Alar Reduction In Korea (2025)

This guide aims to help anyone considering or wanting more information about having an alar reduction in Korea.

If you are concerned with the shape of your nose, especially your nostrils, then alar reduction can be a great solution for you.

In this guide, we will go over everything you need to know about having alar reduction in Korea. This includes, but is not limited to, things like:

  • What is alar reduction and how can it help
  • Why have alar reduction in Korea
  • Alar reduction cost in Korea
  • Top clinic choices for alar reduction in Korea

Whether you are just browsing or are considering having alar reduction in Korea, this guide should cover all the must-knows about it.

Alar Reduction In Korea

Let’s begin by first going over some basic about alar reduction:

Alar reduction, also known as alar base reduction or alarplasty, is a special type of rhinoplasty where small amounts of skin called alar, are removed.

The goal of this procedure is the removal of excess alar which makes the nose appear more narrower.

Essentially, what this procedure does is reshape and narrow down your nostrils. It helps achieve a much more symmetrical and slender-looking nose.

Alar reduction is a great solution for those who have wide nostrils and don’t want to undergo a full rhinoplasty.

If you don’t want to have a complete nose job, which can be very invasive, alar reduction is a good alternative, as it’s minimally invasive

What Is Alar

Alar is the excess skin that is removed during alar reduction. It usually doesn’t cause any problems so the removal of it is purely cosmetic.

Alar is located on the outer edge of your nostrils and can make the nose appear much wider than it actually is.

Alar Reduction Method

There are 3 methods that surgeons use for alar reduction. Let’s do a quick breakdown of those:

  • Wedge technique: This method is done by removing the wedge parts of the alar, where it attaches to the cheek. It doesn’t narrow your nostrils
  • Sill technique: This method is used to narrow the base of the alar where it attaches to the cheek. It reduces the width of your nose
  • Weir technique: This method is a refinement or an upgrade of the wedge method. It can better contour the nostrils as it aligns the excision with the nose curve

If you are having alar reduction, your surgeon will most likely use one of the three methods. You will determine this once you talk in detail about what you want from the surgery.

Recovery And Results

Compared to the standard rhinoplasty, recovery after alar reduction is much shorter and easier. You will get all the instructions about recovery from your surgeon.

It’s normal to expect some redness and light swelling for about 2 weeks after the surgery. You can resume normal activities the day after the surgery.

Avoid any activities or contact with the incision site for a few weeks. We also recommend waiting about 2 weeks before exercising.

It usually takes about 3 to 6 months for the results to show as this is also the duration of a complete recovery after alar reduction.

When the swelling and bruising clear, that is when you will notice the first stages of your results.

Surgeons typically use self-dissolvable stitches for alar reduction, so you don’t have to get them removed. You will have a small scar that fades away over time.

Before And After Alar Reduction Under The Chin Look
Before And After Alar Reduction Front Look

Alar Reduction In Korea

Korea is one of the more popular countries for any nose job, so it’s no surprise that alar reduction is quite common in Korea.

Alar reduction is one of the more popular nose jobs in Korea and that is mostly because of a certain ”beauty” standard, that is common among Koreans.

Koreans are typically born with a more narrow nose than Westerners, which is a beauty standard there. Alar reduction is also common among KPop stars.

Alar Reduction Methods In Korea

Korean surgeons typically use two methods of alar reduction that are both effective and minimally invasive.

The first one is similar to the sill technique, where the surgeon removes the excess alar at the base of your nose. The incision is small and you can hide the scar quite easily.

The second method uses threads to shape the nose. The surgeon first removes the excess alar and then brings both sides of your nose together by threads at the base of it.

Depending on how much alar you have and your wishes, your surgeon will create a personalized plan and adapt methods to achieve optimal results.

Alar Reduction Procedure In Korea

In Korea, you can expect your alar reduction to take around 1 to 2 hours. This depends on how complex your case is.

You can leave the clinic immediately after the procedure, but plan to schedule at least one follow-up visit. At the least, you will need it to have any stitches removed.

The procedure is done under either local or general anesthesia. You discuss this before your surgery.

We suggest you plan to leave Korea at least 1 week after the procedure or until you get a ”green light” from your surgeon.

Alar Reduction Cost In Korea

The average alar reduction in Seoul, Korea, costs between $1,000 (1,300,000 KRW) and $2,000 (2,600,000 KRW).

As you will see later, the same procedure would cost you up to two times more in popular Western plastic surgery destinations.

Now the actual cost of the procedure is hard to determine before you have a consultation. There are several factors, that influence the price, such as:

  • Alar reduction method: This mostly depends on how clinics price the procedure – usually, both methods cost around the same. Sometimes, the method using threads is priced a bit higher
  • Amount of work: The more work your surgeon has to do to get wanted results, the higher usually the cost
  • Reputation: More reputable clinics and surgeons tend to overcharge for the same procedure
  • Additional procedures: Getting more procedures done at the same clinic will increase your cost but earn you nice discounts

Korean prices are usually all-inclusive meaning you don’t pay extra for anesthesia, consultations, certain post-op treatments, etc.

Since you are traveling to Korea, you have to account for some things. You have to buy a plane ticket, reserve accommodation, food, transport, etc.

All and all, the low prices of plastic procedures in Korea and the excellent work of their surgeons make up for the cost of the trip in the end.

However, you can still save money on your trip to Korea. You can offer to model for clinics, pay for your surgery in full, write reviews, and even get a tax refund when leaving.

If you need help navigating the Korean prices, feel free to write to us at info@seoul.clinic. We have plenty of experience.

