This guide will give you everything you need to know before getting breast reduction done in Korea.
Breast reduction in Korea is relatively cheap compared to Western countries. However, the price should never be your number one reason when deciding this.
It’s important to consider other factors, such as selecting the right plastic surgery clinic, surgeon experience and specialization, etc.
We will cover all that and more in this guide, hopefully making your decision easier.
Let’s start off by first quickly going over what breast reduction is and how the procedure actually goes.
Simply put, breast reduction surgery is a cosmetic procedure to make your breasts smaller.
Breast reduction surgery is typically done to address various issues, such as:
- Too big breast
- Neck, shoulder, and back pain
- Uncomfortable feeling
- Difficulty performing daily tasks
During breast reduction surgery, the surgeon will remove excess fat, tissues, and skin from your breasts. By doing this, he will be able to reduce their size and shape them to achieve your goals for the surgery.
Of course, it will take time for your breast to fully heal. However, you can notice a difference immediately after surgery, as your breasts will be smaller and better shaped. You will also feel, at first, a small relief of symptoms you had before the surgery.
Not only women struggle with breast-related issues. Some men are also dealing with issues regarding their breast size or shape.
So, if you are a man struggling with sagging and pointing breasts, you should look into gynecomastia, which is breast reduction for men and can help you significantly.
Recovery And Results
Recovery after breast reduction typically lasts up to 6 weeks. Depending on the surgery’s difficulty and how you feel, you might have to stay at the clinic for a day or two.
You will also get personalized and detailed instructions on how to care for your breast after surgery.
After going home, you should schedule at least one follow-up appointment. You should also avoid doing any vigorous exercise and be careful with your breasts during recovery.
You can see the difference in your breasts immediately after surgery, but it will take time for full results to show. With swelling and bruising going down, you can start noticing how the final results will look.
The results from breast reduction surgery are long-lasting and won’t disappear over time.
Breast reduction is an incisional procedure and will leave a small scar. However, as with all scars, it will fade over time, plus you can easily cover it with clothes or get a laser removal.
Reasons To Choose Korea For Breast Reduction
Korea is famous globally as the ”plastic surgery capital of the world”. Many patients fly to Korea just for plastic procedures.
Advanced technology, medicine and high Korean beauty standards are why Korea is one of the best in the field of plastic surgery. In fact, some of the most experienced and the best plastic surgeons in the world come from Korea.
However, those are not the only reasons why we believe Korea is the best choice for breast reduction surgery. Let’s go over a few:
Patient Satisfaction
Korean plastic surgery clinics have one of the highest patient satisfaction rates in the world.
In the rest of the world, the average satisfaction rate of breast reduction is around 90%. However, in Korea, the satisfaction rate goes up to 94%.
You are more likely to be satisfied with your results if you get breast reduction surgery done in Korea than in other countries.
This is because of their very high beauty standards, experienced surgeons and the competition between plastic surgery clinics, always trying to be the best.
Costs
As you’ll see later in this guide, breast reduction surgery is at least 10% cheaper in Korea than in Western countries. In some cases, it goes as high as 40%.
This is largely because of the high competition between plastic surgery clinics that, to attract patients, offer extremely competitive prices.
On top of that, many clinics offer promotions and discounts exclusively for foreign patients, so keep an eye on that.
There are also plenty of other ways to save money in Korea, but we will cover that later in this guide.
Surgeon Experience
Korean surgeons are one of the most experienced surgeons in the world.
Because plastic surgery is so popular in Korea among local and foreign patients, surgeons there perform over 1,000,000 (1 million) surgeries every year.
Of course, a lot of surgeries are breast reduction, as they are popular among foreign patients and locals.
Surgeons are highly trained and are constantly trying to improve and learn new techniques to get even better results.
On top of that, Korean surgeons are specialized. A lot of clinics have surgeons specializing in breast reduction, so you will have no problem finding them.
Breast Reduction Surgery Cost In Korea
The average cost of breast reduction surgery in Korea is 7,200,000 KRW (=5350$).
However, you will notice that the final cost of the surgery depends on many different factors, such as clinic reputation, difficulty of the surgery, additional procedures, and sometimes even surgeon experience.
Overall, when you take every single cost into account, breast reduction surgery is cheaper in Korea than in Western countries.
In Western countries, you can expect to pay:
- in the US on average 8,100,000 KRW (=6000$)
- in the UK on average 10,700,000 KRW (=7900$)
- in Australia on average 13,200,000 KRW (=9800$)
Again, the above prices are only ballpark figures and rarely represent the final cost of the surgery. Nevertheless, Korea will still be the cheapest.
The reason for that is the all-inclusivity of the price, since in Korea, the price of the surgery includes everything from consultation fees (if any) to post-surgery care and VAT.
For example, in the US, prices are typically only for the surgery without anything else and even VAT is added only when paying.
As we already mentioned, a lot of factors can influence the final cost, so be careful when looking up prices.
You can always demand a free quote for the surgery from the clinic. Go with a few clinics, compare prices, and you’ll understand quickly how cost varies there and where you’ll get the best price-to-value.
On top of Korea already being cheaper, there are a ton of ways you can save even more by going there. Let’s go over a few:
How To Save Even More Money In Korea
Paying in full
If you decide to pay for breast reduction surgery in full, clinics will be happy to give you a discount of up to 10%.
