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.
Injectable skin hydration guide
Skin Hydration Injection
Skin hydration injection names a route — putting something into the skin — rather than one defined product or protocol. A 2024 paper on skin booster terminology states that a specific, comprehensive definition for the term has not yet been established, so two clinics can list the identical name and inject different substances. The question that carries information is what is in the syringe, how much of it, whether anything is mixed in, and whether the product can be identified by name later.
- Not a standard classification
- Published terminology work: a specific, comprehensive definition for this term has not yet been established
- What decides the outcome
- The injected substance — in a systematic review of 15 studies, hyaluronic acid alone performed better than cocktail preparations
- Largest controlled trial
- Non-cross-linked HA, n=448, three sessions on days 0/28/56; moderate-or-greater GAIS improvement 90.09% vs 9.57% at day 84, where follow-up ended
- Documented infection risk
- NTM infection after mesotherapy: mean onset 32.5 days, sequelae in 65.9% of patients, of which 80.3% were scarring
What does ‘skin hydration injection’ actually refer to?
It refers to a delivery route — injection into the skin itself — rather than to one defined product or protocol. A 2024 paper on skin booster terminology states directly that a specific, comprehensive definition for the term has not yet been established, which means the name on a price list carries no information about what will be injected. The controlled trial cited on this page used non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid placed intradermally at a depth of 1.0 to 1.2 mm. A systematic review of the same field describes hyaluronic acid used alone and also cocktail preparations combining it with other ingredients, injected under the same heading. Both sit under one everyday name. Read the name as telling you the route and nothing else — everything that distinguishes one appointment from another lives one level down, in the substance.
Sources: Yi KH et al., Skin Res Technol 2024;30(3):e13627 — skin booster terminologyCheng H et al., Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2026;19 — non-cross-linked HA RCTGhatge & Ghatge, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023;16:891-899 — systematic review
If no standard definition exists, what follows from that?
Three consequences, all practical. First, two clinics can advertise the identical name and inject different substances, so comparing menu names compares nothing. Second, evidence gathered for one substance does not transfer to the name: the trial data on this page belongs to non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid under a stated protocol, not to every preparation sold under this heading, and the US approval discussed further down belongs to one specific product. Third, when something goes wrong, the record of what was injected is what makes it treatable — in a retrospective series of 31 people treated for complications after hyaluronic acid injection, more than half of the cases involved uncertified products or products of unknown origin. The missing definition is not a terminology footnote; it is the reason every section below is organised around the substance rather than the name.
Sources: Yi KH et al., Skin Res Technol 2024;30(3):e13627 — skin booster terminologyNguyen L et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(1):e70582 — HA injection complications
What can actually be in the syringe?
In the published literature the range runs from a single identified substance to a mixture assembled at the clinic. The systematic review covering this field describes non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid used on its own alongside cocktail preparations that combine hyaluronic acid with other ingredients, all delivered by intradermal injection. The controlled trial used hyaluronic acid alone at 4 mL per session. Mesotherapy — the injection of such mixtures into the skin — is also the practice from which the documented infection cases in the safety literature are drawn, which is why the composition question is a safety question and not only an efficacy one. None of this makes one option correct for you. It means that ‘which substance, what volume, mixed with what, identifiable by product name’ has an answer a clinic can give in a sentence, while ‘is this treatment good’ does not.
Sources: Ghatge & Ghatge, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023;16:891-899 — systematic reviewCheng H et al., Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2026;19 — non-cross-linked HA RCTSingsing ME et al., Int J Womens Dermatol 2022;8(4):e059 — NTM infection after mesotherapy
What did the controlled trial measure, and over how long?
It measured evaluator-rated improvement at day 84, and its follow-up ended there. The trial ran at five centres in China: randomised, with an untreated control group and blinded evaluators, in 448 participants split 224 to each arm. Non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid was injected intradermally at a depth of 1.0 to 1.2 mm, 4 mL per session, across three sessions on days 0, 28 and 56. At day 84, moderate-or-greater improvement on the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale was recorded in 90.09% of the treated group against 9.57% of the untreated control group, and no serious adverse events were reported. The design is stronger than most of this field — randomised, controlled and evaluator-blinded at scale. The limit is time. Eighty-four days is the entire observation window, so the trial says nothing about six months or a year, and that figure is a measurement at one moment rather than a statement about how long anything lasts.
Sources: Cheng H et al., Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2026;19 — non-cross-linked HA RCT
Does adding more ingredients to the mix help?
