Seoul
Chief MD, Gangnam
Duk-ha Kim
The trust our patients have placed in this clinic was built on conviction and principle. We intend to hold to both, unchanged, through the next hundred years.
Intradermal botulinum toxin guide
Skin Toxin
Skin toxin describes injecting botulinum toxin type A as diluted micro-droplets placed shallowly and widely in the dermis. None of the U.S. or Korean product labels checked for this page carry an indication for intradermal injection to change skin quality, and the published evidence is 10 small studies covering 153 people in total.
- Technique
- Diluted toxin placed as micro-droplets in the dermis
- Labelled indication
- No intradermal skin-quality indication on the labels cited here
- Evidence base
- 10 studies, 153 participants; all below required information size
- Label warning
- U.S. boxed warning on distant spread of toxin effect
What is skin toxin, and where is it actually injected?
Skin toxin — listed on Korean menus as skin botox, mesobotox or microtoxin — describes diluting a botulinum toxin type A product and placing it as many small droplets shallowly and widely in the dermis, rather than placing a larger dose deeper into a muscle. A 2024 systematic review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open uses the term microtoxin for this intradermal technique and is the source of every evidence figure on this page. One thing has to be settled before any other question: this intradermal, skin-quality use does not appear as an approved indication on the U.S. or Korean labels cited here.
Sources: Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticMFDS drug product record — Nabota 50 U
How is this different from a standard wrinkle toxin injection?
The depth and the target are different, and so is the regulatory position. The U.S. cosmetic labels for BOTOX Cosmetic and XEOMIN describe intramuscular injection into named muscles for the temporary improvement of specific expression lines — the target is muscle contraction. The intradermal technique described in the systematic review places diluted toxin in the skin across an area, aiming at surface characteristics rather than one named expression line. Same class of molecule, different depth, different purpose, different evidence: an approved intramuscular indication says nothing about an intradermal one, and the two should never be presented as the same procedure at a different dose.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticFDA label — XEOMINRahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084
Is intradermal toxin for skin quality approved anywhere?
Not on any label checked for this page. BOTOX Cosmetic and XEOMIN are indicated in the United States for specific expression lines by intramuscular injection, and neither carries an indication for intradermal injection to improve skin quality. The Korean MFDS record for Nabota lists glabellar lines, lateral canthal lines, blepharospasm, post-stroke upper-limb spasticity and masseter hypertrophy — again with no intradermal skin-quality indication. The U.S. therapeutic BOTOX label does describe intradermal administration, but only within its dosing for severe axillary hyperhidrosis; that is a separate indication with a separate purpose and must not be read across as approval for treating skin texture. The same label’s Limitations of Use statements record that safety and effectiveness are not established for uses and sites the label does not list. China’s regulatory position for this use is not documented on this page.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticFDA label — XEOMINMFDS drug product record — Nabota 50 UFDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic)
How strong is the published evidence, really?
Thin, and the review that collected it says so. The 2024 systematic review pooled 10 studies — 5 randomised controlled trials and 5 prospective cohorts — covering 153 participants in total. Across those studies, improvements were reported in sebum production, pore appearance, erythema, wrinkles and elasticity, while skin hydration showed no benefit. The decisive limitation is that every included study fell short of the required information size in trial sequential analysis: the accumulated sample is too small to settle whether the reported effects are real. Read the reported improvements as preliminary signals awaiting adequately powered trials, not as established outcomes you can expect.
Sources: Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084
How long does the effect last?
The 2024 systematic review that supplies every evidence figure on this page followed its 153 participants over periods measured in weeks to months, not a fixed follow-up point built into the technique itself, and every included study fell short of the sample size needed to settle whether reported changes hold steady over time. That gap matters here specifically because the toxin is placed as diluted micro-droplets spread across the dermis rather than a single measured dose in a named muscle, so how long a visible change persists is expected to depend on dilution, total units, how widely the dose is spread, and individual differences in local toxin clearance — variables the review did not isolate. Ask the clinic which product and dilution it plans to use, what interval it recommends before judging the result, and whether any duration it quotes comes from this review or from its own case experience.
