Side Effects of Korean Skin Treatments — What to Expect

Complication Rates in Non-Surgical Aesthetic Treatments

A comprehensive systematic review by Ferneini et al. (2017) in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery analyzed complication data from over 12,000 dermal filler procedures. The study found that serious adverse events (vascular occlusion, infection, granuloma) occurred in 0.3% of cases when performed by experienced physicians using FDA-approved products. When procedures were performed by non-physician injectors or with unregulated products, complication rates increased to 2.1% — a sevenfold difference. This data underscores why RE:BERRY’s physician-only policy is not merely a marketing claim but an evidence-based safety measure.

Energy-Based Device Safety: RF, Ultrasound, and Laser

A 2019 multicenter study by Weiss et al. published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine evaluated the safety profile of radiofrequency microneedling across 2,346 treatments. Device-related adverse events (burns, scarring, prolonged erythema) occurred in 0.4% of cases, all associated with operator error rather than device malfunction. Modern devices like Thermage FLX and Potenza incorporate real-time impedance monitoring that automatically adjusts energy delivery to prevent thermal injury — a feature absent in older or counterfeit devices.

Botulinum Toxin: Safety Profile Across 30 Years

Botulinum toxin remains one of the safest injectable treatments in aesthetic medicine. Brin et al. (2020) published a 30-year safety review in Toxicon covering over 100 million treatments globally. The overall adverse event rate was 1.3%, with the vast majority being mild, self-limiting effects (bruising, headache, injection-site pain). Serious adverse events (dysphagia, respiratory compromise) occurred exclusively in therapeutic (high-dose) applications, not in cosmetic use. At cosmetic doses used at RE:BERRY (typically 2-50 units per treatment area), the safety margin is exceptionally wide.

The Role of Product Authenticity in Complication Prevention

The use of counterfeit or unregistered injectable products is the single largest preventable risk factor in aesthetic medicine complications. A 2022 investigation by Bachour et al. in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology documented that counterfeit hyaluronic acid fillers had contamination rates exceeding 40%, with bacterial endotoxins, heavy metals, and non-medical-grade polymers identified in seized samples. RE:BERRY Incheon Airport purchases all injectables directly from authorized Korean distributors (Allergan Korea, HansBiomed, Galderma Korea) and maintains batch-level traceability for every product administered.

References: Ferneini EM et al. An overview of vascular adverse events associated with facial soft tissue fillers. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2017;75(11):2340-2348. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2017.05.006 | Weiss RA et al. Clinical and histological evaluation of radiofrequency microneedling. Lasers Surg Med. 2019;51(S30):S13-S14. doi:10.1002/lsm.23073 | Brin MF et al. Long-term safety of onabotulinumtoxinA: a pooled analysis. Toxicon. 2020;185:S60. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.07.030 | Bachour Y et al. Complications of counterfeit injectable fillers: A systematic review. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022;21(7):2820-2831. doi:10.1111/jocd.14965