You can pay for the surgery in monthly instalments as well, but you’ll typically only get a discount if you pay in full, as clinics prefer a full payment in one.
Package deals
Another great way to save money is to secure yourself a package deal for your surgery. A lot of clinics offer them, so just do a little research, and we are sure you will find one.
Package deals include pick-up and drop-off from the airport, different amenities covered, translators, and even accommodation.
You can save plenty of money if you find a clinic offering package deals. Some even offer special deals if you are a foreigner in Korea for surgery.
Additional Procedures
One of the best ways to save money is by having multiple procedures done simultaneously at the same clinic.
This way, clinics save a lot of money on extra costs like anaesthesia and staff, so they will happily give you a discount on the final cost.
If we take breast reduction for an example, as it’s one of the more difficult surgeries, we recommend you get a simpler procedure.
You can find some recommendations in our anti-aging or facial contouring procedures archives. Always consult with your surgeon before going through with it.
Tax Refund
The great thing about Korea is that if you are not a Korean citizen, you might be eligible for a VAT refund when leaving.
Always check beforehand if the procedure you had and the clinic qualify for it, but in most cases, they do. You can check that at local tax offices or the clinic.
So, if you are not a Korean citizen, make sure to look out for tax refund machines at airports and to keep all of your receipts.
What To Do After Breast Reduction In Korea
Since you’ll probably be flying to Korea for your surgery, it’s important to think about how the days after the procedure will be and when to leave Korea.
Breast reduction surgery is a bit more complicated than procedures like Botox or thread lifts.
After surgery, you might need to stay at the clinic for a day or two. Most clinics have incredible recovery rooms or are partnered with hospitals.
You should also schedule at least one follow-up with the clinic to check your incision and have stitches removed.
We recommend you have someone come with you to Korea so they can care for you for the first few days to make it easier for you.
A minimum recommended stay in Korea after breast reduction surgery is about 7 days or until you are feeling well enough and your surgeon clears you. Always check with the clinic if you are okay to leave.
As for medication, most clinics will have their pharmacies or are partnered with local ones, so you can go there and pick it up. You will also get detailed and personalized instructions on what to do and avoid during recovery.
If you feel okay, you can do some sightseeing during your stay in Korea. Some clinics have tour guides that can take patients around Seoul, or they will recommend one.
Best Breast Reduction Clinics In Seoul
Picking a clinic is the most difficult part of your journey to breast reduction surgery in Seoul.
Seoul has over 500 plastic surgery clinics. That can make your decision about a clinic very overwhelming.
You should never pick a clinic at random, as this can be the difference between good and bad results. Don’t pick the cheapest one as well. Sometimes, paying more might be worth it.
That being said, with our experience, we put together a list of recommended breast reduction clinics in Korea. All clinics are verified and we did so by:
- Interviewing patients
- Background checks
- Research (reviews, specialization, etc.)
- Personal visits and quality checks
If you wish to avoid botched surgery, overpriced quotes, and revision surgeries, the clinics from our list are your best options.
Specialization Of The Clinic
One of the most important factors that we focus on is the specialization of the clinic.
There are a lot of clinics in Seoul that perform a lot of different procedures. Picking a clinic specializing in breast reduction surgery will be the best for you.
We look at clinics’ surgeons and support staff to figure out what they specialize in. We do that by researching their surgeons’ specializations.
For example, let’s look at NANA Plastic Surgery Clinic. Their plastic surgery chief director at NANA, DY Hwang, M.D., used to be the chief of the breast surgery centre at ID Hospital.
NANA Plastic Surgery Clinic also has a great track record with breast reduction surgery.
We can say that clinics with incredible track records in breast reduction surgery specialize in breast augmentation and are a safe and great choice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Korea is a great and safe choice for breast reduction surgery.
As for the cost, you can save anywhere from 10% to 40% on breast reduction surgery in Korea compared to Western countries.
Not only that but Korea has some of the most experienced surgeons in the world.
Pair all that with high Korean beauty standards and advanced medicine equipment and Korea becomes an obvious choice. You can also do a lot of sightseeing while there.
Now that you’ve read this guide, you know everything you need to about breast reduction surgery in Korea.
Once you decide on Korea, make sure to take your time picking the right plastic surgery clinic. To make it easier, check out our list of recommended breast reduction surgery clinics in Seoul to help you find the right one.
FAQ
What is the average cost of breast reduction in Seoul, Korea?
The average cost of breast reduction surgery in Korea is 7,200,000 KRW (=5350$).
However, this price may fluctuate from clinic to clinic. There are plenty of factors affecting the cost, but also lots of ways to save money.
You must ask for a quote for your surgery and check what the price includes.
How long should you stay in Korea after breast reduction surgery?
A minimum recommended stay in Korea after breast reduction surgery is about 7 days, or until you are feeling well enough and your surgeon clears you.
Schedule at least one follow-up with the clinic after the surgery so they can monitor your incision and remove stitches.
Always check with the clinic and your surgeon before deciding to leave Korea.
Is it safe to get breast reduction surgery in Korea?
Korea is not only a great choice for breast reduction surgery but also a safe one.
Korea has one of the most advanced healthcare systems. All clinics follow strict national standards.
Clinics are very clean and offer attentive and patient-friendly aftercare.