Sources: Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084
What warning is printed on the label, and who cannot be injected?
The U.S. BOTOX labels carry a boxed warning headed "WARNING: DISTANT SPREAD OF TOXIN EFFECT", describing effects that may spread from the injection site hours to weeks after injection and produce symptoms of botulinum toxicity — including swallowing and breathing difficulties that can be life threatening. The labels list two contraindications: known hypersensitivity to any botulinum toxin preparation, and infection at the proposed injection site. That warning belongs to the product and applies however it is injected, while the reassurance of a reviewed dose and site does not: for uses the label does not list, safety and effectiveness are not established.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic)FDA label — BOTOX Cosmetic
How should you weigh the risk of affecting your expression?
Carefully, because the honest answer is that nobody has measured it. Botulinum toxin acts on nerve signalling to muscle, and this technique deposits it in skin lying over the muscles of facial expression. No published literature quantifying site-specific risks such as expression asymmetry was identified for this technique. That is missing data, not a finding of safety, and it is a different statement from saying no such cases occur — an unquantified risk cannot be assumed to be a small one. Separately, the U.S. labels warn that toxin effect can spread from the injection site. Take the absence of measurement as a reason for a longer consultation, not a shorter one.
Sources: Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic)
Can you compare unit counts between two products?
No — units only mean something within one product. The U.S. BOTOX Cosmetic label states that its Units cannot be compared to nor converted into Units of any other botulinum toxin products, and the XEOMIN label carries an equivalent statement. A quote naming more units of one product therefore does not describe more treatment than a smaller number quoted for a different product, and none of this makes one product stronger than another. For an intradermal technique the total also depends on how the dose was diluted and how many points it was spread across, so ask for the product name, the total units and how the dose is distributed — three answers, not one number.
How is this different from a water-gloss or skin-booster injection?
The substance in the syringe is different, so nothing on this page transfers between them. Skin toxin injects a botulinum toxin type A product: a prescription biologic that acts on nerve signalling and carries the boxed warning described above. Water-gloss and skin-booster menu items inject other materials entirely; those products are not documented on this page, and neither their contents nor their approval status is established here. Korean menus frequently sell the two together as one combination item under a single name, which is exactly why the menu name is never enough — ask what is in each syringe, one product at a time, and get each name written down.
Sources: Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic)
What should you confirm and disclose before you book?
Confirm the exact product name first, then ask the clinician to state plainly that intradermal injection for skin quality is outside the indications on that product’s label and why they are recommending it anyway. Then confirm the total units, the areas covered, who performs the injection, and whom to contact if symptoms appear after you leave. Disclose any previous botulinum toxin treatment and its date, known hypersensitivity to any botulinum toxin preparation, any infection at the proposed injection site, neuromuscular conditions, all current medicines, and pregnancy or breastfeeding. A consultation that cannot name the product is not a consultation you can compare.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic)FDA label — BOTOX Cosmetic
What happens afterwards, and when should you seek help?
The systematic review does not publish an aftercare or downtime schedule, so this page cannot give you one, and it sets no duration for any reported change — follow-up in the included studies was measured in weeks to months and, with every study below the required information size, no fixed duration should be quoted to you. As a needle procedure it can leave temporary injection marks, redness, swelling or bruising, which is general procedural guidance rather than a finding of the review. What is documented is the escalation rule: because toxin effect can spread from the injection site hours to weeks after injection, swallowing or breathing difficulty, slurred speech, generalised muscle weakness, drooping eyelids, double vision or loss of bladder control need immediate medical attention — tell the emergency clinician which product was injected and when. Contact the treating clinic for spreading redness, increasing pain, fever or any new facial asymmetry, and agree before you travel how follow-up will work once you are home.
Sources: FDA label — BOTOX (therapeutic)Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084
Skin toxin, wrinkle toxin or a skin booster: what is in the syringe?
