rhinoplasty seoul cost — 1 year post-surgery

If you're thinking about getting rhinoplasty surgery aka a nose job in Seoul, the literal cosmetic surgery capital of the world, and you're looking for an honest review of the entire process, you've come to the right place: I got my rhinoplasty in 2022 in South Korea and I'll walk you through everything from how to find the right clinic, to the first consultation with your surgeon, the experience of the surgery itself, all the way to the supplements, medical treatments, and hacks that helped me speed up the recovery process.

Aesthetic nose surgery has always been in high demand because many of us consider it the most prominent feature of our face. According to a global survey by The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the leading organization for board-certified plastic surgeons, there has been a steady rise of 41.3% in plastic surgery procedures globally over the past four years, with more than 14.9 million aesthetic surgeries performed in 2022 alone (ISAPS 2022). But with the rise of TikTok where "before and after" videos straight from the surgeon's operating table have given us a much more immediate insight into the visual impact of this procedure, the popularity of rhinoplasty has skyrocketed: In 2024, the hashtag #rhinoplasty has gathered almost 200.000 posts and close to 8 billion views on TikTok. So let's see what it's really like to get rhinoplasty surgery in South Korea ...

Disclaimer

All treatments were paid for with my own money. This article represents my own honest experience. I was not paid or sponsored by either Seoul Guide Medical or Sketch Plastic Surgery Clinic.

In this article, you will learn:

How to find a safe plastic surgery clinic abroad
What to prepare for the consultations with your surgeon
About the average cost of rhinoplasty in South Korea
Navigating the entire process from day of surgery to recovery

Finding the Right Clinic

Image Credit: Sketch Plastic Surgery Korea

First, let's talk about finding a safe, reputable plastic surgery clinic: As a Cosmetics Marketer with 10 years of experience in the Korean beauty industry, let me tell you that you do not want to go through this process and the whole plastic surgery procedure alone. Whatever you do, do not try to find a clinic or a cosmetic surgeon on your own.

Not only does South Korea have twice as many plastic surgeons as the United States (keep in mind how big the US is size-wise compared to South Korea) but in the Gangnam neighborhood alone, you will find roughly 500 plastic surgery clinics (Slate Magazine 2023); (Stanford University 2018). While South Korea is known for how top-notch their plastic surgeons are in terms of advanced skills and specialization, there have been cases of medical fraud and malpractice, like the ghost surgeon cases I previously covered in this podcast episode.

I also don't recommend relying on TikTok/Instagram-famous plastic surgeons because reviews, as well as before/afters can easily be faked, and what might be "the best rhinoplasty surgeon" for some might not fit your specific needs. This is even more important when it comes to ethnic rhinoplasty as you really have to make sure you're in the hands of a surgeon who has a demonstrated history of performing rhinoplasties for diverse ethnic groups. Lastly, while this practice is thankfully not as popular in Korea as it is in the States, do yourself a favor and stay away from non-surgical rhinoplasty, as it has far too many risks and results are not permanent (Refinery 29, 2021). As you can see, picking the right clinic and surgeon can get quite ... complex.

This is why I always recommend choosing a medical tourism provider that will connect you with a safe plastic surgery clinic, filter all the listings of clinics based on cosmetic procedures, as well as your budget, and bridge the language gap with a dedicated translator. I decided to go with Seoul Guide Medical, a Seoul-based leading global medical tourism platform with years of experience. For me, they were the best choice because of their extensive experience with international patients, thoroughly reviewed partner clinics, and the fact that they are approved by the Korean government also convinced me. Another reputable Korean medical tourism provider I don't have any experience with but heard great things about is Doc Finder, South Korea's oldest medical service with 10 years of experience (linked at the end).

What I appreciated most about Seoul Guide Medical was that they not only managed to find me the best plastic surgeon for the exact type of rhinoplasty I wanted but they went above and beyond in taking care of me every step of the way and surprised me when it came to matching the procedure to my budget. After about a month of consulting with different clinics and surgeons, Seoul Guide Medical recommended Sketch Plastic Surgery, a clinic that, at the time, was mainly catering to Korean patients and just slowly started seeing Western patients. Let me spill the tea on what the first consultations with your surgeon might look like ...

