To be honest, I really went all out just to get a consultation with Dr. Lee at South Korea’s Essential clinic. There were countless ads online claiming that “the doctor personally performs the treatments” and “there is no need to wait in line”. But when I went there for the first time, the customer service told me, “Dr. Lee’s schedule is full until three weeks from now. Would you like to consider another doctor instead?” I was completely stunned—this was clearly a “BYUL trap” set up by a high-end clinic!
But I didn’t give up. After all, I had been researching Aisenshow for a long time, and their HIFU ultrasound devices were indeed officially certified by the manufacturer – they weren’t any cheap imitations from the Chinese mainland. Moreover, Director Li (Li Qihuan) had completely opposite reputations in the Gangnam area: some people said his treatments were too intense (so painful that it made them question their life choices), while others claimed his treatments were extremely precise (with effects lasting up to one and a half years). I wanted to verify this for myself, so I launched this “reservation campaign”.
Essential Aisen Show Head Office: Why does everyone want to be associated with Director Li?
Let me first introduce the background of Essential. This clinic has two branches in Seoul: the main branch in Itaewon and another branch (I think it’s in Busan, but I’m not sure; I’ve never been there). The main branch in Itaewon is the flagship store, and its decor reflects a style of “subtle luxury” – not the kind of ostentatious richness, but rather an atmosphere that makes you instantly realize “the fees here are certainly not cheap”.
The reason why President Lee is so difficult to contact is not because he likes to act in a high-profile manner, but because he insists on “administering every injection himself.” This is actually quite rare in the South Korea cosmetic surgery industry. In many so-called “president’s clinics,” most injections are actually performed by experienced nurses or part-time doctors, with the president only appearing for pre-treatment consultations and disappearing after the procedures are completed. However, Aisen Show is different. From the pre-treatment assessment and injection administration to the post-treatment instructions, President Lee is present throughout the entire process.
It was only later, when I talked to the consultant on site, that I learned that Director Li would only accept a maximum of 8 SWOMAN treatments per day. Such procedures place great demands on a doctor’s physical strength and concentration – each energy beam must be precisely targeted at the SMAS fascia layer; hitting too deep could damage nerves, while hitting too shallow would be ineffective. Accepting 8 treatments a day is already the upper limit, which is why the schedule is always completely booked.
Registration in practice: Which of the 4 methods I’ve tried are actually effective?
Alright, let’s get to the point. I wanted to make an appointment with Director Li and tried the following four methods. Some of them were successful, while others were a complete failure. I’ll tell you about all of them:
Method 1: Call the clinic directly (❌ 90% failure rate)
At first, of course, I tried calling them directly – isn’t that the most intuitive way? However, several problems arose. First, the person who answered the phone used Korean automated voice response. I tried communicating in English, Chinese, and with the help of a mobile translation app, but after 15 minutes of trying, they finally understood that I wanted to talk to Director Lee and then told me “in three weeks”… I gave up on the spot.
Method 2: Through purchasing agents/reservation platforms (⚠️ This carries risks)
There are many services on the Internet that claim to provide “reservation assistance for medical beauty treatments in South Korea”, and the fee charged is usually around 10-15% of the total reservation amount. I tried one such service once, and they indeed helped me make a reservation, but later I discovered that the price they quoted was nearly 30% higher than the official website’s rate! Moreover, these reservation agencies usually do not inform you about any special discounts or promotions offered by the clinics, because they want to earn a profit on the difference. So I stopped using their services afterwards.
Method 3: Make an appointment through the BeautsGO platform (✅ 100% success rate)
This is a really useful tool that I discovered later on. BeautsGO is a platform dedicated to helping people schedule appointments for medical beauty treatments in South Korea. It offers a Chinese-language interface, and since it has a partnership with Aisen Show, it’s possible to directly check Dr. Lee’s schedule. I used BeautsGO to make my appointments on two separate occasions, and the whole process went more or less like this:
Step 1: Open the BeautsGO mini-program on your mobile phone (or use their H5 page) and search for “Aisenxiu Essential”.
Step 2: Select “Shetang Head Office” → “Director Li Qihuan” → and then choose the treatment option (I chose HIFU full-face treatment for 800 sessions).
Step 3: You can directly view the available appointment slots (divided into morning, afternoon, and evening periods). After selecting a suitable time, please fill in your basic information (name, English name on your passport, and the estimated arrival date in South Korea).
Step 4: The system will send a confirmation message to your WeChat or email. Usually, a dedicated staff member will contact you within 24 hours to confirm the details.
What I find most remarkable about the entire process is that the prices are completely transparent! There are no hidden fees, and if there are any promotional activities at a certain time (such as buying 800 units and getting 200 units for free), the platform will update the information accordingly.
Method 4: Go directly to the clinic to wait for your turn on-site (⚠️ This method is only suitable for those who live in the area).
I have a friend who tried to go directly to the location and ask if there were any cancelled appointments. Apparently, the success rate was around 30%, but you would first need to stay in Seoul and be prepared to go there at any moment. I don’t recommend that tourists try this method; it’s just too costly.
Actual experience: A detailed record of Director Li’s process of performing ultrasonic facial treatments
Okay, I’ve got my appointment now. Let me share my actual experience. I booked a time slot at 2 pm on a weekday afternoon, and I arrived 15 minutes early on that day (out of fear that my appointment would be cancelled if I was late – South Korean clinics are extremely strict about this).
