#BeautyIndustry

Cosmetic tourism is reshaping travel and health decisions across Asia, with South Korea at the forefront. Apgujeong’s “Plastic Surgery Street” in Gangnam now attracts more international visitors than ever, sparking debates about safety, pricing, and cultural attitudes toward beauty. For Thai readers, this shift offers opportunities and risks as local clinics respond to global competition.

In recent years, Seoul has shifted from being famed for beauty brands and K-pop to becoming a premier destination for cosmetic procedures and dermatology. Official projections aimed to attract 700,000 medical tourists by 2027 now appear conservative, as late-2024 data show nearly 1.2 million international patients. Skin treatments and cosmetic surgery make up a large portion of this influx. Industry analyses note Korea’s openness to aesthetic enhancements, cutting-edge innovations, and aggressive pricing as drivers of demand.

South Korea’s rise as a global centre for cosmetic tourism is making waves throughout Asia and influencing medical travel trends worldwide. Fresh research and reportage reveal the bustling “Plastic Surgery Street” of Apgujeong in Gangnam, Seoul, now attracts more international visitors than ever, transforming the local beauty industry and prompting fresh debates on safety, pricing, and cultural attitudes towards cosmetic enhancement. The implications, both opportunities and risks, are especially pertinent for Thais considering cosmetic treatments abroad, and for the domestic industry responding to global change.

A recent study highlights a troubling link between everyday beauty products and exposure to cancer-causing substances. Researchers found that more than half of the personal-care items used by a group of women in Los Angeles contained formaldehyde or chemicals that release it. The findings, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters on May 8, 2025, have intensified calls for tighter ingredient regulation and clearer labeling—issues that resonate with Thailand’s fast-growing beauty market.

A new study has found that more than half of the beauty and personal-care products used by Black and Latina women in Los Angeles contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, highlighting a worrying connection between daily grooming habits and exposure to cancer-causing substances. Published on May 8, 2025 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, the study has reignited calls from health experts and advocacy groups for tighter regulation of cosmetic ingredients and greater transparency for consumers—concerns that resonate far beyond the United States, including in Thailand’s rapidly growing beauty industry.