Prioritizing Sustainability over Trends, and Substance over Flash: A Genuine Commitment to Your Skin

On the day we opened Heal House in Gangnam, I felt surprisingly calm. Rather than excitement about moving to a glamorous area, I felt a greater joy at being able to meet more people. Since we had started six years ago and persevered with sincerity, I think I was able to face the new environment with composure.

Looking back, the four years of residency and university hospital fellowship experience were a great help in opening the clinic in Gangnam. It was not simply a time to learn medical skills, but a meaningful time to learn through experience that deeply observing patients, showing sincere attention, and offering genuine empathy are as important as treatment itself. I could have pursued a path as a university professor, given my numerous conference participations and paper writing experiences, but I chose the path of a private practitioner. I wanted the threshold for the treatments and procedures I pursue to be low. To be more honest, I felt a bit frustrated thinking that the way to become healthy and beautiful is surprisingly simple, yet many people are wandering. So, together with Professor Jung Min Bae, with whom I shared the residency, and like-minded colleagues, we started Heal House. With the resolve to "create the one and only dermatology clinic that has never existed before."

In fact, Heal House started in Suwon. Then, as now, the reality is that most clinics focus on marketing and advertising. I think it is inevitable given the intense competition. But we decided to look elsewhere. With the mindset, "Let's form a precious bond with those who visit us. Let's always give our all." Once this philosophy took root in my heart, I found myself always giving my all. In this day and age, I sometimes hear that this is foolish, but I wanted visitors to leave feeling good and to think of Heal House with positive feelings. Perhaps thanks to this mindset, Heal House has successfully established itself. I am grateful to myself and to my colleagues for the daily lunch meetings to improve service and the relentless effort even after the clinic closes.

Nevertheless, there were limitations. The accessibility of Suwon was a constraint. Many people wanted to come but could not. So I made another resolution in my heart: "Let's go to a place where we can reach more people."

That is how we opened Heal House in Gangnam. Even though we came to Gangnam, our treatment philosophy has not changed. I would rather say it has become stronger. Some may think we have lost our初心 (original intention) by moving to a glamorous place, but our commitment to essence over flashiness and to sustainable treatments and procedures over temporary ones remains unchanged. So does our dedication, trust, warmth, and excellence.

We live by our motto, “Heartfelt care for your skin. Beyond satisfaction, to true delight.” To make it real, we keep listening to our patients through surveys, fixing what falls short and building on what works. We never want anyone who comes here for treatment or to feel more confident to leave with regrets. Our goal is to be remembered as a place of warm welcome and a genuinely pleasant experience.

Like it or not, this is the age of SNS. Trends do not last even a month, and sadly, there is no such thing as permanence in this world. The more that is the case, the more firmly we hold onto the idea of staying true to ourselves rather than being swept away by trends.

Essence over flashiness, a place where you can entrust your skin with peace of mind for life, procedures that shine in value over time rather than just momentarily, and above all, a space that makes you feel like yourself — this is the philosophy that Heal House pursues.

Sincerely, Hanmi Jung, Dermatologist