If you open any newspaper or get connected to the internet to do research about cosmetic surgery procedures, it is not hard to find the so called Korean rhinoplasty or Korean nose sculpturing. The term sounds very professional, but who really understands the real meaning for this procedure? Many people will ask, a nose job is a nose job, why the necessity to add the word Korean? So the nose made by a Korean surgeon is different from a nose by an American surgeon? Do I really need to get a Korean Style nose job?

In order to explain the contents of a Korean nose job, we must understand first its origin. The truth is around a decade ago, Korean cosmetic surgeons in the same manner as most Taiwanese cosmetic surgeons, all follow the nose job performed by American cosmetic surgeons, simply implanting a L or I shape nose bridge into the nose area, and this was considered a nose job as requested by customer. However Asian people are genetically born with thicker nose tip and shorter length of nose, therefore, gradually the traditional nose job performed for the more squared face Asian woman was not as ideal. This is when a Korean Otolaryngologist Dr Jong, for the first time used the open surgery techniques originally intended to reconstruct noses, that were severely damaged by an accident in cosmetic surgery field. This kind of surgery in addition to being able to reconstruct nose bridge and the nose cartilages, it can also embellish nose tip and bridge (There are people who also call this procedure nose sculpturing). Giving the traditional nose job a whole new concept. It was also due to the efforts and persistence from Dr. Jong; that changed the minds of many other cosmetic surgeons, who originally believed nose job was simply to put in a new nose and surgery is done ideas, and started practicing this kind of Korean style nose jobs. With most of the Korean actors and actress all having received this surgery as advertisement, helped making the Korean open nose job surgery well known worldwide and thus, the leader in this industry. During my days in Korea, I had the fortune to work and study under Dr. Jong and witnessed the dedication and effort he put in the research and improvement of this technique. Returning to Taiwan, I have the obligation to spread the good work of my mentor and pass along the core spirit of this surgery.

Putting it in a simpler way, the core spirit for Korean style nose job lies on the detailing of the nose tip, no mater if it is the nose tip shape, bridge angle, wideness of the nose, size for the nostrils, they all have a standard to be considered perfect, maybe most people have heard of these standards, so I will not spend extra time explaining it here. In order to make a perfect Korean style nose job, we must proceed to correct many of the cartilages inside the nose tip, padding it up, remove, or re-make. These tedious and complicated steps do take much time to complete, however they can guarantee effects for the surgery to last long and perfect. In addition, Korean style nose job must correct the nose bone which lies at the root area, and implant filling materials, such as Goretex, in order to present the 3-dimention effects of the nose. With the experience I have after performing over one hundred nose jib surgeries, can categorize nose job into below different types:

1. Self Cartilage Rhinoplasty:
Using self cartilage for nose jobs do not present rejection issues, therefore most of the Korean style nose jobs do use this cartilage to perform the surgery. Traditional nose job is done with either nose cartilage of cartilage taken from the ears. The cartilage taken from the nose if soft yet very hard-wearing, very easy to sculpture, and the other advantage is, it will not leave another scar, and can at the same time of surgery correct nose tilted and stuffy nose problems, you can say there are a lot of advantages by using nose cartilage to perform rhinoplasty as compared to using cartilage from the ear, this is also the kind of surgery that leaves less scaring. In cases the cartilage from the nose is not enough, can always get some more from the ears. In addition, can use costal cartilage from the chest area to sculpture a nose for transplant, but the use of costal cartilage will leave an additional scar in the chest area for about 4mm, making it less accepted in Taiwan domestic market.

2. Chose if artificial Material:
The top choice is Goretex. This material is easier to tailor and sculpture, ease to integrate with human body, if used in combination with self cartilage, will make nose shape looking much natural. However, this kind of material are more expensive and harder to remove in the future, so for patients who are considering this kind of surgery, must take these potential problems before making any decision. Another way is to use artificial nose bone plus cartilage nose tip implant, nowadays there are many researches dedicated to create noses that are fir for Asian people, improving a lot previous flaws from traditional rhinoplasty, if the surgeon chose properly shape and length of the nose, can create in the same manner perfect nose, also, since artificial nose bone is cheaper than Goretex, still now it is the preferred surgery in Taiwan.

