Should I Get Skin Treatment Before LASIK in Korea?

If you’re coming to Korea for both LASIK and skin treatments, timing matters. Many visitors plan multiple procedures in one trip, but it’s important to understand what is safe before eye surgery and what should be done after instead.

Some skin procedures are perfectly fine before LASIK—while others may interfere with eye exam accuracy, healing, or safety.

Here’s a simple guide to help you plan your schedule confidently.

Can You Get Skin Treatments Before LASIK?

Yes—some treatments are completely safe before LASIK.
But some procedures should be avoided right before eye surgery because they may cause swelling, irritation, or affect pre-operative measurements.

The key is understanding which treatments are gentle and which are too close to the eye or too inflammatory right before LASIK.

Safe Skin Treatments to Do Before LASIK

These treatments do not affect your eyes, cornea measurements, or LASIK healing.

1. Basic Medical Facials

• Aqua peel
• Hydration facial
• Calming or LED facials
• Pore cleansing
  Safe timing: 1–3 days before LASIK

These keep skin calm without causing swelling around the eyes.

2. Gentle Laser Toning (Pico Toning / Brightening Laser)

• Brightening
• Pigmentation care
• Redness reduction
  Safe timing: 2–5 days before surgery

These lasers do not affect the eye area or corneal surface.

3. Light Chemical Peels

• AHA/BHA
• Enzyme peel
• Mild brightening peel
  Safe timing: 3–5 days before LASIK

Avoid anything too strong or ablative.

4. Neck or Jawline Treatments

• RF tightening
• HIFU jawline
• Jawline facials
  Safe timing: Anytime before surgery

These do not compromise eye exams or LASIK safety.

Treatments to Avoid Right Before LASIK

Some procedures cause swelling, irritation, or pressure near the eyes—making them risky close to surgery.

1. Eye-Area Treatments (Avoid)

• Under-eye lasers
• Eye bags laser
• Brow or eyelid tightening
• Periorbital filler
  Avoid for: 5–7 days before LASIK

These can cause puffiness that alters pre-LASIK measurements.

2. Strong Laser Resurfacing (Avoid)

• Fractional CO2
• Deep Fraxel
• Strong resurfacing
  Avoid for: 1–2 weeks before LASIK

Intense inflammation around the eye is not ideal before surgery.

3. Thread Lifting

Especially around eyes or temples.

Avoid for: 1 week before LASIK

Threads may cause swelling or temporary tension around the orbital area.

4. Injectables Close to the Eyes

• Tear trough filler
• Crow’s feet Botox
• Under-eye booster
  Avoid for: 3–7 days before LASIK

You can do Botox/filler after surgery instead.

Why Timing Matters

LASIK requires perfect eye measurements.
Anything that causes:

• Puffiness
• Swelling
• Temporary dryness
• Irritation around the eyes
• Increased tearing
• Facial pressure

…can interfere with the accuracy of the pre-operative exam.

Korean eye clinics also recommend having calm facial skin during your LASIK day to avoid accidental rubbing or irritation.

Ideal Scheduling Example for Korea Travelers

If you want to do both skin treatment + LASIK:

Day 1–2:
Do safe, light skin treatments

• Aqua peel
• Pico toning
• Hydration glow facial
• Gentle brightening
• Calm laser

Day 3:
LASIK consultation + surgery

Day 4–5:
Rest (LASIK recovery requires no rubbing, no spas, no hot steam)

After Day 7:
You may resume:

• Eye-area lasers
• Under-eye fillers
• RF tightening
• HIFU
• Threads (if planned)

After Day 14:
Stronger lasers, fractional resurfacing, etc.

If You Have Only 1–2 Days Before LASIK

Stick to super gentle treatments only, such as:

• Aqua peel
• Hydration calming facial
• LED therapy
• Mild brightening laser

Avoid anything aggressive or around the eye area.

Final Takeaway

You can safely get skin treatments before LASIK in Korea—as long as they are gentle and not performed around the eyes. Avoid anything that might cause swelling, pressure, or irritation close to surgery day.

Safe before LASIK:

• Gentle facials
• Pico toning
• Mild peels
• Jawline + neck tightening

Avoid before LASIK:

• Eye-area treatments
• Deep resurfacing
• Threads
• Fillers near the eyes