What materials are used in non-implant rhinoplasty?

We combine rib cartilage (from the chest), ear cartilage, septal cartilage, dermis from the buttocks and similar tissue to suit your nose. Donor cartilage is sometimes used as well. Dr. Cho explains the materials at your consultation. We never use a material without explaining it to you and getting your consent.

How is it different from rhinoplasty with an implant?

No artificial implant such as silicone or Gore-Tex is placed. Your nose is shaped using only living tissue such as cartilage and dermis. It suits people who would rather not have an implant, or who have had side effects from one before.

Can I have this surgery if the skin on my nose is thin?

Yes. People with very thin skin on the nose are candidates for non-implant rhinoplasty. We check your nose first, then suggest the materials and approach that suit it.

Can I have it if my nose has been inflamed before?

Yes. People who have had inflammation in the nose are also candidates. We decide after checking how your nose is now. Send three photos of your face — front, side and 45° — on WhatsApp (+82 10-9608-0042), along with your surgical history.

How much does non-implant rhinoplasty cost?

It varies widely with the materials used, the extent of surgery and whether you have had surgery before. Send three photos of your face — front, side and 45° — on WhatsApp (+82 10-9608-0042), along with your surgical history. We will give you an estimate, and we can also go over it in an online consultation.

KOKO Plastic Surgery · Rhinoplasty

Non-Implant Rhinoplasty

Shaped with your own tissue, without an implant

Non-implant rhinoplasty shapes your nose using only living tissue such as cartilage and dermis, with no silicone or other artificial implant.

Your nose is built from your own cartilage and dermis. This lets you aim for a natural result that looks like the nose you were born with.

Book online

BEFORE AFTER

Non-implant rhinoplastySide · Photographed at our clinic

Surgery time: About 2 hours
Anesthesia: Sedation
Hospital stay: Not needed
Stitch removal: After 4–6 days
Recovery: About 7 days

Who it is for

You strongly prefer not to have an implant
The skin on your nose is very thin
You have a dorsal hump or a downturned tip, and raising the tip alone would balance the shape
You have had inflammation in your nose before
You have had side effects from an implant in the past

What is non-implant rhinoplasty?

Implants used in rhinoplasty include silicone, Gore-Tex and Medpor. Non-implant rhinoplasty is rhinoplasty that uses none of these.

Instead, we combine living tissue such as your own cartilage (or donor cartilage) and dermis to raise and reshape your nose.

How the surgery is done

The bridge is raised with a combination of dermis, rib cartilage, septal cartilage and similar tissue.

The tip is made of soft tissue, so we choose septal, ear or rib cartilage to suit your nose. Shaping the tip with cartilage helps it look natural.

Which materials we use, and how we combine them, depends on your nose.

What non-implant rhinoplasty offers

Building your nose from your own tissue has these features:

No implant is used, so it suits people worried about implant side effects
You can aim for a natural result that looks like your own original nose
The nose is built from living tissue, with the aim of holding its shape over time

Results and recovery vary from person to person.

Risks and side effects

Results and recovery vary from person to person. The main risks and side effects are:

Swelling and bruising after surgery
Infection or inflammation
Asymmetry, or a result that differs from what you pictured
An implant shifting, showing through or becoming exposed (when an implant is used)
Pain or a scar where rib cartilage was taken (when rib cartilage is used)
Contracture (tissue hardens and the nose shrinks)

If anything concerns you, you can still reach us on WhatsApp after you fly home.

Materials we use

Materials combined to suit your nose

These are the main materials used in non-implant rhinoplasty. We choose what suits the bridge and the tip separately.

Main materials in non-implant rhinoplasty

Rib cartilage (from the chest)

The cartilage part of a rib. Because ample amounts can be harvested, it is used mainly to raise the bridge, and sometimes for the tip.
Rhinoplasty with Rib Cartilage
Ear cartilage

Cartilage taken from the hollow on the inner side of the ear. It is used mainly for the tip.
Septal cartilage

The cartilage that divides the inside of your nose into left and right. It is used for the tip, and combined with other materials to raise the bridge.
Your own dermis

Dermis taken from the skin of the buttocks. It is combined with cartilage to raise the bridge.

WHY KOKO

Why patients choose KOKO for Non-Implant Rhinoplasty

01
A clinic built around the nose

KOKO Plastic Surgery opened in 2001 as the first clinic in Apgujeong specializing in nose surgery. We have performed nose surgery for 25 years.
02
Experience with non-implant surgery

Dr. Cho Bae-jung, our representative director, has built up many years of experience and know-how in rhinoplasty without implants. He draws on it to create a nose that looks naturally attractive.
03
Materials chosen area by area

We choose the cartilage or dermis for the bridge and the tip separately, based on each area and the condition of your nose.
04
Dr. Cho, from consultation to surgery

Dr. Cho, a board-certified plastic surgeon, handles your consultation and performs your surgery himself.

Cases