Agnes Medical

How Agnes Medical Built Its Approach to the Global Aesthetic Device Market

If you work in aesthetics or medical devices, you’ve probably heard of Agnes Medical. The company built its growth on one simple idea: start with clinical problems doctors face every day.

A company shaped by clinical practice

Agnes Medical develops devices based on dermatology practice. The founder, Dr. Gun-Young Ahn, is a dermatologist. He created treatments in his clinic, tested them, refined them, and turned them into devices you now see in markets across more than 30 countries, including the U.S.

Ahn also built the well-known Dr.G skincare brand earlier in his career. That experience helped him turn clinical insight into real products.

Key devices and what they do

Here’s a quick list of Agnes Medical’s main devices and their core uses:

Agnes

Originally designed for acne and syringoma
Targets the sebaceous gland to reduce recurrence
Expanded use: lifting, double chin treatment, body tightening
About 900 units sold in the U.S.

DoubleTite

RF-based device
Addresses pores, fine lines, pigmentation

PlasmaMagic

Plasma treatment
Helps with atopic dermatitis, acne inflammation, sensitive skin

Agnes Ultra

Recently received U.S. FDA clearance

How the company develops new devices

Agnes Medical follows a simple but strict process:

Start with a clinical need.
Test through animal studies.
Run clinical trials.
Build treatment protocols.
Publish papers and present at conferences.

Ahn believes this process keeps the company aligned with what doctors actually use, not what marketers think might sell.

Global expansion grounded in field work

The company exports to around 30 countries. The U.S. is its largest market.
Ahn travels monthly to the U.S. to train physicians and speak at conferences. He once spent three weeks moving across New York, Houston, and Los Angeles for back-to-back academic events.

He notes that Korean companies now make up 20–30% of presenters at some U.S. conferences, a big shift from a few years ago.

The regulatory and business hurdles

Ahn acknowledges the tough side of the medical device industry:

Each region requires its own certification: U.S., Japan, China, Europe.
Approvals cost money and take time.
Cosmetic brands focus on marketing because they sell B2C.
Medical devices operate in B2B, where patents and technical barriers matter more than branding.

The company’s approach to growth

Agnes Medical prefers steady growth instead of scaling quickly through investment.
Ahn stresses one principle:

“The growth of one employee leads to the growth of the company.”

The company supports this with flexible work systems, reading programs, and guaranteed parental leave.