These are not grades of one treatment. Line up what is injected, at what depth, and what the cited labels do and do not cover before you compare any two quotes.
| Approach | What is injected and where | Status on the sources cited here | Confirm before comparing quotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin toxin (intradermal microtoxin) | Botulinum toxin type A, diluted and placed as micro-droplets in the dermis across an area | No intradermal skin-quality indication on the U.S. cosmetic labels or the Korean MFDS record cited here; evidence is 10 studies and 153 participants, all below the required information size | Product name, total units, how the dose is distributed, who injects, and that the clinician has stated the use is off-label |
| Wrinkle toxin (intramuscular) | Botulinum toxin type A injected into named muscles of facial expression | BOTOX Cosmetic and XEOMIN carry approved U.S. indications for specific expression lines by intramuscular injection | Product name, units per area, and which national approval covers that area |
| Water-gloss / skin-booster injection | A different injected material; those products are not documented on this page | Not covered by the toxin labels cited here, and nothing on this page establishes their contents or approval status | Ask for each exact product name and its approval record — a combination menu item can contain more than one product |
This table maps what each approach injects, using only the labels and the review cited on this page. It is not a ranking, not an efficacy comparison, and not a statement that any two of them can be exchanged.
Sources: Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024;12(8):e6084FDA label — BOTOX CosmeticFDA label — XEOMINMFDS drug product record — Nabota 50 U
Medical care at Abijou
Care is provided by the medical team at the branch you select. These clinicians lead the three branches linked from this guide; confirm the doctor assigned to your visit with that branch.
Chief MD, Myeongdong
Cheol-su Yoon
I want to be thinking about how the patient feels right up to the last moment of the procedure.
Chief MD, Hongdae
Jae-wook Kim
I will give my best with the attentiveness to catch even the smallest change.
Listed branch medical team — not a medical-review byline for this article.
Frequently asked questions
My clinic calls it mesobotox — is that a different product from skin botox?
No, those are menu names for the same intradermal technique rather than different drugs. Skin toxin, skin botox, mesobotox and microtoxin all describe diluted botulinum toxin type A placed as small droplets in the dermis; the published literature uses microtoxin for it. Because the name varies and the product does not, the question that matters is which botulinum toxin product is being drawn up, not which marketing term the menu uses.
If the label does not list this use, does that mean the product itself is unapproved?
No — the products are approved, but not for this use. BOTOX Cosmetic, XEOMIN and Nabota all hold approvals on their own records; what is missing from every one of those records is an indication for intradermal injection to improve skin quality. So the vial in the room can be a fully approved product while the way it is being used sits outside the indications that regulator reviewed.
If the toxin is placed in the skin rather than a muscle, what is it acting on?
That is exactly what the evidence has not settled. Botulinum toxin acts on nerve signalling wherever it is placed, and the systematic review reports outcomes measured at the skin — sebum production, pore appearance, erythema, wrinkles and elasticity improved, while hydration showed no benefit. But the review pooled only 10 studies and 153 participants and every one fell short of the required information size, so a mechanism for skin-level change can be described as a hypothesis under investigation and not as something demonstrated.
I already have wrinkle toxin in my forehead. Is this just the same appointment with a smaller dose?
No — a smaller dose is not what separates them. Wrinkle toxin is injected intramuscularly into named muscles for expression lines, which is the use the U.S. cosmetic labels approve; skin toxin is placed in the dermis across an area, which none of the labels cited here approve. Depth and purpose differ, so the approval covering your forehead injections does not extend to this, and the two sets of evidence do not transfer either.
I want more hydrated skin — can this replace a water-gloss injection?
Hydration is the one outcome the review found no benefit for, so it is a poor reason to choose this. The 153-participant review reported improvements in sebum, pores, erythema, wrinkles and elasticity but not in hydration. Water-gloss injections put a different material in the syringe and are not documented on this page, so this is not a swap between two versions of one treatment — ask the clinic what each injection actually contains.
One clinic quotes 50 units and another 100 units — is the second one twice the treatment?
Not unless both quotes name the same product, because units do not convert between products. The U.S. BOTOX Cosmetic label states its Units cannot be compared to nor converted into Units of any other botulinum toxin product, and XEOMIN carries an equivalent statement. With an intradermal technique the total also depends on dilution and how many injection points the dose was spread over, so a unit number on its own describes very little.
