STEP 01
Tip cartilage
Splayed tip cartilage is drawn together and tidied
TYPE 05 — Bulbous nose
Bulbous nose
How is a bulbous nose operated on?
Clearing what makes the tip look blunt — splayed cartilage, thick skin — so the tip reads clearly.
KOWON's surgical approach
What the operation actually addresses, step by step.
- Tip cartilage
- Contour
- Soft tissue
- Alar base
kowon plastic surgery
Who comes in with this
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A tip that is round and broad, making the whole nose look large
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Skin thick enough that the tip has no visible contour
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A bridge that is fine, but a tip that makes the nose look heavy
In Dr. Kim's words
This is the most common type among Koreans and East Asians.
With a bulbous nose, skin thickness accounts for a very large part of the result.
The splayed tip cartilage is drawn together, and tip cartilage grafting improves the shape of the tip. Where the skin is very thick and fleshy, soft-tissue reduction is sometimes done alongside.
Many people with a bulbous nose also feel their alar base looks spread, and want alar reduction at the same time. But raising the tip narrows the alar base with it, so often it is not needed.
I recommend alar reduction only where it is genuinely required.
— Kim Hyung-taek
PROCESS
How it is done
STEP 02
Contour
Tip cartilage grafting — septal, ear or rib — props the tip and forms the contour
STEP 03
Soft tissue
Thick soft tissue reduced where needed
STEP 04
Alar base
Alar reduction alongside only where spread remains
Recovery
How it goes varies a little with the extent of surgery and what was done alongside. Below is the usual course.
- Day 5Stitches outDay 7 where alar reduction or rib cartilage was involved.
- 2–3 weeksThe bulk of the swellingA bulbous nose stays swollen longer than other types. The bulk of it goes over two to three weeks.
- 6 months – 1 yearTip contourThe contour of the tip sharpens gradually over six months to a year.
- 2 monthsNo touchingAvoid touching or pressing the tip for two months.
SURGERY LOG
Representative records for this type
Dr. Kim's own notes on what each nose presented with and how it was solved.
Q&A
Frequently asked questions
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It does. But the right expectation is that the bluntness is tidied and a contour appears, rather than a sharply defined tip.
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Only where the alar base still stands out after the tip has been raised. We do not bundle it in from the start.
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The thicker the skin, the longer it lasts. The bulk goes in two to three weeks; the tip contour sharpens over six months to a year, and we manage swelling with a laser at your visits.
Consultation tip Pinch the skin at your tip between your fingers. If it feels thick, the operation is centred on propping the tip rather than on drawing cartilage together.
Related procedures
Alar reduction
Read more →Drooping Tip
Read more →RIBFIT™ Autologous Implant
Read more →
Consultation
Bulbous nose
Dr. Kim Hyung-taek takes personal responsibility
from diagnosis through surgery and aftercare.
Outcomes and side effects vary from person to person. Bleeding, infection, swelling and asymmetry may occur. Please consult our medical team before making a decision.