1st & 2nd Consultation

After meeting my surgeon, we went straight into discussing what kind of rhinoplasty I wanted because while nose surgery is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in Korea, there still is a lot of nuance when it comes to the approach (Harvard Medical Student Review 2022). Definitely come prepared and have your Pinterest rhinoplasty inspiration ready but I would also recommend you do some research on your own regarding the different types of rhinoplasty and materials before. For example, here is everything my surgeon and I discussed during my first and second consultation:

I had a deviated septum and for as long as I could remember, due to these internal functional issues of my nose, I could never breathe properly: At first consultation, my surgeon took "before" pictures of my facial features, specifically close-ups of my nose. Afterward, he told me that he could tell I had been mouthbreathing for many years due to the internal shape of the nose.
While my nose bridge / nasal bridge had always been on the higher end, the tip of the nose was what my cosmetic surgeon described as a "droopy nose", "bulbous nose", and moderately "long nose". He recommended making the shape of it more feminine by creating a somewhat upturned nose, or, in his words " slightly short nose". While someone describing your features so openly might sound like an unpleasant experience, it really depends on your doctor: My surgeon did not make me feel uncomfortable in the slightest because I was aware of my features and agreed with him but if you don't feel at ease with how your doctor during your first consultations or think his and your vision doesn't align, listen to your gut and switch clinics.
I personally did not like the thought of having a silicone implant in the middle of my face and also wasn't fond of using rip or ear cartilage. That's why I got genuinely excited when my surgeon told me he would be able to correct my septum, make the shape of my nose more feminine by lifting the tip of the nose, and achieve overall facial balance by only using septal cartilage (material from within my own nasal tip). Overall, the surgical technique my surgeon used can be described as tip plasty because he did not touch the bridge of the nose at all but rather focused on correcting my internal nasal structure and beautifying the tip of the nose using my nasal septum.
We also discussed the surgery procedure itself and my surgeon explained that he would be performing an open rhinoplasty which I was happy with because, during my research, many plastic surgeons had stated that open rhinoplasty would give the surgeon more influence over the results which would lead to more accurate results, too. According to Seoul Guide Medical, closed rhinoplasties are generally rarely performed by Korean doctors.

korea plastic surgery before and after — 2 weeks post-surgery: all bruising & swelling gone

During the second consultation, my surgeon and his team of nurses also informed me about the different types of anesthesia and I was relieved when I heard, he was planning to use a mix of local anesthesia and sedation instead of general anesthesia. They also made sure to tell me multiple times that I had to remove any type of acrylic or gel nails for them to monitor life signs during the operation, something many patients tend to forget in the whirlwind experience of getting surgery abroad.
Like all South Korean surgeons, my doctor also had me fill out the necessary medical paperwork but what caught my eye was a couple of little boxes I was supposed to tick: The form asked whether I wanted "natural-looking results", and after my initial confusion, my surgeon explained that when it comes to the Korean nose job, Asian rhinoplasty, and the Asian nose overall, there generally is a distinction among his Korean patients. My cosmetic surgeon said he mostly distinguishes between subtle results, meaning a more natural look that enhances but doesn't drastically change what he referred to as a comparatively "low nose", and more noticeable results, meaning a comparatively high nose usually achieved through an implant, sometimes accompanied by an alarplasty/narrowing of the nostrils. As I didn't fall into the main demographic of Sketch, I'm neither Korean nor Asian, my surgeon told me to think about this as a rough guide on how noticeable I wanted the change in the shape of my nose to turn out. I ticked a box somewhere in the middle because I actually did want to see a difference, especially in the overall shape and size of the nose tip.

Rhinoplasty Cost

medicines before rhinoplasty — My post-surgery meds: Pain killers, antibiotics & Co.

There's a lot to discuss with your cosmetic surgeon during your pre-surgery consultations as rhinoplasty procedures differ vastly from person to person and as you can imagine: so does the cost. You usually don't get an item-by-item cost breakdown but rather one overall price after you and your surgeon figure out the details of your rhinoplasty but what usually plays into it is whether you will require an implant (with silicone being the most commonly used material), whether the surgeon needs to harvest ear/rib cartilage, or whether nasal bones need to be broken to create the new shape of your nose, just to name a few.

