Low Nose in Korea — The Right Method for Your Type & How Long to Stay

Read this if you...

• Have a low nose bridge that makes your face look flat from the side
• Have a nose that looks spread out from the front and are told your features look blurry
• Have a fine bridge but a low or short tip, so the nostrils show a lot
• Have a sunken area between the eyes (start of the bridge) that makes your look appear soft or flat
• Have a low bridge together with wide nostrils, so the nose looks big

Low Nose — Start by Identifying Your Type

The same worry of a "low nose" calls for different methods depending on where it is low. Check how your nose looks from the front, the side and from below in a mirror.

Three Options — Filler, Implant, Your Own Tissue

Nose filler

Hyaluronic acid filler is injected into the bridge, between the eyes or the tip to add volume. It takes 10–30 minutes and you can return to your routine right away, but skin can only stretch so far, so a realistic goal is "slightly higher and smoother than your original nose." It cannot narrow the nose or change the direction of the tip.

Implant augmentation

An incision is made inside the nostril and an implant such as silicone or Gore-Tex (ePTFE) is placed over the bridge to add height. Silicone keeps a consistent shape and is relatively easy to remove if needed; Gore-Tex is soft and tissue grows into it so it settles in place. A combination of the two is also used. Which material suits you depends on your skin thickness and desired height, and your doctor decides.

Autologous tissue tip surgery

The tip moves a lot and its skin is thin, so extending an implant to the tip raises the risk of showing through and infection. That is why your own cartilage (septum, ear or rib) is generally used to raise or lengthen the tip. A common combination is an implant for the bridge and your own cartilage for the tip.

At a Glance — Longevity, Stay, Recovery & Reversal

If you want to try a light change in a short stay, choose filler; if you want a lasting change, choose surgery. But rather than choosing only because your stay is short, first check what is actually possible given your nose structure.

How to Choose by Type

• If only the bridge is low and you want a small change → many people try nose filler first.
• If you want the bridge clearly raised → implant augmentation. If your skin is thin or it is a revision, we also consider your own tissue such as dermis or cartilage.
• If the tip is low and short → raising only the bridge can make the tip look even lower, so we also consider autologous cartilage tip surgery or septal extension.
• If the area between the eyes is sunken → fill it with filler, or adjust where the implant starts and its shape during surgery. Raising it too much can make your look appear unnatural.
• If the nostrils are also wide → raising only the height can make the nose look bigger, so we discuss nostril reduction as well. Filler cannot narrow the nose.

If You Choose Nose Filler — Safety & Genuine Products

The nose has many blood vessels right under the skin, connected to vessels that go to the eye. If filler blocks a vessel, skin necrosis can rarely occur and, very rarely, vision problems. If you have severe pain during or right after the procedure, skin turning white or a net-like mottled pattern, or blurred vision, contact the clinic and your manager immediately. Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with hyaluronidase.

Genuine product checklist

• Have the product name and amount (cc) explained before the procedure
• Check that the packaged product is opened in front of you
• Look at the product name, lot number and expiry date on the syringe and box
• Get the genuine-product sticker or take a photo of it
• Ask to see the empty syringe and label after the procedure

Length of Stay — Short for Filler, Longer for Surgery

Nose filler: 2–3 night plan

• Day 1
  Arrive → consultation → nose filler. Rest at your accommodation in the evening and avoid alcohol and saunas.
• Day 2
  Light sightseeing is fine. Share a photo of the skin color at the tip and between the eyes with your manager
• Day 3
  Check the shape and skin color at the clinic, then fly home

Surgery (implant / tip plasty): 9 nights, 10 days

• Day 1
  Arrive → in-person consultation and pre-surgery tests
• Day 2
  Surgery → rest at accommodation near the clinic
• Days 3–4
  Clinic dressing change and removal of nasal packing. Rest at your accommodation; only short walks nearby
• Days 5–6
  Light outings wearing a mask
• Day 7
  Splint and stitches removed
• Days 8–9
  Light sightseeing and shopping. Avoid saunas and alcohol.
• Day 10
  Final check-up → fly home

When Can I Fly?

