Surgery · Nose

Best Alarplasty in Korea: Choosing a Clinic

Best alarplasty in Seoul, weighed on the measurement, the method and where the scar sits

Gangnam, Seoul | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jonghwan Choi
KHIDI-registered for international patients · Apgujeong Rewind

Choosing an Alarplasty Surgeon Choosing an Alarplasty Surgeon Choosing an Alarplasty Surgeon Choosing an Alarplasty Surgeon 
Base

Choosing alarplasty

How do you choose a clinic for alarplasty in Korea?

The short answer

Choose the clinic whose surgeon measures your nostril base against your own face and tells you whether the width really comes from the alae, or from the tip above them. Then ask which method suits your skin, the incisional route or thread cinching, where any scar will lie, and for a quote that lists every nasal correction as its own line.

At the base of the nose, two or three millimetres separate a balanced result from a pinched one. A surgeon who explains the measurement and the method for your nose gives you more to compare than a set of photographs.

Facts about Rewind on this page come from the clinic's alar reduction page, its price sheet and its registration details.

Nostril reduction is a small operation, often added to rhinoplasty and sometimes asked for on its own. In Gangnam it is offered by many clinics and in more than one form. The differences appear when you ask how each clinic decides how much to take, and by which route.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi examining a patient's nose at the consultation desk
Fig. 01 — Alar width is measured on the face, from the front and from below
Check

Before you book

Best alarplasty in Seoul: five questions to ask before booking

You can put all five to a clinic by message, with a front photo and a view of the nose from below. Keep the written answers to compare clinics on the same footing.

check 01
Is the base really wide?
Ask how your alar width compares with your own facial proportions. If the base is already in proportion and the heaviness comes from the tip, narrowing the nostrils will not change what bothers you.
check 02
Incision or thread
Ask which method is proposed and why. Thick or very wide alae and large nostril openings usually call for an incision; a thread suits cases where less tissue needs to go.
check 03
Where the scar lies
Ask exactly where the closure line will sit and how it is expected to mature. Mention any history of raised or thickened scars before the plan is agreed.
check 04
Who measures and operates
Ask for the operating surgeon by name and which specialty certification that doctor holds. The person who marks the millimetres should be the person who removes them.
check 05
Registration and the written quote
Ask for the clinic's KHIDI number for international patients and an itemised quote that separates alar work from any tip, bridge or columella correction, with VAT shown.
Types

Comparing providers

Four kinds of provider offering nostril reduction in Seoul

Alar reduction is sold in quite different settings. Each may suit a given patient; what you need is the right first question for each.

01Specialist

A plastic surgery clinic performing nose surgery

The surgeon can treat the base, the tip and the bridge. Ask how that surgeon decides whether the base needs narrowing at all, and which part of the nose is creating the width you see.

02Cosmetic

A cosmetic practice offering injections and threads

Injections for the nostrils may be offered beside surgery. Rewind's own page describes such injections as giving only a slight, temporary narrowing, so ask what the effect is and how long it lasts.

03Centre

A large centre with several surgical teams

The measurement and the operation may be done by different doctors. Ask who sets the target width, who operates and who checks the scar afterwards.

04Agency

A booking placed through an agency

An agency is not the clinic. Ask it to name the clinic and the operating surgeon, and set its price beside the clinic's own listed prices for each method.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi operating with loupes and headlight
Fig. 02 — At the nostril base, magnification makes each millimetre visible
Rewind

The same checks, applied here

How Rewind answers the alarplasty checklist

Here are the clinic's published answers to the checks above, so you can measure them against what you are told at consultation.

01Measure

Width set by facial proportion

Rewind's page uses the face divided into fifths: alar width should fill about one fifth, in line with the inner corners of the eyes. From below, the nostrils should come close to an equilateral triangle. Dr. Choi, a board-certified plastic surgeon, measures your nose against these before choosing a method.

02Methods

Incisional and thread routes both offered

The incisional method opens the inner nostril floor, removes excess tissue and closes along the crease beside the cheek, and can also change the size of the nostril opening. The thread method draws in alar and columellar width through small needle punctures, with a quicker recovery.