The systematic review reports the opposite direction: hyaluronic acid used alone performed better than cocktail preparations. That review pooled 15 studies — 1 randomised controlled trial, 1 non-randomised study and 13 observational studies — with sample sizes from 6 to 131 participants and protocols running from a single session to four sessions at 15-day intervals, some followed for up to nine months. Its stated limitations are substantial: small samples, a predominance of non-randomised designs, largely subjective outcome measures and a lack of long-term follow-up, so the finding is a direction rather than a settled result. Even read cautiously it undercuts one common assumption. A longer ingredient list is not evidence of a better preparation, and the added ingredients are usually the part a clinic can document least precisely.
Sources: Ghatge & Ghatge, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023;16:891-899 — systematic review
How long does the effect last?
The controlled trial cited on this page measured moderate-or-greater improvement at a single point, day 84, and its follow-up ended there — 90.09% of the treated group against 9.57% of the untreated control group, after three sessions given on days 0, 28 and 56. That is a measurement taken at one moment after three sessions, not a curve showing how the effect changes afterward, so eighty-four days is the entire window this trial can speak to. The systematic review covering the same field pooled protocols running from a single session to four sessions at 15-day intervals, with some studies followed for up to nine months, but it names a lack of long-term follow-up among its own stated limitations, so that longer figure describes what a handful of the pooled studies did rather than an expected duration for any preparation sold under this name. What is documented to matter for the outcome itself is the substance: non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid used alone performed better than cocktail preparations in that same review. A meaningful question at consultation is therefore not how many months an appointment lasts, but which substance is proposed, how many sessions are planned, and what evidence the clinic points to for the interval it recommends between them.
Sources: Cheng H et al., Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2026;19 — non-cross-linked HA RCTGhatge & Ghatge, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023;16:891-899 — systematic review
What infection risk is documented, and when does it appear?
The best-documented risk in this treatment group is non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection, and its defining feature is that it appears late. A PRISMA systematic review of 30 studies covering 423 patients who developed NTM infection after mesotherapy identified Mycobacterium chelonae in 43.6% of cases and Mycobacterium abscessus in 24.6%. The mean interval from injection to symptoms was 32.5 days, and the mean duration of treatment was 19.8 weeks. Remission was eventually achieved in 96.9% of patients, but 65.9% were left with sequelae, and 80.3% of those sequelae were scarring. For anyone injecting while travelling, the 32.5-day average matters twice: symptoms usually begin after you are home, and the clinic that treated you is the only party that knows what went in. Before leaving, ask how to reach them from abroad and keep the written product record.
Sources: Singsing ME et al., Int J Womens Dermatol 2022;8(4):e059 — NTM infection after mesotherapy
What else is recorded after hyaluronic acid injection?
A retrospective series of 31 patients treated for complications after hyaluronic acid injection recorded delayed nodules in 32.1% of cases, the Tyndall effect — a bluish discolouration where product sits too superficially — in 22.6%, infection or erysipelas in 16.1% to 22.6%, vascular occlusion with necrosis in 12.9%, and product migration in 9.7%. This is a series of people who presented with a problem, so it describes what goes wrong when something goes wrong, not how often that happens; it is not an incidence rate. Two entries are worth carrying into a consultation. Vascular occlusion is the reason this is a medical procedure however superficial the placement is described as being, and the Tyndall effect is a placement finding rather than a product defect — which makes injection depth something to ask about rather than leave unspecified.
Sources: Nguyen L et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(1):e70582 — HA injection complications
Why does the product record matter this much?
Because in that complication series, more than half of the cases involved uncertified products or products whose origin could not be established. When the injected substance cannot be identified, the clinician treating the complication is working without the single piece of information that would guide treatment, and the patient has no way to check what evidence exists for what they received. That is the practical argument for asking, before the syringe is prepared, for the product name exactly as printed on the packaging, the manufacturer, the volume per session, and whether anything is being mixed in. A clinic injecting a documented product answers all four without hesitation. Write the answers down and keep them: the infection literature says you may need them about a month later, in another country, in front of a doctor who was not involved.
Sources: Nguyen L et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(1):e70582 — HA injection complicationsSingsing ME et al., Int J Womens Dermatol 2022;8(4):e059 — NTM infection after mesotherapy
What should you confirm before agreeing to the injection?
Confirm the substance before the schedule, and the schedule before the amount. Ask for the product name as it appears on the packaging, the manufacturer, whether it is cross-linked or non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid or something else entirely, the volume per session, whether anything is added and precisely what, the injection depth, how many sessions are planned and at what interval, and who performs the injection. Disclose pregnancy or breastfeeding, active infection or inflamed skin at the site, a history of keloids or of reactions to previous injectables, autoimmune conditions, anticoagulant use, and any recent injectable, laser or energy treatment. The following is general post-procedure safety guidance rather than a finding of the studies cited here: contact the clinic for a lump or nodule appearing days or weeks later, redness that spreads or returns, pain that increases instead of settling, or drainage from an injection point. Seek emergency care immediately for sudden vision change, severe pain with skin that turns pale, dusky or mottled, or swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat with difficulty breathing.
