Regenerative & Stem Cell Aesthetics

Regenerative and Stem Cell Aesthetics in Busan, Korea

Medically reviewed by Dr. Kim Ki-tae, MD — Board-Certified Specialist in Plastic Surgery, Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons; Director and founder, TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Regenerative and stem cell aesthetics in Busan is the category TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic uses for aesthetic treatment built on a patient's own tissue rather than on a manufactured filler or an implant. The clinic in Haeundae-gu lists one service inside it and assesses that service alongside its surgical and laser options rather than as a separate track. This page is deliberately narrow: it states what the clinic documents about the category and stops there.

What Is Stem Cell Cosmetic Treatment?

Stem cell cosmetic treatment is an aesthetic approach in which regenerative material taken from the patient's own body is prepared and then returned to a treatment area agreed at consultation.

• The clinic's own summary describes the category as combining stem cell treatment and anti-aging care with its surgical and laser practice.

• The concerns patients bring to it are skin quality, scars, wrinkles, pigmentation and loss of volume.

• What distinguishes the category is the source of the material, which is the patient's own tissue.

• Consultation assesses the concern, the skin and soft-tissue condition, medical history, goals, and whether an adipose-derived approach is appropriate at all.

• Treatment length and the number of visits change with the procedure selected and with whether it is combined with another aesthetic treatment.

One service sits in this category at present: Stem Cell MCT Injection. That is worth saying plainly, because the phrase "stem cell clinic" carries a much larger implication in US search results than a single listed aesthetic service supports.

The scope is also narrower than the word suggests in another way. Everything the clinic documents here is aesthetic — skin quality, soft-tissue volume, selected scars. Nothing in the clinic's material describes treatment for a disease, an injury or a degenerative condition, and this page makes no such claim on its behalf. If you arrived from a search about regenerative medicine for a medical diagnosis, this is not that, and a plastic surgery clinic is not where that question belongs.

TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic describes itself as a complex aesthetic surgery space, in which surgery is connected to non-surgical treatment and to advanced lasers, and stem cell and anti-ageing care are practised alongside them rather than kept apart. That sentence is the clinic's positioning, and on this page it has one practical reading. A regenerative treatment here is offered by a plastic surgery practice that also performs the operations and the device treatments it might be compared against.

Patients in the United States researching this subject should also read what their own regulator publishes about cell-based products, because the regulatory position on regenerative medicine differs by country and by product (FDA). Nothing on this page describes a treatment as approved, cleared or authorized by any regulator.

The clinic has not published an approved-claims list for this procedure and this market, so this page states no efficacy or outcome claim beyond what the clinic itself documents.

Who Performs Stem Cell Cosmetic Treatment at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic

**Dr. Kim Ki-tae
**Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Every treatment in this category is performed by Dr. Kim Ki-tae, the clinic's founder and its only doctor. Stem cell and regenerative anti-aging medicine is one of his documented core specializations, which places this category inside his stated area of concentration rather than at its edge.

Dr. Kim Ki-tae holds the Board-Certified Specialist designation in Plastic Surgery issued by the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He graduated from Inje University College of Medicine and trained as a Clinical Fellow in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Pusan National University from March 2003 to February 2004. He founded TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic in 2005 and has practised there ever since.

He is recorded as a Director of the Southeastern Anti-Aging Medicine Society, a role taken from his newspaper column byline of 28 October 2024. He chairs the Academic Committee of the Laser Plastic Surgery Research Group at the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, sits on that society's Academic Committee, serves on the Legislation Committee of the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons, and is General Affairs Director of the Busan Medical Association. He is a full member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, an international member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and a full member of the International Confederation for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.

He has spoken publicly on this subject. At the 266th Buil Women's University session, held at the Busan Ilbo small hall on 24 September 2024, he lectured under the title "Understanding Beauty: Talking About Aesthetic Plastic Surgery" and covered stem cell plastic surgery and stem cell anti-ageing treatment among the topics. His stated position from that lecture is short: "In aesthetic medicine, the process of diagnosis is very important."

TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic is a single-doctor clinic, so the surgeon who assesses you is the surgeon who treats you. His full profile is on the doctor page.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Stem Cell Cosmetic Treatment?

