I plan to keep adding consultation reviews cumulatively for record-keeping. Today I consulted two clinics, [Clinic A] and [Clinic B].
0. Current nose condition First surgery: 3.5-mm silicone + septal support + short-nose correction + conchal cartilage at the tip (open). Second: silicone removal + no separate manipulation of the tip + conchal cartilage for filling an uneven step (open). Third: removal of one layer of conchal cartilage + dermis (open). All were done at the same clinic. However, the tip is still visible through the skin and excessively pointed, so I do not plan to have another surgery there and am consulting various places. I had wanted closed surgery, but they said the result could not be guaranteed with a closed approach, so I chose open surgery... If I had known this would happen, I would have insisted on closed surgery. The columellar scar has also become too dark, and after opening it so much, my nasal sweat glands seem to have been damaged. (The doctor is nice; our aesthetic preferences simply do not match.)
The tip did become rounder after the third surgery than after the second, so I considered living with it. However, many people still notice that I had nose surgery, and acquaintances asked whether this was the best my nose could be, so I started consulting around.
*What I hope for 1) A short recovery period and, if possible, closed surgery 2) The tip is too pointed and obviously artificial, so I want a round tip that looks at least like my own nose ★★ 3) Resolution of the visible conchal cartilage at the tip ★★ (the fundamental goal)
1. [Clinic A] (consultation fee: 10,000 won) Closed surgery is possible, but the method and result differ between open and closed surgery. My current tip itself is not pointed; it only looks that way because it shows through. Waiting longer will not solve it. Nasal packing or taping may or may not be used depending on the situation. The doctor said I need to develop my own judgment instead of stubbornly insisting on closed surgery, as I did when I previously consulted there. That is fair. I felt hurt because the doctor seemed frustrated and repeatedly looked unable to understand me, but this is not a customer-service job, and as long as each of us achieves our purpose, that is what matters. The building looked somewhat old, which worried me; it had the atmosphere of a neighborhood internal-medicine clinic, so I wondered, “They open noses here?”
<Closed> - Only the show-through can be corrected; the support remains. - Dermis had been added at the previous clinic, but that could not solve it. If it showed through, it should have been lowered unconditionally rather than covered. - Lowering it means accepting that it will look wider. - Only the height is lowered; the nostril shape stays the same, with little change in impression. - No need to remove the sutures/implant material.
<Open> - If I want a rounder tip, it must be opened and lowered substantially. - If the support is septal cartilage, it does not all need to be removed; it can simply be lowered a lot. - An open approach does not necessarily require a splint. - “Round” is subjective, so I must choose. To return to something like my original nose: open. To maintain the frontal appearance and only solve the show-through: closed. - With open surgery, the angle can be lowered to show less of the nostrils. - External stitches must be removed after 5–7 days. The price difference is about twofold, with open surgery more expensive.
2. [Clinic B] (no consultation fee) Closed surgery is not possible; doing it closed would mean doing it roughly. Open surgery, leaving the support in place and removing only the conchal cartilage. The consultant repeatedly said they would know only after opening. A rounder tip is created using conchal cartilage, so another harvest may be possible. However, I already have conchal cartilage and dermis, so they would need to open the nose to know. The nasolabial angle and columella length do not seem to need adjustment, and the frontal appearance probably will not change much. The current nose is somewhat strange, but the side view should become blunt and round. I asked about alar reduction because I was worried it might spread, but they said I do not need it and that it would only make my face look wider. Taping may be used for about 5–7 days and stitches removed after three days, according to the consultant; the doctor said tape can be removed after three days. Seeing the tip show through, they said the projecting structure might be the support rather than conchal cartilage. Personally, this clinic felt modern and compared favorably with [Clinic A]. They are active on YouTube, and I trust them because a family member had very satisfactory alar reduction there. I also hear their aftercare is good.
There are many things I am still considering, but I posted this to record and share the consultation reviews and hear different opinions. I originally insisted on closed surgery because I work and cannot freely take time off, but considering the result, open surgery seems right. (As [Clinic A] said, I still seem to lack my own judgment, haha.) After three failed nose surgeries and walking around Apgujeong, I have felt very disillusioned and wondered whether I should simply live like this. Whether it shows through or not... But if the fourth surgery also fails, I feel I might even have extreme thoughts, so I want to decide based on the final result—the nose shape—not price or service. Yet no one clearly says, “This is the nose shape you will get!” Even after explanations, I cannot picture what my nose will ultimately become or whether it will suit my face. Honestly, I wonder why I ever touched my nose, but I probably would have done it once anyway, so I do not regret that. I do regret having the third surgery at the same clinic.
If you have been given two chances by a clinic and still did not get a satisfactory result, I recommend going elsewhere. I am crying again as I write this... I am so tired of it, and I wonder how much money I have spent there, only to hear that another 4–5 million won will be spent......
For now, I am leaning toward [Clinic A], but I would like to hear reviews from people who had surgery at [Clinic A] or [Clinic B]. I will share whatever information I can. In mid-October I plan to visit [Clinic C] and two clinics where I had my first, second, and third surgeries, and I will add those consultation reviews here. I plan to visit [Clinic D] in early November; they said November would be more accurate because it has not been long since my last surgery. I am also curious about reviews saying the tip droops after surgery at [Clinic A]. Is that actually true? I heard [Clinic C] has better aesthetics, but that it is hard to find its review photos. I am curious what exactly is aesthetically better.