Sources: Singsing ME et al., Int J Womens Dermatol 2022;8(4):e059 — NTM infection after mesotherapyNguyen L et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(1):e70582 — HA injection complications
One name, four different things in the syringe
All four of these can appear under a single heading on a price list. The table sets out what each one is on the record and which evidence on this page applies to it. It is not a ranking, and no source here compares all four in one study.
| What is offered | What it is on the record | Which evidence on this page applies | What to confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| The generic menu name on its own | No established classification — published terminology work states that a specific, comprehensive definition for this term has not yet been established | None directly. Evidence attaches to a substance and a protocol, never to a name | Which product will actually be used, in writing, before a date is agreed |
| Non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid alone | The substance used in the controlled trial cited here: intradermal placement at 1.0-1.2 mm, 4 mL per session, three sessions on days 0, 28 and 56 | Randomised, evaluator-blinded trial with an untreated control group in 448 participants; moderate-or-greater improvement 90.09% versus 9.57% at day 84, with follow-up ending at day 84 | Product name and manufacturer, volume per session, whether the three-session schedule is being followed, and that this source holds no data beyond day 84 |
| A cocktail or mesotherapy-style mixture | Not one product but a preparation assembled for injection; the systematic review describes hyaluronic acid combined with other ingredients under the same heading | The systematic review of 15 studies reports hyaluronic acid alone performing better than cocktail preparations. The documented NTM infection cases follow mesotherapy | Every component by name and quantity, who assembled it and when, and what each added ingredient is there to do |
| A specific product with its own approval (SKINVIVE by JUVEDERM) | US premarket approval P110033/S059, indication recorded as improvement of the smoothness of cheek skin | The approval is evidence for that product and that indication only, and does not extend to other preparations sharing the menu name | That the product used is that product, and whether the area being treated matches the indication in its own record |
These rows are not tiers of one treatment. The first is a name with no defined content, the second and third differ in what is injected, and the fourth is a single approved product whose record does not transfer to the others. This page holds no verified information on the regulatory status that applies in Korea for any of them.
Sources: Yi KH et al., Skin Res Technol 2024;30(3):e13627 — skin booster terminologyCheng H et al., Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2026;19 — non-cross-linked HA RCTGhatge & Ghatge, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023;16:891-899 — systematic reviewSingsing ME et al., Int J Womens Dermatol 2022;8(4):e059 — NTM infection after mesotherapyNguyen L et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2026;25(1):e70582 — HA injection complicationsFDA — SKINVIVE by JUVEDERM (P110033/S059)
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
Is ‘skin hydration injection’ the official name of one procedure?
No — it is a common-usage label. Published work on skin booster terminology states that a specific, comprehensive definition for the term has not yet been established, so nothing about the composition, the volume or the depth is fixed by the name. Treat it as the heading of a question rather than an answer: the information that distinguishes one appointment from another sits one level down, in which substance is used and how much of it.
What does ‘non-cross-linked’ mean, and why does it keep appearing here?
It describes whether the hyaluronic acid molecules have been chemically linked to each other. The word appears repeatedly on this page for a narrow reason: the controlled trial cited here tested a non-cross-linked product, injected intradermally at 1.0 to 1.2 mm, so its result belongs to that product and that protocol rather than to the category. This page holds no source comparing cross-linked and non-cross-linked preparations head-to-head for this use, so asking which one a clinic proposes is about matching the evidence to the plan, not about ranking the two.
What is supposed to be happening when something is placed at 1.0 to 1.2 mm?
It is being placed inside the skin rather than beneath it, and that depth is a protocol parameter rather than a detail. The trial protocol specifies intradermal injection at 1.0 to 1.2 mm with 4 mL per session. Depth is also where one recorded complication comes from: the Tyndall effect — bluish discolouration where product sits too superficially — was recorded in 22.6% of a complication series. Because depth is a number, it is something you can ask for and be told, along with the volume, before consenting.
The clinic says the product is FDA-approved. Does that make my treatment approved?
Only if the product being injected is the approved product, and only for what its approval covers. SKINVIVE by JUVEDERM holds a US premarket approval (P110033/S059) with an indication recorded as improvement of the smoothness of cheek skin. That is a record about one product and one area; it does not extend to other preparations listed under the same menu name, and a US approval says nothing about the registration that applies in Korea or in your home country. Ask which product, then check what that product record actually covers.