You may be a candidate if

• You are an adult seeking improvement in skin quality, soft-tissue volume, or selected scars.

• You are concerned about signs of skin aging or reduced skin elasticity.

• You have lost tissue volume in an area you want assessed.

• You are medically suitable following an individual consultation.

You may need to avoid or postpone treatment if

• You have an active localized skin infection.

• You have an uncontrolled systemic medical condition.

• You have an active malignancy.

• You have a severe clotting disorder.

Suitability also depends on your medical history, your current health, your treatment goals, and the condition of both the donor area and the treatment area. A clinician determines eligibility, and anyone in the second list should be cleared by a physician before treatment is considered.

What to Expect: Procedure, Recovery, and Results Timeline

Consultation comes first and is where the decision is actually made. The clinician reviews your concerns, examines the skin and soft tissue, takes your medical history and goals, and then judges whether a regenerative approach is appropriate for you. For international enquiries this normally begins with clear, unedited, well-lit photographs of the area from the front and the side, sent with your medical history and a current medication list.

In simple terms, the treated area is cleansed and prepared, numbing is applied, the treatment technique is carried out, and the area is calmed afterward. The exact sequence is explained step by step during consultation. The anesthesia approach depends on which treatment is being performed; the documented options range from local anesthesia, to local anesthesia paired with conscious sedation, to intravenous anesthesia where the scope of harvesting calls for it.

Preparation is set at consultation against the planned procedure and your history. The general instruction on record is to stop blood-thinning medications, NSAIDs, anti-inflammatory supplements, alcohol and nicotine products two weeks beforehand, to reduce bleeding and bruising.

Stage	What the clinic documents
Treatment session	Around two to four hours, covering harvesting, processing and injection
First 48 hours	Minor bruising and localized swelling reach their peak
Several days to two weeks	Mild swelling, tenderness or bruising at the treated area settles
Four to eight weeks	Progressive change in skin appearance is reported
One to three months	The result is described as reaching its final form
Three to six months	Outcomes are described as stable from this point
Stay in Korea	Five to seven days advised for monitoring and follow-up
Flying home	Usually cleared three to five days after treatment
Follow-up visits	One to two within the first week

Aftercare is undemanding but specific. Avoid vigorous massage or pressure on the treated area for about a week, and avoid strenuous exercise for a few days. Saunas, steam rooms, smoking and alcohol are all excluded during the early recovery weeks. Written aftercare guidance is issued to every patient and covers the day-by-day timeline for the procedure actually performed.

Longevity is the part patients most often misread. The clinic's documented range is several months up to around a year or two, depending on the technique used. Exact timing and duration vary with individual skin, tissue and healing characteristics, and are reviewed at follow-up rather than predicted in advance.

For a patient travelling from the United States, the sequencing question is worth raising early. The advised stay of five to seven days is built around monitoring and a follow-up check, not around the treatment itself, and the clearance to fly is a clinical judgement made once swelling has settled rather than a date fixed in advance. Book return travel with that flexibility in mind, and agree before you leave how a concern that appears after you are home will be reviewed.

Combining Stem Cell Cosmetic Treatment with Other Treatments

The clinic documents this category as something that can sit alongside conventional aesthetic procedures rather than replace them. Which combination suits you, and in what order, is decided with the doctor at consultation.

• Fat Grafting & Anti-Aging — facial fat grafting is recorded as a documented pairing.

• Skin & Laser Treatments — laser treatment is recorded as a pairing for certain skin and scar concerns.

• Facial Lifting & Anti-Aging — specialized anti-aging treatment is recorded as a documented pairing.

Safety, Precision, and Clinic Standards

The clinic has operated at the same address in Haeundae, Busan since 2005. TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic is a Registered Medical Institution for Attracting Foreign Patients, certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare under the Medical Overseas Expansion and Foreign Patients Attraction Act. It is also recorded as an officially certified clinic for anti-aging procedures using the GPS III Concentration System.

Sourcing, handling and consent documentation are the questions that matter most in this category, and they are the questions this page cannot answer for you. No protocol covering them is published, so none is described here; ask for them directly, in writing, at consultation. A clinic that cannot show you its consent paperwork is answering that question too.

