After 10 years of practice, I can tell you that the results are different depending on whether the place is chosen by the manager or by the doctor

Please check this before reading


Q. It’s my first time at a dermatology clinic. Usually the manager decides the procedure for me— isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?

A. The consultation manager does have an important role. But deciding


"what procedure to do" is something that should be determined in a doctor’s consultation. When the order is reversed, many people end up regretting it.


Q. Then does it really make that much of a difference whether you see the doctor first or the manager first?

A. Even if you get the same procedure, the outcome changes if the starting point is different. I’ll explain why in the main text.

Manager consultation first vs. doctor consultation first: here’s what’s different

If you search for a dermatology clinic and go in,

most places follow a similar flow.

Reception → consultation with the manager → estimate → procedure.

But in that sequence,

where the "doctor’s consultation" is placed

makes a surprisingly big difference.

In a structure where the manager’s consultation comes first,

the procedure category and pricing package

are decided first,

and the doctor carries out the procedure within that framework.

In a consultation-based structure, it’s the opposite.

The doctor looks at the skin condition

and sets the direction first,

then the manager explains

the schedule, cost, and aftercare that match that direction.

If you look at two patients with different outcomes, you’ll understand why the doctor should see you first

Key insights from Director Wi Youngjin

As a specialist from Seoul National University, I provide mostly aesthetic dermatology care in Hapjeong and Hongdae.

As a board-certified family medicine specialist,

I run my dermatology clinic with consultation through medical evaluation

as a very important foundation.

I’m not saying the manager’s consultation isn’t needed,

but I do think that setting the direction through a doctor’s consultation is more important.

Many people say this part is a bit unexpected.

Last month, a 56-year-old woman came in,

and at first it wasn’t even for her own consultation.

She had come along with her 31-year-old daughter,

who was there for acne scar consultation.

Her mother had just tagged along.

But as we talked,

her mother became more proactive than her daughter.

At another clinic, the mother had received a quote for a package of

"forehead and glabella Botox + nasolabial fold filler + lifting laser"

She had only met with the manager there.

But when I examined her skin directly in the consultation room,

the forehead wrinkles were not expression lines

but rather lines caused by reduced skin elasticity,

and the nasolabial folds were not something that should be treated with filler first.

Instead, there was first a loss of midface volume.

If we had started with Botox,

her forehead could have actually looked more saggy.

It was a case where the whole direction needed to be set differently.

As a board-certified family medicine specialist,

I trained at Seoul National University Hospital.

Family medicine is a field where you are trained to look at the whole person’s condition

and set priorities.

Dermatology procedures are the same.

Some people have a wedding in six months,

some want ongoing care over a three-year period,

and some want everything done at once,

but their skin barrier may not be in a condition that can handle it.

These priorities

can only be identified when the doctor personally looks at the patient’s face

and asks the right questions.

They cannot be determined from an estimate sheet.

And there’s one more thing we need to point out:

whether the director personally provides the consultation.

As clinics get bigger these days,

there are many cases where an associate doctor handles the procedures

and the director is only attached by name.

But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

An associate-doctor system itself is a natural structure in larger clinics.

That said, from the patient’s point of view,

"Who saw me today, and

will I see that same person again next time?"

It’s good to check this from the start.

Director Wi Youngjin’s key summary


This does not mean the manager’s consultation is unnecessary.

Schedule, cost, and aftercare guidance are areas where the manager is often better.

But the direction of "what to do" should be set in the doctor’s consultation.

If the order is reversed, the results can differ even with the same procedure.

Five criteria worth checking if this is your first time at a dermatology clinic

If you look at it this way, the difference will be clear.

Especially in the Hongdae area,

because there are many people in their 20s—college students, freelancers, and foreign residents—

low-cost ads and package marketing are more heavily exposed here than in other areas.

That’s because many people are getting their first procedure.

So among these five points,

I recommend looking at items ① and ② first.

If those two are normal,

the other three are usually normal as well.

If you’ve read this far, this is probably what you’re wondering

Q1. If I see the doctor, is there a separate consultation fee? The manager consultation is free, so that seems like less of a burden

A. There is a consultation fee.

However, in most cases, the fact that the manager’s consultation is "free" means the cost is actually built into the estimate.

Consultation fees are usually in the 10,000 to 20,000 won range,

and more often than not, the procedure cost goes down because you receive the right direction on the spot.

That’s because unnecessary procedures are removed.

After hearing this answer, there’s usually one more thing people wonder about.

Q2. Then after seeing the doctor, can I just leave without getting the procedure? It feels like that would be awkward

A. At first, I thought patients might feel sorry about that, too,

but in the consultation room, we don’t create that kind of atmosphere.

One phrase I often say in the consultation room is, "You don’t have to do it today."

Some procedures have the right timing, and for some people, two or three months later may be more appropriate than now.

Many people see me once, think it over at home, and come back later.

That pattern usually leads to higher satisfaction.

And lastly—if I don’t mention this, you’ll regret it.

Q3. I’m a foreigner. Can I get consultation in English? And how do I contact you if a side effect happens?

A. This is something I explain the same way every time I consult,

but because of this neighborhood’s characteristics, there are many foreign patients, so basic English consultation is available.

Also, we have a British director here, so there is absolutely no problem.

As for side effects—on the instruction sheet you receive on the day of the procedure, there is a direct contact number,

and even at night, if you notice signs like redness, pain, or fever, you can contact us right away.

We’ll schedule you for the first appointment the next morning.

Aftercare is just as important as the procedure itself.

If you only take one thing from today—don’t choose a procedure name first; meet the doctor who will set the direction first.


In the next post, I’ll cover "what questions you should ask the doctor at your first consultation so you don’t waste time."

Even with the same 10-minute consultation, what you get out of it changes completely depending on the questions you bring in.

This has been Wi Youngjin.

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