Nose
Columella and philtrum correction in Korea
Columella correction lowers a pulled-up columella or raises a hanging one, using cartilage grafts or septal work, often with rhinoplasty. Our partner clinic in Seoul also offers a lip lift for a long philtrum. For either, the clinic lists about 1 to 2 hours under sedation, as for its standard rhinoplasty, with stitches out on day 5 to 7.
Who is a good candidate for columella and philtrum correction?
- Your columella, the skin column between the nostrils, sits too far back, so the nose meets the lip at a sharp angle
- Your columella hangs below the nostril rims and shows a lot from the side
- The space between your nose and upper lip, the philtrum, looks long and you want it shorter
- You are having rhinoplasty and want the angle where the nose meets the lip planned at the same time
When it may not be the right choice
- Your upper teeth already show a lot when your lips are relaxed. A lip lift shows more of them
- You scar easily with thick or raised scars. The incisional method leaves a scar at the base of the nose
- The whole tip droops or turns up. Droopy nose tip correction or short nose correction treats that
Which method fits you?
This page covers two connected areas on the clinic’s menu: the columella, and the philtrum, the groove between the nose and the upper lip. The surgeon measures how the nose meets the lip in profile before choosing which to change.
| Method | What happens | Suits | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowering a retracted columella | Cartilage is grafted, often with a septal extension, to bring the inner part of the tip cartilages forward and down. | A columella pulled up or back, also called a hidden columella | Stitches out on day 5 to 7 |
| Raising a hanging columella | The inner part of the tip cartilages is set back and fixed to the septum, or part of the septum is trimmed. | A hanging columella that shows below the nostril rims | Stitches out on day 5 to 7, or on the rhinoplasty timing when done together |
| Lip lift without an incision | Threads go in through three tiny openings and pull the philtrum upward. | A small reduction | Three tiny entry points instead of a longer incision; ask how long the effect is expected to last |
| Lip lift with an incision | A short incision at the base of the nose lets the surgeon lift and shorten the philtrum. | A larger reduction | A scar under the nose that is pink at first and may stay visible |
What happens on the day of columella and philtrum correction?
- Consultation. The surgeon looks at your profile, at the angle where the nose meets the lip and at the length of your philtrum, and checks how much of your upper teeth shows at rest.
- Sedation. The clinic gives about 1 to 2 hours, as it does for standard rhinoplasty, so ask how long columella work or a lip lift takes on its own. With rhinoplasty, the columella is set while the tip is shaped, in the same operation.
- The columella is reshaped through the nose incisions. For the philtrum, threads go in through tiny openings, or a short incision is made at the base of the nose.
- Fine stitches close the incisions, and you go back to your hotel the same day.
What is recovery like after columella and philtrum correction?
- Days 1 to 3
- The base of the nose and the upper lip are swollen and tender. Keep the stitch line clean as the clinic shows you.
- Days 5 to 7
- The stitches come out.
- Weeks 2 to 4
- Swelling settles. An incision scar under the nose is pink and firm at first.
- Months 3 to 12
- The scar can fade and soften over this time, though it may stay visible, and the angle and lip length settle.
How long should you stay in Seoul after columella and philtrum correction?
For columella work or philtrum shortening without rhinoplasty, about 7 days in Seoul is usually enough: the clinic lists stitch removal on day 5 to 7, and that check should come before your flight. With rhinoplasty, follow the rhinoplasty timing of 7 to 10 days. As after any operation, if you become breathless or have chest pain, get emergency care first, then tell the clinic. If the nose or the stitch line bleeds heavily and does not stop, act the same way.
What are the risks of columella and philtrum correction?
- A visible or widened scar under the nose after the incisional method
- More of the upper teeth showing, or a lip that looks too short
- An uneven lip, or less change than hoped. Reviews of lip lifts report revision rates of 0.6% to 6.7%
- A columella that leans to one side, feels stiff, or ends up set too high or too low
- Soreness or a scar where cartilage is taken for a graft
- Swelling, bleeding and infection
What affects the cost of columella and philtrum correction in Korea?
Columella correction has no price on this page yet: a figure can only follow a look at your profile. What moves the quote is whether the columella is lowered or raised, whether cartilage is grafted, whether the philtrum is shortened as well and by which method, and whether the work is combined with a rhinoplasty. A patient coordinator answers first, then the surgeon at the partner clinic that fits your case reviews your photos and consults in depth. Which methods are used, any cartilage graft and the operating surgeon should be written into the quote. Our consultation is free for you, and you pay only the clinic’s own price for treatment.
More questions
What is a hanging or retracted columella?
A hanging columella drops below the nostril rims, so it shows a lot from the side. A retracted, or hidden, columella sits too far back, so the nose meets the upper lip at a sharp angle. The first is usually raised by setting the cartilage back; the second is lowered with a cartilage graft.
Does a lip lift leave a scar?
The incisional lip lift leaves a scar along the base of the nose, which can fade over months but can also stay visible, and reviews list poor scarring among its main complications. The clinic’s thread method uses three tiny openings instead of a longer incision.
How much can a lip lift shorten the philtrum?
In studies reviewed for surgical lip lifts, the philtrum shortened from about 14 mm to about 11 to 12 mm on average. Your own result depends on your lip length, the method and how much tooth shows at rest.
Can columella correction be done with rhinoplasty?
Yes. When columella work is done with rhinoplasty, the clinic plans the profile of both together, because the columella supports the tip. The surgeon can then set the tip and the angle where the nose meets the lip at the same time.
Related procedures
Sources
- Clinic figures as published by Urban Plastic Surgery, collected October 3, 2026. Your surgeon confirms your own plan.
- The Bullhorn and Beyond: Evidence-Based Review and Clinical Recommendations for Lip Lift Techniques. PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine
- L-Shaped Columellar Strut in East Asian Nasal Tip Plasty. PubMed Central, US National Library of Medicine
- Rhinoplasty Risks and Safety. American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Cases and clinic figures come from our partner clinic, Urban Plastic Surgery. The partnership does not change what we publish about risks and recovery.