"Why am I not seeing results?"

The most frequently asked question

at 1 week after Coretox treatment

These days, morning and evening

temperature differences are quite large, right?

At times like this, skin gets more sensitive for no reason,

and many people come in thinking

they want to get at least some kind of treatment.

Today’s topic is the effects of Coretox.

You’ve probably heard a lot that it

"lasts long" and has "no diffusion," and at first

I thought it might just be marketing copy.

But after doing hundreds of cases, I learned something,

so today I’ll talk about that.

Q. Does Coretox last longer

than regular Botox?

A. Yes, in my experience, on average

it tends to last a bit longer.

However, why that is and under what conditions

I’ll explain in the main text.

Q. The claim that there is no diffusion,

is it true?

A. Half true, half false.

It is true that Coretox has a different protein structure,

but the injector’s skill is a more important variable.

I’ll cover this in detail below.

Q. Is Coretox better

for all areas?

A. No. Each area has a product that suits it best,

and in some cases Coretox can actually be less favorable.

I’ll explain this below as well.

Let’s first go over

what Coretox is

Coretox is a

botulinum toxin (Botox) formulation developed by Hugel.

Its active ingredient is the same as existing botulinum products.

Purified botulinum toxin type A

works by inhibiting muscle contraction.

That part is the same.

But there is one important point here.

Coretox contains only pure neurotoxin

with complexing proteins removed

(NAP, Non-complexing Accessory Proteins).

In general botulinum formulations, these complexing proteins

surround the active toxin,

but Coretox removes them.

This is a bit nuanced,

but there is a theory that without complexing proteins,

immune reactions may be reduced.

In other words, with repeated treatments,

resistance may develop less.

That is one of the bases

for the claim that it "lasts longer."

The claim that there is "no diffusion,"

how true is it?

This is a commonly misunderstood point:

many people hear "Coretox has no diffusion"

and take it to mean

it is always precise.

To be honest,

whether diffusion occurs depends much more on

dose, dilution concentration, injection depth, and injector technique

than on product characteristics.

Because Coretox removes complexing proteins,

its molecular weight is smaller, and theoretically

it may diffuse less from the injection site.

In areas requiring precision, such as the forehead or around the eyes,

where exact placement is needed,

this characteristic can be helpful in some cases.

But this isn’t always a good thing.

For broad, thick muscles like the masseter (jaw muscle),

a product with better diffusion may actually

produce a more even effect.

It varies by case, but

depending on the area,

I tend to choose different products.

Director Wi Youngjin’s practical note:

When performing masseter reduction with Coretox,

in my experience, the initial onset of effect

is slightly slower than with other products.

Usually after about 2 weeks,

many patients feel, "Ah, it worked."

So at week 1, some people ask, "Isn’t it not working?"

and inquire about it,

so I always explain this in advance.

There is one thing I must emphasize:

there is still not enough large-scale clinical data

on the resistance-reduction effect, so

I cannot confidently say something like, "If you get Coretox, you will never develop resistance."

That would be difficult for me to claim.

Duration,

does it really last longer?

I was skeptical at first, too.

But when you accumulate and review repeated-treatment cases,

you do see that in some clients,

there is a tendency for longer maintenance.

However, there are conditions.

1. The difference tends to be more noticeable in repeated treatments

than in first-time treatments.

2. Compared with high-activity areas like the masseter,

the duration difference is felt more in the forehead, crow’s feet, and glabella.

3. Individual metabolic rate, exercise level,

and muscle mass create fairly large variation.

The claim "Coretox always lasts 6 months" is exaggerated.

In my experience, the average is about 4–5 months;

for people who respond well, it can approach 6 months,

but for some it wears off around 3 months.

This is true regardless of which botulinum product is used.

Key summary

It is true that Coretox has a different protein structure,

but its effects and duration depend not only on the product

but also greatly on area, dose, and injector.

Cases where Coretox is advantageous,

and cases where it is not

No matter how good a product is,

if it does not match the area and purpose, it is hard to get good results.

I’ll summarize the criteria

I actually use when selecting Coretox.

[When Coretox is advantageous]

ㅇPeople who have received botulinum repeatedly

for a long time in the same area (when resistance is a concern)

ㅇAreas where precise positional control is important,

such as the forehead, glabella, and around the eyes

ㅇPeople who feel that with existing botulinum products,

the effect duration is gradually getting shorter

[When Coretox is not necessarily better]

ㅇPeople receiving botulinum treatment for the first time

— dose and placement matter more than product differences

ㅇCases requiring uniform suppression across broad muscles

— less diffusion may actually become a disadvantage

This is a bit unfortunate, but

I don’t think it is right to recommend Coretox as if

it is superior in every situation.

Still, in repeated-treatment cases, especially for the forehead or glabella,

it often produces quite satisfactory results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. If it’s my first Coretox treatment,

will I see results right away?

A. In my experience, the onset of effect

tends to be slightly slower than existing products.

Usually, evaluating it after

about 2 weeks is more accurate.

If it is your first treatment, I recommend visiting again

after 2 weeks for a check.

Q2. I think I’ve developed resistance to

my existing Botox,

will switching to Coretox help?

A. If the reason resistance developed

is an immune reaction to complexing proteins,

Coretox may help.

In some cases, simply changing products

does not solve the issue.

Q3. Coretox and other

botulinum formulations—on the same day,

can they be used on different areas?

A. Yes, using different products by area

is not uncommon in clinical practice.

For example, another product for the masseter,

and Coretox for the forehead—combinations like this are used.

If you have questions, feel free to contact us via KakaoTalk or phone.

This was Wi Youngjin.

✦ Further reading

• Jaw Botox 50U or 100U? Domestic brand? Xeomin? Hongdae Beautystone Clinic

• Nasolabial fold Botox side effects: Your mouth can twist (not AI-written)

• Botox effect timeline — Wrinkles in 1 week, square jaw in 1 month?

• Not a square jaw but salivary glands? Parotid Botox that reduces volume by 30%

• Botox in Seoul Hongdae/Hapjeong—why is a clinic where the director injects directly different?