While Korean Rhinoplasty tends to be more affordable than rhinoplasty in the United States, I was still pleasantly surprised that the overall cost for my procedure came down to a total of $3000, an unheard-of amount for North American standards. Surprisingly though, according to Seoul Guide Medical, the average cost of rhinoplasty in South Korea lies between roughly $3000 to $8000 so you can say I was on the lowest end of the price spectrum.

Again, I did not negotiate anything by myself, nor do I recommend you do this on your own but I had Seoul Guide Medical mediate between the clinic and me. The cost included the surgeon's fee, the surgery procedure itself including all materials used, the transfer back home by cab post-surgery, a recovery kit, and some recovery treatments I will get into in a minute.

Keep in mind that while South Korea offers rhinoplasty at a very competitive price, revision rhinoplasty, or reconstructive surgery is generally slightly more expensive than first-time rhinoplasty. Seoul Guide Medical and Sketch instructed me that I could pay the full amount via card 2-3 days before surgery but I ended up paying the day of surgery which I don't recommend because the thought of my card randomly not working stressed me out unnecessarily.

Day of Surgery

My probably biggest advice for the day of surgery is to try and score a morning surgery appointment because the procedure requires you to be entirely sober, meaning no food or water at all. I had my surgery scheduled in the afternoon so I was dying of thirst and I'd like to spare you that experience.

Upon arrival, I was welcomed by my Seoul Guide Medical translator who made sure I felt comfortable and safe even though I was slightly nervous. After I changed into my (surprisingly cute) surgery gown, I washed my face and was led straight into the operating room, which I appreciated because waiting would have only made me more nervous.

I remember how cold the operating table felt when I laid down and how surreal it was when my head my strapped to the table but the whole team was talking so kindly to me and reassured me. The anesthesia was administered through my vein and I was told to count down from 10 and before I knew it, I woke up again ...

Waking Up From Surgery

All I can remember is how incredibly cold I felt once I woke up from the surgical procedure, which is due to the anesthesia and your entire body functions being basically muted. The nurses and my Seoul Guide Medical translator helped me walk to a bed with a heated mattress where I could rest and slowly sip some water.

Afterward, we went downstairs to buy my personalized post-surgery medication and I remember seeing myself in a mirror and, still being high from the anesthesia, proclaiming: "Omg I love my nose". Interestingly, I actually looked amazing right after surgery because I had very little bandages and the bruising and swelling had yet to set in.

The First Hours Post-Surgery

With my medication and a little recovery care package from Seoul Guide Medical, I left the clinic the day of surgery, which is a fairly standard procedure in South Korea. Thanks to the painkillers I was prescribed, which had zero side effects, I actually had no pain during my first night. Rather, I was in discomfort because I wasn't able to breathe through my nose and had to sleep on my back, which, at the time, I wasn't used to. A quick word on the post-surgery medication you'll be prescribed: I know I'm repeating myself but be diligent and take them exactly as indicated. Do not quit taking them because you don't like taking pills or feel that your recovery process is going well. Behind your exact medication dosage and duration are years of clinical experience from not only your cosmetic surgon but the clinic's staff so trust them and go the "better safe than sorry"-route.

Speeding Up My Recovery Process

does ice help after rhinoplasty — Image Credit: author (Lisa)

Compared to other cosmetic procedures, rhinoplasty surgery is notorious for having an extensive long-term recovery time. While you will be able to face the public after around 2 weeks post-op, it can take from 6 months up to 1-2 years to see final results, which is due to the swelling. Even though I knew it would take a long time to recover, I was determined to use all the innovative techniques and knowledge Seoul offers to speed up my recovery.

With the following treatments and habits, I was able to fade all bruising within only one week and significantly reduce swelling as well. Seoul is light-years ahead when it comes to recovery therapy options and has an interesting approach that fuses medical treatments with traditional herbal medicine. The tips below, ranked from "basic" to "extra", offer a mix of affordable post-op and more high-end/pricier treatments and products so there should be something for everyone and any budget:

Basic: Icing

Icing is one of the cheapest things you can in your recovery journey. It is very basic in the sense that it won't dramatically speed up your recovery but it is one of these things you should do diligently to support your body.