3. Nose tip surgery:
Taiwanese people’s nose tissues are thicker and looking flatter, so with open nose surgery, and no need for additional artificial fillings, should be able to fix nose tip properly, this is what we call Korean style nose job. The surgery consist to make nose tip flesh thinner (this is a must for people suffering from garlic nose tip), correct and gather together the cartilages from the nose bridge, the transplanting some of the cartilages into the nose tip, will create a firm and round nose tip.

4. Upturned nose correction surgery:
Upturned nose generally caused by too short nose and affecting nostrils to be exposed. This kind of nose sculpturing surgery must include nose bridge cartilage transplant. Because in these cases the cartilage hinders nostril breadth, must use cartilage from the ears and implanted into the inside of the nostril to fix this problem, however to complete prevent upturned noses, we must extend nose bridge with artificial nose bone or cartilages, this is the only way to fix the problem permanently.

5. Reduction for Nose Bridge:
This surgery is another important part of Korean style rhinollasty. Speciall for our local Taiwanese patients who suffer from thicker and wider nose bridge, if simply correcting nose tip and nose dorsum and forgetting to reduce the nose bridge at the same time, will make surgery less successful, will not be able to show the 3-dimentionality, reduction of the nose bridge is done by removing the extra thickness from the bridge area via the nostrils and the stitch up, the scar should disappear after 2 months.

6. Reduction of Nostril:
In some cases, the nose bridge not only is expanded, but at the same time nostril enlarged, making is not visually pleasant, this kind of surgery can be done internally or externally depending on each case. Performing it internally is to remove the extra tissues from both sides of the nostril and then stitch up; surgery incision is hidden inside and not easily seen. If the expansion of the nose bridge is very severe, then we must use a method similar to nose bridge reduction external surgery, try to lower nostril area and fix it. Also with good results.

From what was already described above, you can understand how complex Korean nose job or sculpture is, definitely not something a surgeon can describe in few words or can be simulated by any computer image. Then maybe you will ask what kind of person needs the Korean style nose job and not the traditional rhinoplasty? People with below characteristics may require Korean Style nose job correction?

1. Short Nose or Upturned nose:
People suffering this condition if using the traditional nose job method, normally will only make nose look more upturned, making the condition worse, so it must use above described nose sculpture methods to correct.

2.Nose tip too thin or too tight:
People with this condition if simply implanting artificial nose bone, normally you can find a hard object sticking out from the nose tip; in some cases nose tip will turn red or break, must treated carefully. Korean style nose job will use self cartilage to pad up the nose tip, not only looking 3-dimentional, it can also cushion nose bone and is much safer.

3.Bulbous nose or Bottle Nose:
Patients suffering these symptoms have their nose tip extremely thick, must use Korean open style nose job to make nose tip tissues thinner and bone reconstructions. With simple artificial nose support will not present good results.

4.Saddle nose or Nose dorsum extremely flat:
Patients suffering this simpleton have the dorsum of their nose very convex, if simply implanting a thicker nose bone, it is very easy to see a erected and stiff nose, very un natural looking. With Korean nose job and the use of Goretex, can decrease this un-natural looking to its minimum.

5. Nose deformation due to accident:
Patients who had their nose previously damaged due to an accident, we must use bone shaving method and try shifting nose to its centralized position, then can continue with nose cosmetic surgery procedures. Korean style nose job ranges from 50K to 100K NTD, because of so many surgery item choices, longer surgery time, and differences in the material used. Adding to all that, the complicated nose job surgery normally requires whole body anesthesia, another reason for the higher costs. I would like to remind you all, rhinoplasty must be considered by each individual needs, and not treated as pursuit of trendy ness, normally about 50% of customers should get satisfactory results with the traditional rhinoplasty, this of course after consult with professional surgeon. Korean style nose job normally will leave a small scar around the nose area, so the price you pay for this kind of surgeries is not just money! Please consider it carefully.