Sources and References

Clinical claims on this site are traceable. This page explains how we cite, what we count as a usable source, and where to check a statement for yourself. If a claim on a treatment page has no source behind it, it should not be there, and we would like to know.

How we cite

References sit at the foot of the page that uses them, so you can check a claim without leaving it. Where a source is indexed in PubMed we link to the PubMed record rather than to a summary of it, so that you reach the abstract and the identifiers directly.

We link to the study, not to a news article about the study. Where only a paywalled full text exists, we link the abstract and say so.

What we count as a source

Peer-reviewed literature	Systematic reviews and controlled trials carry the most weight, then cohort studies, then case series. Case reports are cited as illustration only.
Society guidance	Guidelines and position statements from societies in dermatology, laser medicine and aesthetic surgery.
Regulatory records	Approvals, indications and safety notices from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and equivalents such as the FDA.
Manufacturer documentation	Used only for device and product specifications, such as wavelength, pulse duration or composition. Never used as evidence of effect.
Clinical experience	Practice at this clinic, always labeled as such, and never presented as evidence of a general effect.

Research by our own doctors

The doctors at this clinic have published in medical journals on the devices and injectables they use. Those papers are listed with links on the Journal Articles page. They are cited on treatment pages in the same way as any other source, and the authorship is stated so that you can weigh it.

Standing references by treatment group

References specific to a treatment sit on that treatment page. This section collects the sources that apply across a whole group.

Our own published work is grouped under the same six headings the research is indexed by:

Energy-based devices	Radiofrequency and focused ultrasound: collagen and ligament response, pigmentation, lipolysis.
Botulinum toxin	Dosing, combination with energy-based devices, and adverse effects.
Fillers	Placement, anatomy and complication avoidance.
Deoxycholic acid	Injection lipolysis.
Skin boosters	Injected treatments aimed at skin quality rather than volume.
Anatomy, surgery and thread	Facial anatomy underlying the treatments above.

Broken and superseded links

Links are checked when a page is re-reviewed. When a source moves, we repoint the link. When a source is retracted or superseded, we do not quietly swap it out: the claim that rested on it is re-examined, and if it no longer holds, the claim goes. Changes of that kind are recorded under the Correction Policy.

Tell us if a source does not support the claim

If you follow a reference and it does not say what the page says it says, that is a correction and we want to hear about it. Contact details and what happens next are in the Correction Policy.

The rules on this page are set by the Medical Editorial Policy.