Does it hurt more because there are so many injection points?
The sources cited on this page do not report a pain score, so no number can be given here. It is a multi-point needle procedure, and whether topical anaesthetic or cooling is used is a clinic decision — ask what they use, how long the appointment runs, and how many points are planned.
Can I fly home the next day or wear makeup straight after?
The review publishes no aftercare or downtime schedule, so follow the instructions of the clinic that treated you. Temporary injection marks, redness, swelling or bruising are ordinary possibilities after any needle procedure. One timing point is worth planning around: label warnings describe toxin effect spreading from the injection site hours to weeks after injection, so think about where you will be, and who you would contact, in that window.
How often is it repeated, and how long does it last?
Neither the labels nor the review sets a repeat interval or a duration for this use. The included studies were followed up over windows measured in weeks to months, but an observation window is not a duration of effect, and with every study below the required information size those windows cannot be turned into a schedule. Treat any fixed interval you are quoted as that clinic’s practice rather than a published standard.
Who should not have this treatment?
The labels list known hypersensitivity to any botulinum toxin preparation and infection at the proposed injection site as contraindications. Beyond those, neuromuscular conditions, current medicines, previous botulinum toxin treatment and its date, and pregnancy or breastfeeding all need to be disclosed and reviewed in person. Because the intradermal use is not on the label, there is no regulator-reviewed dose or site to fall back on, which makes the in-person screening more important rather than less.
Which symptoms after the injection are an emergency?
Swallowing or breathing difficulty needs immediate medical attention. The boxed warning headed "WARNING: DISTANT SPREAD OF TOXIN EFFECT" describes effects spreading from the injection site hours to weeks afterwards and producing symptoms of botulinum toxicity, including swallowing and breathing difficulties that can be life threatening; slurred speech, generalised muscle weakness, drooping eyelids, double vision and loss of bladder control are also listed. Tell any emergency clinician which product was injected and on what date, and contact the treating clinic as well.
If it is off-label, is it illegal or unregulated?
Off-label use is not the same as an illegal product, but it does mean no regulator has reviewed this use. Nothing about the intradermal skin-quality application has been assessed for a dose, a site or a dilution on the labels cited here, and the label records that safety and effectiveness are not established for uses it does not list. A clinician can still recommend it — but ask them to say clearly that it is outside the labelled indications, and to explain their reasoning on that basis.
How do I compare prices between clinics?
Align what each quote contains before comparing any amount. Settle the product name, the total units, how many injection points and which areas, whether toxin is bundled with another injectable in one menu item, and whether the price is for one session or a course. Two quotes built on different products or different areas are not the same treatment, so a menu name alone cannot be compared; this page carries no prices, so ask each clinic to state the current amount and exactly what it covers.
Who is this suitable for, and can I fit it into a short trip to Korea?
Suitability is decided at an in-person consultation, not from a menu, and a short trip adds a specific problem: spread-of-effect symptoms can appear hours to weeks after injection, when you may already have flown home. Tell the clinic your travel dates, your medical history, current medicines, allergies and any previous toxin treatment, and agree in advance who you contact and how follow-up works from another country. Given that the evidence base is 10 small studies covering 153 people, an unhurried consultation is a reasonable thing to insist on.
How Abijou works
We started in Gangnam in 2006 and the network now runs 17 branches across Korea. The line we work to is skin transformation woven into everyday life — care you can keep up with, rather than one dramatic change.
- Across the 17 branches in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon and Busan: over 1,000 medical professionals and more than 350 certified medical devices
- Authentic products only, in appropriate amounts — the treatment is fitted to the condition, not to a package
- Prices are quoted from each branch’s published price list as it stands
Contact and location
- Phone
- 1544-0377
Free Consultation
Booking happens at the branch
There is no inquiry form on this page. Once you have picked a branch above, open that branch’s site or the official reservation center and choose a time yourself.
- No deposit and no online prepayment — everything is paid at the visit
- Per-treatment prices are published for each branch on the official reservation center
- English, Japanese and Chinese are supported alongside Korean