Is a mixture with added vitamins or antioxidants better than hyaluronic acid on its own?
The systematic review found the opposite direction: hyaluronic acid used alone performed better than cocktail preparations across the 15 studies it pooled. Those studies were small — 6 to 131 participants — mostly non-randomised and largely dependent on subjective measures, so this is a direction rather than a settled result. It is still enough to remove the assumption that more ingredients means a better preparation, and the added components are usually the part with the least documentation and the least published evidence behind them.
How is this different from a regular dermal filler?
The difference to ask about is the product and the depth, not the marketing category. The trial evidence here describes non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid placed intradermally at 1.0 to 1.2 mm, whereas cross-linked products are a different formulation and this page holds no source giving their depth or indication for this use. What the sources do show is that hyaluronic acid injection in general carries a recorded complication profile — delayed nodules 32.1%, Tyndall effect 22.6%, vascular occlusion with necrosis 12.9%, migration 9.7% in a series of 31 treated complications. So ask which formulation, at what depth, for what purpose, and treat any of them as a medical procedure.
Does it hurt, and what did the trial record about tolerability?
The trial reported no serious adverse events in 448 participants across three sessions and 84 days of follow-up, which is a safety observation rather than a description of how a session feels. No source on this page publishes a downtime timetable, expected redness duration or a return-to-makeup schedule, so only the treating clinic can give you that. If a clinic offers a recovery timeline, ask what it is based on and get the aftercare instructions in writing before you leave.
I fly home a few days later. What should I watch for, and for how long?
Watch for longer than the trip. The documented non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections after mesotherapy appeared on average 32.5 days after injection, and treatment then lasted a mean of 19.8 weeks — so the window that matters opens after most travellers are already home. In the complication series, nodules after hyaluronic acid injection were recorded as delayed in 32.1% of cases. Before you leave, get the product name and the clinic contact route in writing, and contact them for a new lump, spreading or recurring redness, increasing pain or drainage, rather than waiting for a next visit.
How many sessions do the published protocols use?
Three in the controlled trial, on days 0, 28 and 56, with assessment at day 84. The systematic review describes protocols ranging from a single session to four sessions at 15-day intervals across the studies it pooled, with follow-up in some studies extending to nine months. The number that fits you is a clinical decision, but a single visit is not the schedule that produced the trial figure, and no source here supports treating one session as equivalent to the tested course.
Who should not have this, and what should I disclose?
That is decided in person, and this page holds no source listing formal contraindications for the category — itself a consequence of the category not being defined. What the sources do establish is where the risk concentrates: active infection or inflamed skin at the injection site, unidentified products, and mixtures prepared outside a documented process. Disclose pregnancy or breastfeeding, skin infection or inflammation at the site, a history of keloids or of reactions to previous injectables, autoimmune conditions, anticoagulant use, and any recent injectable, laser or energy treatment.
What warning signs come later rather than on the day?
Late-appearing signs are the ones this literature emphasises. Nodules after hyaluronic acid injection were recorded as delayed in 32.1% of a 31-patient complication series, and documented mycobacterial infections after mesotherapy appeared at a mean of 32.5 days. Contact the clinic for a new lump, redness that spreads or returns, pain that increases instead of settling, or drainage. Seek emergency care immediately for sudden vision change, severe pain with skin that turns pale, dusky or mottled, or swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat with difficulty breathing.
Is this treatment approved by regulators?
A category cannot be approved; a product can. SKINVIVE by JUVEDERM holds a US premarket approval (P110033/S059) for improvement of the smoothness of cheek skin, and that record applies to that product alone. Because the general name has no established definition, there is no approval that covers everything sold under it. Approvals are also country-specific, and this page holds no verified record of the regulatory status that applies in Korea for any product discussed here, so ask the clinic which product it uses and what registration that product holds locally.
Quotes vary widely between clinics. How do I compare them?
Compare what is in the syringe before you compare amounts. Ask each clinic for the product name and manufacturer, whether it is a single substance or a mixture and what is in the mixture, the volume per session, how many sessions the quote covers, the injection depth, and whether follow-up and aftercare are included. Two quotes built on different substances, volumes or session counts are not the same treatment, so the menu name alone gives you nothing to compare.
Who is this suitable for, and can it be done on a short trip?
Suitability is a clinical decision made in person, and the schedule is the part travellers underestimate. The trial course ran three sessions across 56 days with assessment at day 84, so one visit is not the protocol behind the published figure. The documented infection risk appeared at a mean of 32.5 days, which is after most trips end. Tell the clinic your travel dates, your medical history and any recent procedures, and ask before booking how follow-up would work once you are home.
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