1. Thermage

Thermage is basically my annual ritual — every year, early in the year!!!

The whole vibe is like, "please help my skin age a little more gracefully this year~"

In 2025, I got 600 shots in February, and my clinic has this deal where returning patients who book 600 shots get a complimentary Juvelook session, so I got that done at the same time.

Thermage stimulates collagen production deep in the skin to boost elasticity, and Juvelook is also a collagen booster — apparently the two together create a synergy effect, so it's supposed to be a really good combo! lol

I've already gone ahead and pre-booked my February 2026 Thermage appointment… 😅

2. Emface

No downtime, feels basically like a facial massage, and they say it can slim the mid-face — so I figured it was low-commitment enough to try. The price, though… definitely not low-commitment.

Most clinics run it at around 600,000 KRW on promotion, but it's generally more expensive than that (factory-style mega clinics might be cheaper, but I don't do those).

Honestly? I'm not sure if it actually slimmed my mid-face. I just felt good afterwards. I probably won't do it again this year though — the value for money is… lol… basically nonexistent.

Also, I feel like everyone lately is absolutely obsessed with mid-face slimming to an unhealthy degree, so I've decided to just love my long mid-face as-is ^^

3. Sofwave

They marketed this as a milder version of Thermage, so I tried just about 100 shots — but it was surprisingly painful and expensive… I couldn't really tell if it did anything either.

4. Rejuran

I do Rejuran in winter when my skin gets really dry — three sessions a month apart, 2cc each time.

I've been getting it so regularly partly because the pain is manageable for me… but maybe that's why I've built up a tolerance? The dramatic results I used to notice don't seem as pronounced anymore.

That said, I still find it reassuring to keep up with it. At this point it feels less like "I want dewy skin" and more like "I need this so I don't feel unbearably dry."

5. Skin Botox – Xeomin, Butterfly Zone

My first time trying skin botox this year. I went with Xeomin (imported) since it's supposed to be less resistance-prone, and only had it done in the butterfly zone (across the nose and cheeks).

The effect? Tighter-looking pores??? Being my first time, I did notice a slight improvement. Didn't last long though lol.

6. Revive 1cc (Nasolabial Folds)

My first time trying Revive. Apparently it's made by Merz — the same company behind Belotero and Ulthera — which makes it almost twice the price of Korean skin boosters like Rejuran or Juvelook.

I was curious about the results, so I got just 1cc injected in my biggest concern area: my nasolabial folds.

They used a cannula and traced along the fold — it felt like it was going in pretty deep.

Probably because something was actually being injected in volume, but for about a week my nasolabial folds genuinely looked smoother. The effect didn't last super long, but I spent that whole week actually satisfied with my face.

If money were no object… I'd get it every month. Because nasolabial folds are, and have always been, my number one insecurity.

This little recap alone is enough to explain why I'm perpetually drowning in credit card debt ^^

My goal for next year is to spend less at the dermatologist — but Thermage 600 shots in February is non-negotiable, and if I end up getting anything else mid-year, my one and only concern is still nasolabial folds, so I'll have to decide between trying Revive again, or maybe finally looking into thread lifting or Radiesse volume filler.