Preoperative consultation (approximately 20 minutes)
The consultant first took me into the consultation room and used a tablet computer to take pre-treatment photos of my face from various angles (front, left, right, 45-degree). Then she asked me several questions: Had I ever undergone ultrasound or radiofrequency treatments before? Had I ever had any fillers injected? Which area concerned me the most? My answers were: my jawline was not very defined and I had a Double Chin. The consultant then transmitted this information to Director Li, who came in personally to examine my face. He pressed several areas and said, “Your skin thickness is average, and the position of the SMAS layer is within the standard range. Using a 4.5-mm probe for deeper treatments and a 3.0-mm probe for superficial areas, 800 sessions should be sufficient.”
I made a small observation here: Director Li doesn’t casually recommend upgrade packages. When I asked him if I should get additional treatments around my eyes, he directly said, “Your eye area doesn’t show any obvious signs of sagging; it’s not necessary,” and then he simply crossed that option off for me. I find this really commendable, because at another clinic (I won’t mention the name), they insisted I get 300 more treatments, but I didn’t feel any difference at all after them.
Injection process (approximately 40 minutes)
After entering the treatment room, the nurse helped me remove my makeup, clean my face, and then applied the anesthetic (which took about 30 minutes). Once the anesthetic was in place, Director Li came in, marked the area where the injection would be administered on my face, and then began the procedure.
Speaking honestly about the pain… it really hurt. Especially when he was administering the treatments to the jawline and cheekbones, my whole body would tremble. But Director Li controlled the pace very well – he would start with the areas that caused less pain (such as the Forehead and cheeks) to help me get used to that “electric shock-like sensation”, before moving on to the more painful areas. Moreover, every 50 treatments, he would stop and ask, “Is there any particular area that hurts more? Do you need me to adjust the intensity?” I found this very considerate of him.
In the middle of the treatment, I secretly looked at the mirror – my cheeks were already experiencing a slight “tightening sensation”; it wasn’t swelling, but rather a feeling as if my skin was being pulled tight. The director explained that this was normal, because the energy from HIFU had already reached the fascia layer.
After the procedure (on the same day and for the following week)
On the day of the treatment, the face will turn a bit red, similar to sunburn, but it doesn’t hurt. The director instructed me not to go to saunas, steam rooms, or hot yoga for a week, not to massage my face vigorously, and to keep my skin well-hydrated. After returning to the hotel, I took a photo, but to be honest, I couldn’t see much difference at that time. The nurse said that I would have to wait 2–3 months to see the final results, because the production of Collagen takes some time.
I am now in the 6th week after the surgery, and I have to say… the results are quite good. The line of my jaw is indeed tighter, and there is less fat on my Double Chin. But it’s not to the extent that my face has completely changed. I think that 50% of the before-and-after pictures posted online are the result of using glow lighting, choosing the right angle, and applying Photoshop.
Transparent pricing: How much does Dr. Lee’s Essential ultrasound treatment actually cost?
I know that price is what everyone is most concerned about, so let me tell you directly. I had an HIFU facial treatment, with 800 treatments administered by Director Lee in person. The original price was ₩1,200,000 (approximately NT$28,800 / HK$7,200). However, when I booked through BeautsGO, there was a special offer, and I actually paid ₩980,000 (about NT$23,500).
If your budget is limited, they also offer options for treatments administered by other doctors, with prices ranging approximately from ₩600,000 to ₩800,000. But I… won’t comment on that. Since you’re going to Aisen Show anyway, the reason you’re there is surely to see the chief doctor, right?
Who is it suitable for? Who is it not suitable for?
Suitable for: People aged 30–50 who have mild to moderate facial sagging, are reluctant to undergo surgical procedures, and are willing to wait for results to become visible gradually (it may take 2–3 months for the full effects to appear). Additionally, if you care a lot about who will perform the treatment for you, it is certainly reassuring to know that the director of Aisen Show personally performs the injections.
People who are not suitable for this treatment: those who expect “immediate results” (ultrasonic waves are not magic; time is required); those with very limited budgets (this service is indeed not cheap); and those who are extremely sensitive to pain (you can consider adding sedative anesthesia, but it will incur additional costs).
In summary: It’s difficult to get a registration appointment, but is it really worth it?
My own conclusion is this: if what matters to you is “who will perform the treatment for you”, “whether the equipment used is genuine”, or “whether there are any post-treatment guarantees”, then I think the combination of Essien Show Essential and Dr. Lee’s services is definitely worth it. However, if you simply want to “see what the effects of ultrasonic therapy are like”, there are actually many more affordable options available; you don’t necessarily have to rely on a doctor with a high-profile reputation.
One last thing: If you decide to go ahead with it, I highly recommend making an appointment through BeautsGO. I’ve tried other methods before, but either the prices were unclear or there were communication barriers due to language differences. BeautsGO offers Chinese-speaking customer service, and the prices are updated in real-time with those of the clinics, so there are no hidden fees. If you still have any questions after reading this, you can always schedule a one-on-one consultation via s-sourire. You can directly discuss your concerns with the consultant, who will help you sort things out before confirming the details with the clinic, saving you a lot of hassle.
I hope this “Comprehensive Record of Registration Procedures” will be of some help to you. If you have been to Aisen Show or are considering making an appointment with Dr. Lee, feel free to leave a comment on BeautsGO and share your experiences. I believe that by referring to the insights of different people, one can make the most suitable decision for themselves.
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