Name decoder · Injectable
Skin botox: what superficial toxin injections mean
스킨보톡스 · 더모톡신
Checked 2026-10-22. Prepared with AI assistance from the sources listed below; not reviewed by a doctor. Not medical advice.
On a Korean clinic menu, 스킨보톡스 (skin botox, also called 더모톡신) means many tiny drops of diluted botulinum toxin injected superficially, in the dermis or just beneath it, rather than deep into a muscle.[1][2] Clinics market it for oil, pores and fine texture.
The evidence is small and mixed, and none of the three toxin labels we checked lists pores or oil as an approved use.[3][4][5][6]
At a glance
- Korean names
- 스킨보톡스 · 더모톡신[2]
- English names
- Microbotox, intradermal botox. These name a technique, not a product.[1]
- Product
- Skin botox names a technique, not a product. Ask for the exact product and its local label; evidence for one formulation does not carry over to every brand.[5]
- Where it goes
- Superficially, in the dermis or just beneath it; it may also act on the superficial facial muscles.[1]
- Approved uses on toxin labels
- US Botox Cosmetic: temporary improvement of moderate to severe frown, crow’s-feet and forehead lines and neck (platysma) bands in adults.[4] The only intradermal use on the US Botox label is severe underarm sweating.[5] The Korean Botox label we checked lists underarm sweating and frown and crow’s-feet lines, with no mention of pores or oil.[6]
- Also called
- microbotox
In Korean searches
In Korean Naver searches, the term 스킨보톡스 comes up 2.5× as often as the plain word for Botox (보톡스); searches naming it make up 26.8% of all the toxin-related searches we track.
From the Korea Treatment Radar, October 2026. Search interest, not treatments performed.
What the studies measured
Small studies found less oil on the forehead;[7][8] a small split-face trial found better texture but no significant change in pore size or oil;[9] a 2024 review called the results promising but not yet firm.[3]
The studies are small, mostly on the forehead, and several come from the same research groups. They are a reason to ask good questions, not a promise of results.
| Study | Design | People | Measured | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose & Goldberg, 2013[7] | Open study, no control group | 25 | Forehead oil (sebum meter) | Less oil from 1 week to 3 months |
| Kesty & Goldberg, 2021[8] | Double-blind, placebo-controlled | 50 | Forehead oiliness | Less oiliness at the two higher doses, through 6 months |
| Sapra et al., 2017[9] | Single-blind, split-face: two toxin products compared on opposite sides; muscle injections added at week 2 | 10 women | Texture, pore size, oil | Better texture; no significant change in pore size or oil |
| Rahman et al., 2024[3] | Systematic review and meta-analysis | 10 studies, 153 people | Oil, pores, texture and more | Improvements reported, but not enough evidence for a firm conclusion |
Not the same as
- Botox into the jaw muscle (사각턱 보톡스) or salivary glands (침샘 보톡스): same drug, different target and purpose.
- Skin boosters (스킨부스터): injections of other products such as hyaluronic acid or PN, not toxin.
Questions to ask the clinic
- Which toxin brand will you use, and what is it approved for?
- What are we treating, oil, pores or texture, and how will we judge the result?
- Is it injected into the skin or into muscle, and where on my face?
- Could it change my facial expression, and for how long?
- Who does the injecting?
Read next
Sources
- Wu WTL, Plast Reconstr Surg 2015;136(5S):92S–100S (microbotox technique paper)↩1↩2↩3
- Example of Korean clinic usage of 더모톡신 / 스킨보톡스 (marketing page, usage only)↩1↩2
- Rahman E et al., Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open 2024 (systematic review and meta-analysis, 10 studies)↩1↩2↩3
- US FDA label: Botox Cosmetic (onabotulinumtoxinA), revised October 2024↩1↩2
- US FDA label: Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), revised February 2026↩1↩2↩3
- Korean drug information (KPIC, health.kr): 보톡스주50단위 label, checked October 22, 2026↩1↩2
- Rose AE, Goldberg DJ, Dermatol Surg 2013 (open study, intradermal toxin and forehead oil, n=25)↩1↩2
- Kesty K, Goldberg DJ, Dermatol Surg 2021 (double-blind placebo-controlled trial, forehead oil, n=50)↩1↩2
- Sapra P et al., J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2017 (split-face randomized pilot, n=10; NCT02907268)↩1↩2
Manufacturer pages establish what a product is, not that it works. Regulatory filings describe what a regulator cleared or approved in that country. Glow in Seoul editorial; no clinic paid for or reviewed this page. See our transparency page.