03Price

Each nasal correction listed separately

The two alar methods, columella correction and nostril lowering each have their own listed price, shown below, so a combined nose plan can be read line by line.

Consultation with Dr. Jonghwan Choi at Rewind Plastic Surgery
Fig. 03 — The method is chosen after the measurement, at the desk
Apgujeong

The clinic

Where alarplasty at Rewind takes place

Surgery underway in the operating room at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 04 — Nose operations take place in the clinic's own theatre

Rest room at Rewind Plastic Surgery

Fig. 05 — A quiet room to rest in before going back to the hotel

Rewind Plastic Surgery is located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Richro Building in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Measurement, surgery and review visits for alarplasty are all held there, by appointment, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 16:00.

Width measured against facial fifths
Base view checked from below
Incisional route via the nostril floor
Thread route via small needle punctures
Each correction priced separately
Messages answered as soon as possible
Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon at Rewind

Board-certified plastic surgeon

Alarplasty at Rewind is performed by Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeon. KHIDI registration for international patients: M-2025-01-08-09288.

Quote

Pricing

Alarplasty prices at Rewind

The two alar methods are priced separately, and so are the neighbouring corrections at the base of the nose. A nose plan is the sum of the lines the examination calls for.

Alarplasty, incisionalTissue removed through the nostril floor
₩700,000
Alar thread cinchingNon-incisional, alar and columellar width together
₩600,000
Columella correctionWhen the column between the nostrils is part of it
₩1,500,000
Nostril loweringThe height at which the nostrils sit
₩4,000,000

Prices are listed excluding VAT (10% VAT is added at payment). A nose that has had surgery before is quoted at revision rates, and the written quote lists every line before a date is fixed.

Fit

Suitability

Who alarplasty tends to suit, and when to look elsewhere

Often a good fit when

  • Your nostril openings look too large
  • The tip is round and the alae spread wide
  • The alae are fleshy, wide or uneven
  • The spread base makes the face look heavy
  • You want the base measured against your own proportions

Worth looking elsewhere when

  • The base is already in proportion and the tip creates the width
  • You have had nose surgery before, which is assessed as revision
  • You tend to form raised or thickened scars
  • You take blood-thinning medication or heal slowly
  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding, or the nostril lining is inflamed
Stay

Planning the stay

Alarplasty aftercare to plan around your trip

Rewind's instructions after alar reduction are mainly about leaving the nose undisturbed. Stitch dates and swelling times are not published, so the surgeon gives you those for your method.

First period
Blot, do not push
Wipe away any discharge gently with gauze or clean tissue. Do not put anything into the nose or pinch it to blow.
Each night
Head raised
Sleep with your head held high to help the swelling go down.
About a month
No glasses
Keep glasses and sunglasses off the nose for about a month, because frames press near the closure.
Depends on method
Thread route is quicker
Rewind describes recovery from the thread method as quicker, without giving a figure. Ask the surgeon for your schedule before booking flights.

Risks to discuss include bleeding, infection, prolonged swelling, asymmetry, altered sensation around the nostril, a visible scar in the crease and a small notch at the rim. Results vary by individual.

Doctor

Professional

Alar reduction is decided in millimetres. At Rewind the surgeon who measures your nose is the one who operates on it.

Dr. Jonghwan Choi, board-certified plastic surgeonRewind,
Peer-reviewed paper on nasal base narrowing in cleft lip nasal deformity
Fig. 06 — Published work on narrowing the nasal base

Rewind's Doctor

Dr. Jonghwan Choi Medical Director

Measure the face first;
the nostril follows it.

Board-certified plastic surgeon and medical director, author of ten peer-reviewed papers in craniofacial surgery and medical science journals.