Risks depend on the specific procedure. They may include swelling, bruising, infection, contour irregularity, inflammation, or a variable response to treatment. Asymmetric tissue response is documented as a possible outcome. Temporary nerve sensitivity is documented. Partial reabsorption of transplanted material is documented. General patient guidance on choosing a qualified provider and on setting expectations for cosmetic treatment is published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Some things cannot be promised, and the clinic does not promise them. Exact cell survival cannot be guaranteed. Identical symmetry between the two sides cannot be guaranteed. Natural facial aging continues, and no treatment in this category is documented as stopping it.

TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic publishes neither case volumes nor complication rates for this procedure, and this page claims neither. The clinic reports approximately 240 surgical procedures and approximately 3,600 non-surgical treatments a year; these are clinic-wide totals across everything it offers, not figures for this procedure. The clinic has not published a price or a price range for this procedure, so none is stated here, and cost is confirmed at consultation.

The Bottom Line

• The category covers aesthetic treatment using the patient's own tissue, and the clinic currently lists one service inside it.

• Dr. Kim Ki-tae performs it, names regenerative and anti-aging medicine among his core specializations, and is a Director of the Southeastern Anti-Aging Medicine Society.

• The clinic is officially certified for anti-aging procedures using the GPS III Concentration System.

• Sourcing, handling and consent detail is not published and should be requested at consultation.

• No biological outcome is promised here, and none should be inferred from the word "stem cell".

FAQ

What does this category actually include at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic?

It currently includes one listed service, Stem Cell MCT Injection. The clinic groups it with anti-aging care and assesses it against its surgical and device options in the same consultation. Anything beyond that single service would need to be confirmed with the clinic directly.

How long does the treatment take, and how long should I stay in Korea?

The documented workflow, from harvesting through processing to injection, runs about two to four hours. International patients are generally advised to allow five to seven days in Korea so that early monitoring and follow-up checks can happen before travel. Most patients are cleared to fly three to five days after treatment once swelling has stabilized.

Is it painful, and what anesthesia is used?

Most patients report mild to moderate discomfort, which is managed with numbing agents or pain medication. The anesthesia used depends on the treatment: local anesthesia, local anesthesia with conscious sedation, or intravenous anesthesia where more extensive harvesting is involved. The approach is agreed with you before the day.

When would I notice a change, and how long does it last?

Some change may be visible within days, with more of it appearing over the following weeks. The clinic documents the final result as developing over one to three months and lasting from several months up to around a year or two, depending on the technique. Individual skin, tissue and healing characteristics move those figures in both directions.

What are the common side effects?

Temporary swelling and minor bruising at the harvest or injection site are the usual ones, along with mild soreness and a feeling of tightness. Inflammation and contour irregularity are also documented as possible. Anything that worsens rather than settles should be reported to the clinic straight away.

What cannot be promised?

Cell survival cannot be guaranteed, symmetry between the two sides cannot be guaranteed, and no treatment here is documented as halting the natural aging of the face. Response varies between patients, and part of the transplanted material may be reabsorbed. Treat any source that promises otherwise with suspicion.

Can it be combined with other treatments?

Yes, and the clinic documents facial fat grafting, laser treatment and specialized anti-aging treatment as combinations it uses. The right pairing depends on the concern being treated and on what the assessment finds. The order and timing are set by the doctor at consultation.

Book a Consultation at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic

Regenerative and stem cell aesthetic treatment is available in Busan at TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic, and the consultation is the point at which a regenerative approach is either recommended or ruled out for you. Bring your questions about sourcing, handling and consent to that appointment. English-speaking assistance is available for both online and in-person consultations, and consultations are arranged through the clinic's contact page. TAE Plastic Surgery Clinic is at 4th Floor, Gunam Building, 27 Gunam-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, and opens Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 and Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00, closed Sundays and public holidays.

Disclaimer

This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute individualized medical advice. Candidacy, technique, anaesthesia and outcome can only be determined in an in-person consultation with a qualified doctor. Individual results vary.

References

• US Food and Drug Administration — Cellular and gene therapy products

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Cosmetic procedures