Skin botox before and after in Korea usually shows a quiet change rather than a transformation: skin that feels smoother, makeup that sits a little better and, for some people who flush easily, less redness across the cheeks. On the day itself the main thing visible is a grid of small raised blebs and pinpoint marks, which fade within hours, while a bruise may take several days to clear. Texture change tends to become noticeable from about the second week. In a 2022 split-face trial by Shin and colleagues, texture gains on the treated cheek held for eight weeks. Because a photo cannot capture feel or oil, the fairest comparison pairs matched pictures with simple checks you can repeat. Results vary from person to person.
Guide
What you may see from day zero to week twelve
This is when changes can appear, not a forecast for any one face. Product, dilution and skin type all shift the curve.
| Time after injection | What you may notice | What a photo can show |
|---|---|---|
| Same day | Raised bumps, pinpoint marks, mild stinging | Bumps that say nothing about the outcome |
| Days 1–3 | Bumps gone; a small bruise is possible | Bruising only |
| Days 3–7 | Toxin starts to act | Usually no reliable difference |
| Weeks 2–4 | Smoother feel, finer surface, less shine for some | Subtle texture in side light |
| Weeks 8–12 | Texture gain held to week eight in one trial | Gradual drift back toward baseline |
Guide
Checks that add to what a photo shows
Less oil and finer texture are hard to photograph, because a lens records light and light changes with the hour and the room. Keep oil expectations modest: the Shin trial measured sebum with a meter and found no significant change.
- Blotting sheet: press one on the forehead and cheeks at the same hour once a week and compare the oil it lifts.
- Makeup wear: note how many hours foundation lasts before it breaks up around the nose.
- Flush log: rate redness from one to five after the same everyday triggers.
- Matched photos: same window, same time of day, bare skin, no filter, neutral expression.
Guide
Warning signs in a clinic's photo gallery
A gallery is selected material, useful as context but not as a preview of your own face. Ask which product was used and how many sessions the person had, then look for these problems.
- Different lighting, camera height or distance between the two shots.
- Makeup, retouching or a beauty filter on the after image.
- No stated interval, so the after could be week two or month three.
- Other treatments on the same visit, such as laser or a skin booster, which hide the toxin's share.
- A slimmer jaw or lifted cheek, which droplets placed in the upper skin are not designed to produce.
Guide
What the research measured, and what it did not
The split-face trial by Shin and colleagues, published in 2022 in the Annals of Dermatology, injected incobotulinumtoxinA into one cheek and saline into the other in 18 volunteers, assessed at weeks 2, 4, 8 and 12. The treated side showed better texture for eight weeks and softer nasolabial fold lines for twelve. Pore size improved only at week two, and sebum did not change significantly. One volunteer reported facial weakness after 30 units in one cheek, while 20 units caused no adverse events.
For redness, a 2025 meta-analysis by Yeh and colleagues in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology pooled seven small studies with 167 rosacea patients and found erythema scores improved at one, two and three months.
Guide
Comparing photos across repeat visits to Busan
Because the texture effect in the trial faded after about two months, people who come back to Busan for further sessions often compare pictures taken months apart and in different seasons. Summer humidity and a beach tan change how skin reflects light, and dry winter air can make the same cheek look duller. A fair series keeps one baseline from before the first session, then pictures at the same week after each visit, in the same room at home.
Add a short note to every photo: the date, the product named on the consultation sheet and anything else done that day. That record separates a real change from a seasonal one.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Intradermal injection of botulinum toxin for erythema in rosacea: A scoping review and meta-analysisIndian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology · 2025 · doi:10.25259/ijdvl_274_2024
A meta-analysis of seven small studies in 167 rosacea patients found erythema scores improved one to three months after intradermal toxin, with mild weakness and bruising in some reports.
- A Double-Blind, Split-Face, Randomized Study on the Effects and Safety of Intradermal Injection of Botulinum Toxin A (Incobotulinum Toxin A) in the CheekAnnals of Dermatology · 2022 · doi:10.5021/ad.21.316
In 18 volunteers, the toxin-treated cheek improved in texture for eight weeks and in nasolabial fold lines for twelve weeks versus saline, with no significant effect on sebum.
FAQ
Questions about Botox in Busan
How soon after skin toxin can I take a fair after photo?
Wait at least two weeks, because the first days mostly show bumps, marks and sometimes a bruise. The toxin starts working within days, but surface changes build slowly. The 2022 Shin trial checked faces at weeks two, four, eight and twelve, a sensible schedule to copy at home with your own camera, giving a short series that says more than a single pair.
Why do my pictures show little change when my skin feels smoother?
Feel often changes before appearance, and a camera records light and shadow rather than smoothness under the fingertips. Fine texture shows up in side lighting, which most selfies do not use. Try a photo with a window to one side of the face, at the baseline distance, and pair it with a written note on how the skin feels. If neither shifts after several weeks, the treatment may not suit that concern.
Do first-day photos show swelling?
Pictures from the first day mostly record the small raised bumps left by each droplet, not swelling of the whole face. These blebs usually flatten within a few hours, and the pinpoint red marks fade soon after. Bruises are less common but can last several days. Ask the clinic when makeup may go back on, and treat any first-day image as a record of the procedure rather than of the outcome.
Can intradermal toxin change my face shape in photos?
It should not, because the droplets sit in the upper skin rather than deep in the chewing or expression muscles. If an after photo shows a slimmer jaw or lifted cheek, another treatment was probably involved or the angle changed. Placed too deep or in too high a dose, toxin can weaken nearby muscles; one volunteer in the Shin trial noticed facial weakness after 30 units in a cheek. An uneven smile is worth reporting.
How long will the difference in my photos last?
Expect the visible texture change to be temporary, usually fading over roughly two to three months. In the 2022 split-face trial, texture benefits lasted eight weeks and the fold-line change lasted twelve, after which the treated side moved back toward baseline. Duration varies with dose, skin type and product. A photo series that shows when the change began to fade makes it easier to decide whether to repeat.