Board-certified plastic surgeon (Plastic Surgery)
10 peer-reviewed publications
Medical Director, Rewind Plastic Surgery
Korean Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons
Former chief director, Apgujeong Y&T Plastic Surgery
Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
J Craniofac Surg · JKMS · Arch Craniofac Surg
Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
Ask

Questions

Choosing an alarplasty surgeon: common questions

How does a surgeon decide whether my nostrils need reducing?
By measuring the base against your face. Rewind uses a front view in which alar width should take up about one fifth of the face, in line with the inner eye corners, and a view from below in which the nostrils approach an equilateral triangle.
Which is better for me, incision or thread?
It depends on your alae. The incisional method suits very wide or thick-skinned alae and can change the size of the nostril opening. The thread method suits cases where less tissue needs to go and narrows the alae and the columella together, with a quicker recovery.
Will an alarplasty scar show?
With the incisional method the line sits inside the nostril or along the crease where the ala meets the cheek, positions where it is hard to see. It is still a scar and matures over months; raise any history of raised scars at consultation.
How long should I stay in Seoul after alarplasty?
Rewind has not published a stitch-removal day for this operation, so ask the surgeon for the review dates for your method before booking flights. Remember that glasses stay off the nose for about a month.
Can alarplasty be combined with rhinoplasty?
Yes, nose plans are often combined. Each correction has its own listed price at Rewind, so bridge, tip and alar work appear as separate lines, and whether they are done in one session is decided at the examination.
Will a narrower base make my nose look higher?
It can, with individual variation. As the base narrows, the balance of the nose changes, so the tip may look more defined and the bridge taller. The bridge itself is not altered by this operation.
Do injections for the nostrils work instead of surgery?
Rewind's page says injections can reduce nostril movement or fat and give a slight narrowing, but the effect is temporary. Surgery changes the tissue itself, which is why it is discussed when a lasting change is wanted.
Can I send photos before booking?
Yes. Send a front photo and one of your nose from below through the form below or WhatsApp, and Rewind replies as soon as possible. Any view given from photos is provisional until the in-person examination.
Voices

Google Reviews

What our patients say.

G 5.0 ★★★★★ 51 Google reviews · Rewind Plastic Surgery, Apgujeong — live-synced from Google Business Profile
★★★★★

Came to REWIND to get my facial treatment and i'm absolutely obsessed about it💞 the doctor is so kind and is an expert! Everyone must visit!

YunHee Hong2 weeks ago
★★★★★

There are just way too many cosmetic clinics in Korea and I'm so happy I found Rewind Clinic in Gangnam. Dr. Choi was so kind and patient while explaining the different face-lifting options, from threads to mini-lifts to deep-plane lifts…

J. S.5 months ago
★★★★★

I found Rewind clinic through a Korean chat forum and many local clients highly recommended it. The clinic is brand new, featuring large, clean rooms and many private waiting areas so it doesn't give off that "factory" clinic vibe. All the…

J. Siou5 months ago
★★★★★

Really nice environment. Doctor is easy to communicate and understands my visions. Waited two weeks to make a review and I confirm the results exceeded my expectations and I am super happy with it. Can't wait to come back!! :))

Kristie Chu5 months ago
★★★★★

I received a thread lift at Rewind Plastic Surgery. The clinic was clean and the atmosphere was comfortable. The consultation was thorough, and I felt confident because they kindly explained everything tailored to my facial condition. They…

한주연2 weeks ago · Translated by Google
Booking

Reservation

REWIND,booking

Send a front photo and a photo of your nose from below, and mention any earlier nose surgery, and we reply as soon as possible.

Visit

REWIND,visit

For international patients — interpreter-assisted, from your first message to your follow-up.

Location
Apgujeong, Gangnam
4F & 5F, Richro Building,
812 Nonhyeon-ro,
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Hours
Mon·Tue·Wed·Fri 10:00–19:00
Sat 10:00–16:00
Closed Sundays & Thursdays
Lunch 12:00–13:00
Consultation
In your language
WhatsApp · Instagram
Interpreter-assisted
consultations available
Registration
KHIDI Registered
Registered institution for
international patients
Reg. M-2025-01-08-09288

Scientific evidence

Research behind the alarplasty clinic checklist

The first two papers review alar base reduction and techniques that aim to keep visible after-effects small; the third compares tip techniques, relevant when width comes from the tip as well as the base; the fourth reports complications after cosmetic surgery abroad, the reason aftercare contacts belong in your questions. Their patients were not Rewind patients, and their findings describe groups rather than any one person.