STEP 01
Tip cartilage
Septal + ear cartilage first, then rib — your own or donor — judged by the strength required
TYPE 03 — Short & upturned nose
Short & upturned nose
How is a short or upturned nose operated on?
Bringing the tip down so the nostrils show less. The tip is supported and lowered with your own cartilage — septal, ear or rib.
KOWON's surgical approach
What the operation actually addresses, step by step.
- Tip cartilage
- Support
- Bridge
- Aftercare
kowon plastic surgery
Who comes in with this
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A nose whose nostrils are plainly visible from the front
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A tip that is turned up, making the middle of the face look short
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A tip pulled upward after previous surgery (contracture)
In Dr. Kim's words
This type is common in Koreans and East Asians generally, so it is what I meet most often in the consulting room.
With lowering a tip, how long it holds matters as much as the operation itself. A beautiful result is no use if it does not last.
I build a structure that props the columella firmly with cartilage, so the tip does not ride back up.
With tying and stacking cartilage alone, the nose often looks long enough at first and then rides up and shortens again a few months later.
That said, if your skin is short and tight you must not be greedy. How far the tip can come down is decided by your skin, not by me.
So at consultation I pull the tip skin myself and tell you roughly how far it will go.
How far to lower it also has to be judged together with the angle between the nose and the upper lip — the nasolabial angle — for the balance to work.
— Kim Hyung-taek
PROCESS
How it is done
STEP 02
Support
The tip is propped on a cartilage strut and its direction corrected downward
STEP 03
Bridge
Reinforced alongside if the bridge is low
Recovery
How it goes varies a little with the extent of surgery and what was done alongside. Below is the usual course.
- Day 3ShoweringFrom day 3 if rib cartilage was used.
- Day 5Stitches outDay 7 if rib cartilage was used.
- During recoveryNo earphonesIf ear cartilage was taken, do not use an earphone in that ear while it heals.
- During recoveryDo not touch or blowUntil the lowered tip settles, avoid touching it or blowing your nose.
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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With the tip lowered the nostrils show less, which calms the whole impression. It is less that the nose gets longer, more that a tip which was riding up returns to where it belongs.
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It is taken from behind the ear, so the outward shape is unaffected. You only need to avoid pressing that ear while it heals.
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It depends on how much give your skin has. We do not promise a number; at consultation we show the possible range in a simulation.
Consultation tip Check how much of the nostril shows from the front, and whether it rides up further when you smile. If you have had previous nose surgery, note the date and the material used as far as you know them.
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Consultation
Short & upturned 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.