Refining the nose and lip profile
An acute angle between the nose and upper lip | A profile with a long-looking philtrum
A recessed area between the nose and upper lip can make the nose look lower and the expression less relaxed.
J-Curl surgery adjusts this connection to refine the lip profile.
For a protruding mouth appearance, it can help the profile look more balanced.
Nasolabial angle (Nasolabial angle)
The angle where the columella meets the upper lip
Common reference ranges are approximately 90–95° for men and 95–105° for women
Nasolabial angle correction can be performed without an artificial implant,
depending on the individual case.
kowon plastic surgery
Using a simulation
to preview the planned
profile
Discuss and
plan the design
An incision inside
the nose
No external
incision scar
For a protruding
lip profile A more
balanced
appearance
Without an artificial
implant
Natural-looking
correction
REAL RESULT
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.
PROCESS
STEP 01
The ACR (alar–columellar relationship) describes how the alae and the columella sit in relation to each other. When the columella is short or set back, the philtrum looks longer and the mouth relatively more protruding. Designing the ACR as part of rhinoplasty changes not only the shape of the nose but the impression of the mouth area.
STEP 02
Raising the height of the tip and the nasolabial angle and bringing the columella line forward makes the line running from the tip through the philtrum to the lip trace a gentle J. The philtrum appears shorter and the lips set further back, so the profile improves without protrusion surgery.
STEP 03
It can be an alternative for people whose mouth reads as protruding but for whom two-jaw or anterior segmental surgery feels like too much; whose philtrum looks long; whose tip is low and nasolabial angle acute; or whose gums or mouth stand out when smiling. Where the protrusion is strongly skeletal, we discuss the appropriate approach at consultation.
STEP 04
Daily life resumes 1–2 weeks after the splint comes off, and the nasolabial angle and columella line settle naturally over the 1–3 months in which swelling subsides. We follow the course with your habits of expression in mind.
KOWON Youtube
From how the surgery works to how recovery goes — explained by the director himself
Q&A
If the skeletal protrusion of the gums and teeth is not severe and the mouth only reads as protruding, correcting the nasolabial angle and the ACR can improve it appreciably. Where the skeleton is the larger cause, we say so plainly at diagnosis and guide you toward the treatment that fits.
Roughly 95–105° for women and 90–95° for men is commonly regarded as natural. The angle that suits you, though, shifts with your overall facial proportions, your mouth and your forehead line, so the design is set individually rather than to a fixed number.
The incisions are placed inside the nose and in an inconspicuous position on the columella, so the marks are hard to see once time has passed. We also explain the suturing and the aftercare we use to keep scarring to a minimum.
SURGERY LOG
162 columns on Nasolabial angle · J-curl — the questions that come up most in the consulting room, written up by the doctor himself.
Drooping Tip Correction
A tip that stays put, even when you smile
Read more → about Drooping Tip CorrectionImplant-free Rhinoplasty
No implant — your own tissue alone
Read more → about Implant-free RhinoplastyConsultation
Dr. Kim Hyung-taek takes personal responsibility
from diagnosis through surgery and aftercare.