My clinic gave me a cooling mask but they sell them all around medical centers and pharmacies in the Gangnam area. I iced my face for most of the day the first three days post surgery with breaks in between to not give my skin a cold burn.

Basic: Pumpkin Juice

Pumpkin juice is a true rhinoplasty recovery classic and you will find sachets of pumpkin juice all around Gangnam pharmacies and even at the local Olive Young branches. The reason why many Koran doctors swear by pumpkin juice is that it is rich in potassium which can help reduce swelling after surgery.

In the little care package, my clinic gave me, I had around ten sachets that got me through the first days, with me drinking around 2 per day. This as well is a very affordable basic and natural way of helping with swelling but it will not dramatically decrease swelling from my experience, still, it is a nice to have habit you can practice after your rhinoplasty.

Basic: Ointment

Your clinic will provide you with all the necessary post-op medication, which is usually included in the price you pay upfront. Among my meds was an antibiotic ointment called Tarivid ophthalmic ointment 0.3% (타리비드) I had to apply close to the stitches three times per day. Follow doctors' orders here and make sure to do exactly as they say, after all, they are the experts when it comes to aftercare. You really want to avoid any type of infection or inflammation of the wound.

Basic: Walking

rhinoplasty recovery day by day — Image Credit: author (Lisa)

Another basic recovery classic that I feel nobody talks about and it won't cost you a thing: Walking. We're talking light walks beginning the third day post-surgery, so nothing strenuous or in the realm of working out.

Walking helped me a lot in draining the accumulated fluids and the swelling that had my face ballooned like pufferfish. If you feel self-conscious, always remember: Plastic surgery is very common in South Korea and you're probably not the first or last post-surgery person someone walking down the streets of Seoul will encounter. There is generally little judgment surrounding plastic surgery in South Korea and on top of that, wearing masks is common especially in Seoul due to high air pollution levels. Style your favorite mask with your favorite pair of sunglasses and you're good to go. On the fourth day post-op, I increased my step count from 5k to 10k and I could feel the results in the sense that I was able to breathe better and felt less swollen.

Basic: Recovery Diet

rhinoplasty recovery eating — Image Credit: author (Lisa)

My cosmetic surgeon told me to avoid hard foods like carrots, and nuts, for at least the first month after surgery and also wanted me to lay off all spicy foods for up to two months as the heat could lead to swelling in and running of the nose. I cannot put into words how much I craved 떡볶이 (Tteokbokki) whenever I passed the street food cart close to my apartment during that time of spice abstinence. In terms of fluids, I drank a lot to flush out any mucus and accumulated fluids. Aside from the pumpkin juice mentioned, I would especially recommend anti-inflammatory juices like carrot, raspberry, and green juices with kale which all worked well for me.

When it came to food, I enjoyed protein-rich, lightly-seasoned, cooling foods such as yogurt with fresh fruits, and eggs in all their variations. My surgeon also gave me the tip to eat lots of fresh pineapple and drink pineapple juice as it contains the enzyme bromelain which supposedly can counteract inflammation and help reduce bruising as well.

Basic: Deswelling Laser

All the habits and hacks mentioned above are a great start and together for sure make your rhinoplasty recovery process as smooth as possible. But what really made a difference was a device my surgeon called the "deswelling laser". Three days post-op, I went to Sketch for a routine check-up to have my surgeon remove the bandaids around and support inside my nose. The nurses suggested I do a 10-20 minute session with their deswelling laser which was free of charge. The laser was a larger device I was lying under and felt pleasantly warm and relaxing. I asked to repeat this laser at each of my three check-ups and it by far was one of the things that visibly sped up my recovery process.

