Nose
Hump nose correction in Korea
Nose hump removal, also called hump nose correction, lowers a bump on the nose bridge by shaving it, cutting the bone or filling around it with cartilage. It suits a hump from birth or after injury. The partner clinic’s standard rhinoplasty figures are sedation and about 1 to 2 hours; plan on 7 to 10 days in Seoul.
Who is a good candidate for hump nose correction?
- A bump sits in the middle of your nose bridge in profile, either from birth or after the bone was injured
- The hump makes the tip or the area between your eyes look low, as the clinic notes
- You want a straighter profile while keeping a nose that suits the rest of your face
- You also have a blocked nose or a bent septum that could be treated in the same operation
When it may not be the right choice
- Apart from a small bump, your bridge is low. Taking the bump down could leave it too flat, so filling around it may suit you better
- You have had nose surgery before. Revision rhinoplasty is planned differently
Which method fits you?
The clinic chooses between three approaches by the size of the hump and the height of your tip and bridge. If a larger hump comes off and leaves the bridge wide or open along the top, the side bones are also cut (an osteotomy) to narrow it.
| Method | What happens | Suits | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaving the hump | Only the hump is lowered (surgeons call this dorsal hump reduction), by filing it down or trimming it with a fine bone cut. | A mild hump with a tip that is already high, according to the clinic | Splint and stitches out around day 7, or up to day 10 if the bone is cut |
| Removing the hump and raising the bridge | The hump is cut away, an implant is laid on the flattened bridge, and the tip is raised with your own tissue. | A hump together with a low bridge or tip | Splint and stitches off between day 7 and day 10, with a donor wound to heal if ear or rib cartilage shapes the tip |
| Filling around the hump | Your own cartilage goes into the dips above and below the hump, at the tip, just above it or between the eyes, so the line runs smooth while the hump stays. | A mild hump on a nose that is otherwise low | Stitches out between day 7 and day 10; taking ear or rib cartilage adds a donor wound that heals alongside the nose |
What happens on the day of hump nose correction?
- Consultation. The surgeon studies your profile for where the hump starts and ends and how high your tip and bridge sit. The clinic says it uses a 3D CT scan in its nose surgery to see the bone and cartilage inside, including the septum, so a breathing problem can be planned for too.
- Anesthesia. The clinic gives its standard rhinoplasty figures: sedation, about 1 to 2 hours and no overnight stay. Ask how they apply to your plan, especially if rib cartilage is taken.
- The hump is shaved, cut away or filled around, as planned, through a cut inside the nostrils or across the skin between them.
- A splint goes on over the bridge to hold the bones and cartilage in place, and you go back to your hotel once the first hours have gone smoothly.
What is recovery like after hump nose correction?
- Days 1 to 3
- The splint is on and the nose is blocked. When bone is cut, swelling and bruising spread around the eyes and peak now. Keep your head raised.
- Days 7 to 10
- The splint and stitches come off. The bridge already looks straighter but is still swollen and feels stiff.
- Weeks 2 to 3
- Bruising around the eyes has largely faded, and most people are comfortable being out in public.
- Weeks 4 to 6
- Ask the surgeon when glasses can rest on the bridge and when hard exercise can start. Protect the nose from knocks.
- Months 6 to 12
- The profile line settles as the last swelling over the bridge and tip goes down.
How long should you stay in Seoul after hump nose correction?
Allow 7 to 10 days in Seoul. Our general rhinoplasty guidance has the splint and stitches off around day 7, but when bone is cut or your own cartilage is used they can stay until day 10, so most hump plans suit the longer end; because the bones are often cut, ask whether your splint will stay on until day 10. Ear or rib cartilage also adds a donor wound to check. Avoid blowing your nose while the bones heal. As after any operation, if you become breathless or have chest pain, get emergency care first, then tell the clinic. If rib cartilage is used, soreness at the chest wound that eases day by day is expected, but chest pain that comes on suddenly or gets worse needs emergency care first, then a call to the clinic. Treat a heavy nosebleed that will not stop the same way.
What are the risks of hump nose correction?
- A bridge lowered too far, which leaves a scooped profile
- Small steps, ridges or uneven lines along the bridge, or part of the hump remaining
- A bridge that looks wide or uneven after the bones are cut
- Swelling and bruising around the eyes after bone work, and a stiff, numb nose for some weeks
- Nosebleeds and a blocked nose at first. Breathing can stay harder than before surgery
- Infection, and with an implant, an implant that shifts or shows through the skin
- Problems at a cartilage donor site: soreness of the ear, or with rib cartilage, chest pain, a scar on the chest and, in rare cases, air around the lung
- An uneven result, or a profile you would like changed, which can mean a further operation
What affects the cost of hump nose correction in Korea?
A hump nose correction quote depends on which of the three approaches you need, whether the bones are cut, whether an implant or your own cartilage is used, and whether the tip or septum is treated in the same operation. No price is shown here until the clinic has seen your nose. A patient coordinator answers first, then the surgeon at the partner clinic that fits your case reviews your photos and consults in depth. Look for the surgeon’s name, the bridge material and the splint on the written quote. Our consultation is free for you, and you pay only the clinic’s own price for treatment.
More questions
Can a nose hump be removed without breaking the nose?
Sometimes. A mild hump can be filed down without cutting the bone, or hidden by filling the dips above and below it with cartilage. A larger hump usually needs the bone trimmed, and then the side bones are often cut so the bridge narrows again. The surgeon decides after examining your nose and the CT scan.
Can hump removal affect my breathing?
A blocked nose is normal for the first weeks, and in some people breathing stays harder than before. If you already have a blocked side or a bent septum, say so at the consultation: the clinic checks the inside of the nose with a CT scan and can straighten the septum in the same operation.
How long does swelling last after nose hump removal?
Bruising around the eyes usually fades within 2 to 3 weeks. The bridge stays slightly swollen for longer, and the profile keeps settling for 6 to 12 months, so judge the final line after that.
Can I keep a little of the hump?
Yes. Some people prefer the bridge taken only to a straight line or left with a slight curve. Bring side-view photos of the profile you want and agree how far the hump will be lowered.
Related procedures
Sources
- Rhinoplasty Risks and Safety. American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Dorsal Hump Reduction and Osteotomies. PubMed, US National Library of Medicine
- Rhinoplasty Recovery. 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.