• Nose filler: stay near the clinic on the day of the procedure; it is safer to book your flight home for the next day or later.
• Surgery: you can fly after the splint and stitches are removed (days 5–7) and your doctor gives the go-ahead.
• Cabin air is dry, so drink water often and don't blow your nose hard. Pressure changes may make your nose feel a little stuffy.
• Don't press on your nose with glasses or a sleep mask.
• For long-haul routes such as the Americas, Europe and Australia, leave a day or two of buffer.

Cautions While Traveling & Aftercare at Home

General cautions

• Avoid saunas, jjimjilbang and hot baths for 1 week after filler and 1 month after surgery
• Avoid alcohol and intense exercise for 2–3 days after filler and 1 month after surgery
• Don't press or bump your nose — be careful in crowds and when holding children
• Wear a hat and mask on days with strong UV

Additional after surgery

• Sleep with your head elevated for 2 weeks and don't sleep face down
• Sneeze with your mouth open, and keep glasses from putting weight on your nose for about 4 weeks
• If the clinic advises it, keep taping the tip after you return home
• Have your progress checked with front and side photos at about 1, 3 and 6 months after returning home

If you have a fever, a nose that is getting redder, hotter and more painful, sudden severe swelling on one side only, or a feeling that the implant is showing through, contact your manager right away even after you return home.

How to Verify a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

In Korea, any licensed doctor can list "plastic surgery" as a clinic department, but "board-certified plastic surgeon" is a qualification granted only to doctors who complete residency training and pass the exam. For surgery that changes structure, like nose surgery, always check for board certification.

• Clinic name: a clinic named like "OO Plastic Surgery Clinic" (with plastic surgery in the name) is one opened by a specialist. A clinic named "OO Clinic, Department: Plastic Surgery" may not have a specialist.
• Check the specialist certificate and doctor's name in the clinic or on its website, and see whether it matches the doctor you consulted.
• You can search the doctor's name in the specialist finder of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and the Korean Society of Plastic Surgeons.
• Check that the surgeon's name is written on the surgical consent form and that the doctor you consulted performs the surgery personally.
• Ask whether an anesthesiologist is present for general or sleep anesthesia.

Questions to Ask at Your Consultation

1. What type of low nose do I have? Is the problem the bridge, the tip or the area between the eyes?
2. Will filler give the change I want, or do I need surgery? Why?
3. If surgery, what material is the bridge implant, and which cartilage will be used for the tip?
4. Realistically, how much height can I get with my skin thickness?
5. Do I need to reduce my nostrils too?
6. Will the doctor who consulted me perform the procedure (surgery) personally? What type of anesthesia?
7. On which day are the splint and stitches removed, and when can I fly?
8. What are the criteria for revision or touch-up if the result differs from what I expected?
9. Will you check my progress by photo after I go home? Can I get my surgical record (including the material name and size)?

Criteria for Choosing a Clinic

• Does it explain all your options based on your nose structure, rather than deciding on filler or surgery first?
• Does a board-certified plastic surgeon consult and operate personally, and is the doctor who consulted you the one who operates?
• Does it look at your skin thickness and cartilage condition and honestly explain the realistic range of change?
• For filler, is the product opened in front of you, and do they explain how they handle vascular complications (hyaluronidase on hand)?
• Is there foreign-language service and photo follow-up after you return home?

KBEAU connects you with partner clinics of board-certified plastic surgeons in Gangnam and Apgujeong. Send front and side photos and we will tell you in advance your low nose type, which methods between filler and surgery are possible, and the number of days you need to stay. A dedicated manager accompanies you through consultation, procedure and stitch removal to help with interpretation. We can also arrange accommodation near the clinic and an airport pickup car.