Extra: Herbal Medicine Kit

rhinoplasty healing supplements — Image Credit: author (Lisa)

The extent of my swelling and bruising was actually so intense that even my surgeon was slightly shocked when he saw me during the first check-up. Because I was desperate to speed up the recovery process, I went to the pharmacy next to my clinic and asked whether they had anything that would help speed things up. They had and it came with a hefty price tag of $150 but it was definitely worth it:

The set I was recommended was a Korean brand named 오리엔탈 앰플 (Oriental Ample) and was called the "AfterPlus Formula II". It included pineapple enzyme capsules with concentrated bromelain, which I took three times daily, as well as an herbal arnica cream with helenalin and thymol which worked wonders for reducing my bruising. What I loved most about this set were the herbal ampoules that came with a blend of nine natural herbal extracts white atractylis, coix, and angelica, which I took twice daily. They looked like little potions and were quite yummy, too. All in all, yes, this set was expensive but I saw such a dramatic change in my bruising that I would highly recommend it if you, too bruise like a peach.

Extra: Recovery IV

On my third routine post-op check-up, I stepped up my game even further by doing a specialized IV for a whopping $165 which put my recovery into overdrive. I'm aware that doctors are quite divided when it comes to the effectiveness of vitamin IVs and I cannot speak on these types of IVs in general. All I can say is that I saw a huge reduction in the swelling of my face and my bruising was almost entirely gone the next day. So for me, this IV was a yes.

Basic: Skincare = Selfcare

Not only did Seoul Guide Medical take great care of me throughout my entire recovery process but they also provided me with a goodie bag. Aside from the cooling mask and pumpkin juice, it came with a pack of specially formulated sheet masks they developed in collaboration with Seoul's top plastic surgeons. Taking care of my skin during a time when my face felt altered was surprisingly therapeutic and I discovered that maintaining a self-care routine felt healing and helped me keep calm during recovery. Before surgery, I also made sure to stock up on my favorite moisturizing sheet masks and stored them in the refrigerator so they were nice and cool. As a helpful tip, I found that applying an ice pack while using the sheet mask was great for my skin and helped the bruising fade a bit as well.

Baisc: Vampire Sleep

While it was challenging for me and I had trouble sleeping because of it at first, I followed my cosmetic surgeon's instructions and slept on my back for the first six months post-surgery. In order to not roll over to my side while asleep, I arranged my pillows so they created a small pillow barrier to my right and left, I called it my pillow prison.

To this day, I prefer sleeping on my back, it's supposedly also good for preventing acne breakouts and wrinkle formation. For the very first days after surgery, my surgeon also advised me to sleep in an elevated position to support deswelling and draining of accumulated fluids.

Excellent Results?

Image Credit: author (Lisa) 1 year post-surgery

In 2024, I'm now officially out of long-term recovery and I will say that I'm so glad I had my rhinoplasty. Not only do I taste and smell things so much better now that my deviated septum is corrected but my face looks more proportional as well.

I know that many people are impatient when it comes to seeing final results and don't like the shape of their nose during recovery as it can look quite swollen and uneven because swelling often reduces disproportionally. As the speed of recovery also depends on the patient's skin thickness, you might be able to recover even faster than me if you have thin skin and follow my advice on top of that. you might be able to see results faster.

I consider my nose a "beautiful nose" now but could also see myself getting a second rhinoplasty to correct some minor things, which is fairly standard when it comes to rhinoplasties, as the end results are hard to predict even by experienced surgeons due to the shifting nature of the face and the overall skin thickness. Let me know below if you have any questions and share this article with a friend or someone who you know is thinking about getting a rhinoplasty.

Sources

ISAPS 2022 Global Survey

Slate Magazine: You’ll Come Back Looking Like a Whole New Person. Inside Seoul’s booming plastic surgery tourism industry. Written by Elise Hu (May, 2023).

Stanford University: Stanford scholar traces the roots of South Korea’s cosmetic surgery surge. Written by Lee So-Rim (2018).

Seoul Guide Medical (Medical Tourism Provider)

Sketch Plastic Surgery Clinic

The Skin Special Podcast: Beauty True Crime: Gangnam's Ghost Plastic Surgeons (S1 E8) (2023)

Refinery 29: Why So Many Experts Refuse To Perform This Beauty Procedure. Written by Amelia Bell (2021).

Docfinder Korea (Medical Tourism Provider)

Harvard Medical Student Review: A Look at South Korean Plastic Surgery. Written by Annie Jin and Ian Whittall (2022).

My 3K Rhinoplasty Surgery in South Korea: Nose Job Recovery