can be set side by side. Comparing amounts alone often means comparing different treatments.
The short answer
The biggest reason a treatment with the same name costs different amounts is that it is not “the same treatment”. With devices, the type and area of the tip mean the same number of shots can heat a different area; with injections, the volume (mL), dilution and number of injection sites differ; and the way sessions are bundled and whether anaesthesia or combined treatments are included also differ. Before comparing prices, match the conditions: device, tip and shot count; product name, volume and dilution; number of sessions; and whether the product is genuine (telling approval numbers from advertising review numbers).
Device treatments — the same shot count is not the same treatment
A shot is a pulse unit defined for each tip, so if tip areas differ, the same number of shots heats a different area. Even two XERF studies differed in design.
| Study | Shots | Tips | Sessions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weiss 2026 · 39 people | Mean 568.8 shots per session | One large tip | Two |
| Erlich 2026 · 16 people | 600 shots | Three tips | One |
- Shot counts cannot be compared between different devices — Density, XERF and Oligio Kiss differ in energy and tip specifications
- Even on the same device, if the tip differs — XERF i05 · i10 · E40 · E60; Density ALPHA · Eye · Face · Body
- For Oligio Kiss, whether ultrasound is included — RF only, or with focused ultrasound cartridges as well
- A human study that randomly assigned shot counts and compared results could not be found for either Density or XERF
Injection treatments — volume, dilution and area
With injections, even under the same product name, a different number of mL, a different dilution or a different area makes it a different treatment.
| What to check | Example |
|---|---|
| Product name and presentation | BYRYZN two 1.1 mL syringes (carton labelling) · DCLASSY 0.8 mL / 1.5 mL |
| Volume used | How many mL, how many syringes in one session |
| Dilution | Depending on whether and how much CaHA is diluted, it can be a treatment that adds volume or one that spreads widely without volume |
| Area | Whole face, or including the eye area and neck |
| Lidocaine · numbing cream | Included in the product or separate |
Dilution is a question of layout, not economy. In CaHA research, the amount of collagen each cell produced did not depend on the degree of dilution, and dilution increases the number of cells reached. However, we could not find human comparative data showing 1:4 or 1:6 is better than 1:2.
Sessions, genuine products and what is included
- Session bundles — some products, like Rejuran, are recommended as a course of three to four sessions, but the BYRYZN study used three sessions two weeks apart, and for hADM and devices no standard number has been set by research. Ask whether a bundle is based on research or on custom.
- Genuine products and approval — the long number on promotional material is often not an MFDS approval number but a medical advertising pre-review number (for example BYRYZN 62026-I10-23-2790, XERF “General-purpose electrosurgical unit combination-2024-16-054”). You are entitled to ask to see the labelling on the product box or the device itself.
- Export-only devices — it is worth checking whether a device approved only for export, without Korean domestic approval, is being used for treatment in Korea.
- What is included — whether anaesthesia, sedation care, follow-up visits and combined treatments are included in the amount.
Article 45 of Korea’s Medical Service Act requires medical institutions to make fees for non-covered care easy for patients to find, and Article 27(3) prohibits inducing patients for profit. You can confirm the amount itself by phone or at consultation before visiting.
Checklist before comparing prices
| Device treatments | Injection treatments |
|---|---|
| Device name (including approved name) | Product name |
| Type of tip or cartridge | Presentation and volume used (mL) |
| Shot count and area | Whether diluted, dilution, area |
| Whether ultrasound is included (Oligio Kiss) | Whether lidocaine is included |
| Session bundle and its basis | Session bundle and its basis |
| Whether anaesthesia and follow-up are included | Whether the product can be reversed |
Only once the conditions match does comparing amounts mean anything. If the conditions differ, it may not be cheaper or dearer but a different treatment.
Summary
Why costs differ
- Devices: tip specifications, shot count, energy combination (whether ultrasound is included)
- Injections: presentation, volume, dilution, area, anaesthesia
- Session bundles, what is included, genuine product and approval status
What is not a basis for comparison
- Comparing shot counts between different devices
- Reading an advertising review number as an approval number
- Comparing by product name alone without knowing volume and dilution
Treatment costs in Daegu: frequently asked questions
How much do treatments cost at Miso Clinic?
Cost depends on the extent of treatment, volume or shot count, and whether treatments are combined, so we do not list it in columns. We give an exact figure, with the conditions, by phone (+82-53-428-2700) or at consultation.
Is a treatment with more shots a better treatment?
There is no human study, for either Density or XERF, that randomly assigned shot counts and compared results. If tip areas differ, the same number of shots heats a different area, so shot count alone does not allow a comparison.
Is a very cheap clinic not using genuine products?
Price alone cannot tell you whether a product is genuine. It is more accurate to check the labelling on the product box or device and its approval details, and to tell whether a number on promotional material is an approval number or an advertising review number.
Does dilution make it less effective?
In CaHA research the amount of collagen each cell produced did not depend on the degree of dilution, and dilution is explained as a question of layout that increases the number of cells reached. However, we could not find a human study comparing results between dilutions.
Is a session package better value?
It is better to check first whether the bundle is based on research or on custom. Miso Clinic does not recommend a bundle of sessions from the start; we decide the next step from progress.
Read next
- How many shots — what the number ‘shots’ really is
- “How many sessions, and how long does it last?” — sessions and duration by family
- What those long numbers on Korean clinic materials actually mean
- Domestic and export-only — the same-looking approval number, a different standing
- Before a lifting consultation near Kyungpook National University Hospital Station, Daegu
Product pages
The full list of products and devices is in the Reference library.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, medical director of Miso Clinic in Daegu, South Korea. Every study cited above is given together with its design, its size and the limitations the authors themselves recorded, and where we could not find data, we have said that we could not find any.
| 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
- Three XERF human studies — Hwang JK, Medical Lasers 2025;14(1):23–30 (20 subjects · one session · 12 weeks) · Weiss RA et al., Cureus 2026;18(3):e104546, PMID 41930066 (39 subjects · two sessions · 90 days, manufacturer support) · Erlich G et al., Lasers Med Sci 2026;41(1), PMID 42611100 (retrospective, 16 subjects · one session · 3 months). None of the three has a control group.
- CaHA dilution — 2017 neck and décolleté study, 20 subjects, dilution of 1:2, 1:4 or 1:6 assigned by skin thickness; biopsies at baseline, 4 and 7 months showed increased type I collagen. Not a study comparing dilutions with each other.
- BYRYZN product information — Hugel brand, manufactured by ACROSS. Cross-linked hyaluronic acid + 0.3% lidocaine, two 1.1 mL syringes (carton labelling). Medical device (tissue-restoration biomaterial); indication “temporary improvement of facial wrinkles in adults”. We could not find the product licence number in public sources; the 62026-I10-23-2790 on promotional material is a medical advertising pre-review number.
- Approval numbers and advertising review numbers — MFDS medical device approval and medical advertising pre-review are separate procedures. Example: “General-purpose electrosurgical unit combination-2024-16-054” on XERF promotional material is an advertising pre-review mark.
- Fees and patient inducement — Korea’s Medical Service Act, Article 45 (notice of fees for non-covered care), Article 27(3) (ban on inducing patients for profit), Article 56(2) (prohibited medical advertising). This is why this column carries no prices or discounts.
- Miso Clinic clinical protocols — criteria for indications, design by area, and the explanation and consent process before treatment. The source of the sentences marked “clinical judgement” in this column.
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.