Starting in October, I went around to 2-3 clinics a week for consultations (eyes, nose)! I’m writing this review of my visits to wrap up the clinic-hopping phase. I’ll list them in the order I visited.
First of all, my nose is a hump nose + bulbous nose combo, and I looked into it because I wanted my first surgery this time! This is a clinic-hopping review written while going back over the notes I took right after each consultation and my own memory. Also, I mostly looked into solo-practitioner directors whenever possible. I wrote down the prices too, but I’m not sure if that’ll cause any issues..? (If anyone knows, please let me know ㅠ) And I’m someone who prefers a natural to refined look.
1. ㅂㅇㅈ (Apgujeong) This place was very expensive... I went because I really liked the nose of an Instagram influencer! It was my first consultation, so I went in knowing nothing. I booked a late-afternoon appointment, and it seemed like I was the only patient in the clinic. After sitting for about 2 minutes, I went straight in for the consultation. They took photos, and the director gave a full lecture on what they considered a pretty nose, then looked at my nose and gave an estimate. They said they would shave down the hump, reduce the alar base, and raise the tip. They also said to place a very thin layer of silicone on the bridge (using both ear cartilages). The price came out to the high 6 million won range, excluding VAT (no review-writing condition! just surgery cost only). I was so shocked by the price that I don’t remember much after that.. Interestingly, there was no consultation manager, and the director explained everything from start to finish. For aftercare, they mentioned scar-tissue laser treatment and injections (I don’t remember well because it was after I heard the price).
2. ㅋㅋㄹㅇ (Apgujeong) What I remember most here is that the manager was kind! Looking back now, this manager was honestly the kindest of all.. I went here for an early appointment, and there were quite a few patients coming in for follow-up checks. The director here was an ENT specialist and said my septum was deviated (I found out for the first time after living 2N years,, so that’s why only one side of my nose gets blocked every winter). So they suggested combining functional surgery (deviated septum correction) and cosmetic surgery (shaving the hump, raising the tip, and tying the tip cartilage). For aftercare, they mentioned bruise cream, scar cream, and one box of pumpkin juice. The warranty/after-service period is 2 years, and they said the hospital would handle functional issues, while cosmetic issues would cost about 1 to 2 million won to fix. They said they would do a CT scan once the reservation is confirmed. The manager seemed to have a lot of pride in the clinic? They kept emphasizing that the director is a great surgeon and a responsible person. The price was 3 million won (cosmetic nose price, review-writing condition) + a little over 2 million won (functional nose price, and they said about 800,000 to 900,000 won would be reimbursed if applied through actual expense insurance).
3. ㅊㅇ_ㅊㅇㅅ director (Sinsa) The wait here was so long... I was already completely exhausted ㅠ So I don’t remember it well, but I’ll write down what I can! They said they would shave the hump, correct the nasolabial angle, and raise the tip (using septal cartilage). The price was in the high 3 million won range (I also got an eye consultation, so the eye quote was included too! + review-writing condition). What I remember most is that they protected privacy before and after surgery, and I liked that they kept consultation visitors and surgical patients from crossing paths. The consultation with the director was good. They examined me very carefully, explained the surgery method in detail in a way that was easy to understand, and kept asking whether I understood. They also drew on a tablet to show the expected result.
4. ㅁㅎ_ㅇㅅㅎ director (Apgujeong) Diagnosed with septum, ear cartilage, and ear dermis usage / hump, osteotomy, and bulbous nose correction. Price was 4 million won (friend discount + review-writing condition). I liked that the director explained things kindly and clearly. This director explained everything while drawing on paper! There were about 3 people coming in for post-op checkups here too. I felt a bit reassured because they said the director’s father personally administers anesthesia. They also said CCTV could be checked if a guardian came.
5. ㅁㅇㄷ_ㅇㅇㅌ director (Nonhyeon) There were way too many people here... So many people coming out after surgery and coming in for consultations... (yes, the wait really was long) While I was in consultation with the director, they seemed extremely tired + spoke so quietly that I couldn’t hear well ㅠㅠ I kind of guessed from the Photoshop drawing, but honestly I had no idea what they were saying ㅎ.. I’m not even sure if I understood correctly, but they said they would use septum and ear cartilage and shave the hump, and either raise or lower the columella? The nose shape shown in Photoshop was pretty nice! But the manager’s pressure to pay a deposit was so strong that I lost all goodwill.. I left the clinic with only a bad impression because I was worn down from being kept there so long. The price was 5 million won (review-writing condition).
6. ㅂㅌㅇ (Nonhyeon) I went because a YouTuber had surgery here! The clinic atmosphere was quiet and comfortable, which I liked. They said hump + tip cartilage tying (setting up support with septal cartilage), tip elevation (ear cartilage), and the bridge would be raised by strengthening the septum? or laying it down? That was what they said. What was unusual here was that if ear cartilage is used, you wear something like an ear splint to prevent the ear shape from shifting, which I found interesting. The price was in the high 3 million won range (review-writing condition). The manager here was very straightforward and didn’t push hard, which I liked. They also said the review-writing conditions weren’t very strict, so I thought that was fine.
7. ㅈㅅ (Sinsa) What was so fascinating here was that they made a 3D image of how I would look after surgery. It seemed like they prioritize safety (they said something like, if this were their own daughter, this is all they would do). Hump + tip cartilage tying + columella reduction + tip elevation (using ear cartilage) + glabella (using Megaderm). The price was in the low 4 million won range (excluding VAT). They said if you upload before-and-after photos for the website with the full face visible, the clinic would pay the VAT.
8. ㄴㅇㄷ (Gangnam) They said that because my nose is a little crooked, they would shave the two sides differently when reducing the hump. They also said that when raising the tip, they would reposition it so it comes back to the center before operating! The price was 4 million won (review-writing condition), and they show the CCTV if an immediate family member comes.
9. ㄹㅅㅌ_ㄹㅇㅅ director (Sinsa) They said they would shave the hump very slightly and trim the cartilage under the hump a little so it connects smoothly. For the tip, they would use ear cartilage and build a support with septal cartilage. They said the space between the tip and the hump would be filled with autologous tissue from bulbous-nose correction, or dermis if there isn’t enough. I liked this director too because they tried to make me understand the surgical method! The price was in the mid 3 million won range (review-writing condition).
Actually I went clinic-hopping once a week, but as time went on I got more and more tired, so I stopped asking questions and basically just listened to the director’s explanation and left... So I’m not sure how helpful this isㅎㅎ If there’s anything problematic, please 꼭 let me know in the comments..