KOKO Plastic Surgery · Rhinoplasty
Nose Tip Surgery
Lift and refine a low, rounded tip
Nose tip surgery reshapes a low, rounded tip into a higher, more refined one. We balance it with your bridge to create a tip with more definition.
Options include grafting cartilage or other material to raise the tip, and removing part of the cartilage to reshape it. We choose based on the shape of your nose and the balance of your face.
Nose tip surgery45° · Photographed at our clinic
- Surgery time
- Under 1 hour
- Anesthesia
- Sedation
- Hospital stay
- Not needed
- Stitch removal
- After 4–6 days
- Recovery
- About 7 days
Who it is for
- Your tip is low and round compared with your bridge
- Your low tip makes your whole nose look low
- The line of your tip dropped after nose surgery
- Your tip is short and out of balance with your face
- You want to revise only the tip after a previous surgery
What is nose tip surgery?
When your tip is low or round compared with your bridge, the whole nose can look out of balance. Nose tip surgery adjusts the height and shape of the tip to bring your nose back into balance.
There are two main approaches. One raises a low tip by grafting cartilage, AlloDerm (acellular dermis) or similar material. The other removes part of the tip cartilage to reduce the volume of a round tip.
We decide on the technique based on the shape of your nose and the balance of your face.
After your surgery
Please keep the following in mind after surgery.
- The tape comes off 3 days after surgery.
- For the first week after surgery, apply cold packs often.
- If you bruise, apply a warm towel from 1 week after surgery. Better circulation helps swelling and bruising fade.
- Keep water off the surgical area until your stitches are out. To wash your face, wipe it with a damp towel, avoiding the surgical area.
- You can go back to your usual face washing and makeup the day after your stitches come out.
- Avoid wearing glasses for 4 weeks after surgery.
- For about 6 weeks, while the implant or cartilage settles, avoid any impact or pressure around your nose. Do not sleep on your side or front.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking for 1 month to help prevent inflammation.
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.
Tip surgery techniques
We choose the technique to suit your tip
We can change the shape of the tip by reshaping its cartilage, or raise it by grafting cartilage or other material. In the diagrams, the pink line shows your current tip and the dotted gray line shows the target line.
Refining a round tip
Reshaping the tip cartilage alone can slim a round tip, or lift a drooping tip slightly.
Cartilage resection and cartilage suturing
Cartilage resection removes part of the tip cartilage to reduce the volume of a round, large tip.
Cartilage suturing draws the left and right tip cartilages together with stitches. This narrows a wide tip and gives it a more defined point.
Bulbous Nose Correction
Raising a low tip
This approach adds height to the tip by grafting cartilage or other material.
Tip augmentation
We raise a low tip by grafting your own tissue (cartilage), AlloDerm (acellular dermis) or similar material.
To raise the tip further, we first build a support in the columella (the strip between your nostrils), using your own cartilage or artificial bone (Medpor). We then graft cartilage on top (tip augmentation with a columellar strut).
Correcting a tip that dropped after surgery
Revising only the tip
If the line of your tip dropped after a previous surgery, or you want to revise only the tip, tip surgery can correct it.
We check the current condition of your tip, then choose the technique that suits it.
Revision Rhinoplasty
WHY KOKO
Why patients choose KOKO for Nose Tip Surgery
- 01
Balanced with the whole nose
Rather than looking at the tip alone, we shape it while balancing the whole nose.
- 02
Chosen from several techniques
A one-on-one consultation lets us diagnose your tip accurately. We then choose, from several techniques, the one that suits your tip.
- 03
Long experience with the nose
KOKO Plastic Surgery opened in 2001 as the first clinic in Apgujeong specializing in nose surgery. With 25 years of nose surgery behind us, we aim for a tip in harmony with the whole nose.
- 04
Dr. Cho, from consultation to surgery
Dr. Cho Bae-jung, our representative director and a board-certified plastic surgeon, handles your consultation and performs your surgery himself.
Cases
Nose Tip Surgery before and after
Eyes are blurred for privacy. Tap a photo to enlarge it, then slide to compare before and after.
Our doctor’s promise
We choose your materials before surgery and explain them
At your consultation, Dr. Cho chooses the materials based on your nose and the shape you want, and explains why. If something unexpected is found during surgery, he tells you about it himself afterward.
We never use a material we have not proposed to you without your consent.
After surgery, we walk you through each step, showing you video and photos taken during the operation.
- Opened the first nose surgery clinic in Apgujeong
- Full member of the Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the Korean Society of Aesthetic Rhinoplasty and others
How long to stay
For nose tip surgery, plan to stay about a week
Stitches come out 4–6 days after surgery, and you can fly home once they are out. We plan your schedule together at your consultation.
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Day 1
Visit and consultation
An exam with Dr. Cho and a CT scan. We check your tip and decide on the technique and materials. A medical interpreter joins you.
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Surgery day
Surgery
Under 1 hour with sedation. No hospital stay.
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Following days
Follow-up checks
Wound care and swelling checks. The tape comes off 3 days after surgery. You come in from where you are staying.
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Days 4–6
Stitch removal
We remove the stitches and check your splint. Recovery takes about 7 days.
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Flying home
Surgery certificate
We prepare the documents you need to leave Korea. You can still reach us on WhatsApp after you fly home.
- Medical interpreterA professional medical interpreter joins your consultation and surgery
- Airport transferOne-way or round-trip, depending on your surgery fee
- AccommodationA guesthouse is provided. You can switch to a hotel
- Service details
FAQ
Common questions about Nose Tip Surgery
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Yes. We can reshape only the tip, or revise only the tip after a previous surgery. We decide on the height and shape of the tip in balance with your bridge.
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To raise the tip, we graft your own tissue (cartilage), AlloDerm (acellular dermis) or similar material. To raise it further, we build a support in the columella with your own cartilage or artificial bone (Medpor). Dr. Cho explains the materials at your consultation. We never use a material without explaining it to you and getting your consent.
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Yes. We remove part of the tip cartilage, or stitch the cartilages together, to reduce the volume of a round tip. If your tip is round and large, see our Bulbous Nose Correction page as well.
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Please avoid wearing glasses for 4 weeks after surgery. You can go back to your usual face washing and makeup the day after your stitches come out.
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No hospital stay is needed. Stitches come out 4–6 days after surgery, and you can fly home once they are out. Plan to stay about a week.
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It depends on your tip, the materials used 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.
How to start
Getting started is easy.
Book a consultation online, or send us your questions on WhatsApp. We will reply in English.
- Book online
Choose a date and time that suits you for your consultation.
- Ask on WhatsApp
A short question is enough to start.
- Photos are optional
Front, side and 45° photos help us give you a more specific cost estimate.
Scan with your phone to open a WhatsApp chat with us (+82 10-9608-0042).