Alar Reduction Cost Outside Korea

Alar reduction is very cheap in Korea compared to other countries: Here is what you can expect to pay elsewhere:

  • Around 5,480,000 KRW (= 4,000$) in the US
  • Around 7,530,000 KRW (= 5,500$) in the UK
  • Around 8,210,000 KRW (= 6,000$) in Australia
Alar Reduction Cost Comparsion

As you can see, alar reduction is at least 2 times cheaper in Korea compared to countries like the US, UK and Australia. This is mostly because of the high demand for nose jobs in Korea as well as for alar reduction.

Narrow nostrils are a sought-after feature across Asia and since Korean surgeons are some of the most skilled in the world, Korea has a ton of people coming to get alar reduction done there.

Another thing that keeps the prices so low is the competition between clinics – competitive prices attract patients.

Plus, the Korean government supports and encourages medical tourism in Korea, which over time helps clinics keep operating costs down and offer lower prices for alar reduction.

Why Choose Korea For Alar Reduction

Korea has over 500 plastic surgery clinics and is known worldwide as the plastic surgery capital of the world.

Hundreds of thousands of people fly to Korea every year to have plastic surgery and Rhinoplasty or nose jobs are one of the more sought-after plastic procedures there.

However, is Korea really that much better than Western countries when it comes to alar reduction?

Let’s answer that by going over a few big things that put Korea at the top of the list for nose jobs – alar reduction, and why so many people choose it:

High Rhinoplasty Succes Rates

Let’s first take a look at success rates for nose jobs which include alar reduction. At Western clinics, Rhinoplasty success rates are around 85%.

Now what this means is that 15 out of 100 people who undergo a nose job, don’t like their results and are likely to have a revision Rhinoplasty done.

In Korea, success rates for Rhinoplasty are at a whopping 93%. This means that out of 100, only 7 people need revision surgery.

Considering how expensive and difficult Rhinoplasty revision surgeries can be, going for alar reduction to Korea is the better option.

Don’t forget that the 93% success rate is only an average in Korea, top Rhinoplasty specialized clinics have numbers that are even more impressive.

Cost

If you look at the graph you can find a few scrolls up, you can see that alar reduction prices are at least two times higher in Western countries than in Korea.

The cost isn’t this low in Korea because they cut corners and do low-quality procedures but because of the money invested in Korean plastic surgery.

To put it into perspective, the Korean plastic surgery industry was worth over $10 billion in 2020.

Now with this much money invested, clinics can lower certain operating costs and still keep high-quality services and top-notch results.

Combine this with the higher Rhinoplasty success rates and you Korea becomes an obvious choice for alar reduction.

Plus, you can get a tax refund when you leave Korea and there are plenty of ways you can save more money on alar reduction in Korea.

Picture Of A Tax Refund Machine At Korean Train Station

Experienced And Skilled Surgeons

Korean surgeons perform over 1,000,000 plastic procedures every year and because nose jobs are so popular, plenty of those are alar reductions.

This number of procedures performed every year is enough reason to see how experienced and skilled Korean surgeons are.

Because of their experience and skill, many people fly to Korea just to have alar reduction or any other type of nose job done.

In fact, Korea is a popular country for revision Rhinoplasties too. Patients who have them in Korea previously had bad experiences with Western clinics, so they need a revision.

And lastly, many Korean clinics also specialize in Rhinoplasty or have surgeons that perform only those.

Top Alar Reduction Clinics In Korea

Choosing the right clinics for your alar reduction is one of the most important parts of your journey to a successful procedure in Korea.

As we already mentioned, there are over 500 clinics in Korea, Seoul, so this decision is not exactly the easiest one.

Never pick the clinic at random or go for the cheapest one, as this can mean the difference between good or bad results.

To help you with this, we already came up with a few clinic recommendations for alar reduction and any other nose job.

We verified these clinics by doing background checks, combing through their reviews, going over their surgeons and specializations, visiting them, etc.

If you want to avoid a botched surgery, make sure to research clinics and look at our recommendations too.

Here are a few tips on what to focus on during the research stage:

Real Reviews

The first thing most people check when looking at clinics is customer reviews. Reviews are a great way to get insight into how the clinic works.

For alar reduction, make sure to look at Rhinoplasty reviews – all types. However, look at all reviews, as you will get a much better picture.

Don’t focus only on positive reviews because sometimes, negative ones have plenty of useful information too.

A good review should have at least some of these:

  • Description of the experience with the clinic
  • Information about how they treat patients
  • Satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the results
  • Aftercare treatments available

Lastly, be careful and watch out for fake reviews. Unfortunately, these are becoming more popular as clinics will do anything to attract customers.

These reviews can be hard to spot and are not necessarily lies but are not always 100% true. Clinics commonly offer discounts if you write a positive review about them.

We recommend you look at reviews on Google, WhatClinic, Reddit, etc. Another option is the UNNI app, where people post reviews about Korean plastic surgery.

Specialization

When it comes to the specialization of the clinic and surgeons, those specializing in nose surgery are the best ones for alar reduction.

There are plenty of clinics in Seoul that either specialize in nose surgery or have specialized nose surgeons working there.

Korea has a great reputation for Rhinoplasty, so it’s a big deal for Korean clinics to be good at it.

However, not every clinic displays its specialization, so you have to figure it out. It’s not hard – just look at reviews, track records, and surgeons credentials and you can quickly determine it.

For example, FacePlus Plastic Surgery is a clinic with only one surgeon but based on his specialization reviews, and track record, they are a top choice for a nose job.

So, Korean clinics specializing or with surgeons specializing in nose jobs are the best options for alar reduction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, getting alar reduction in Korea is a great choice for many reasons.

To start, Korea has amazing Rhinoplasty satisfaction rates, which are much higher than those in Western countries. In fact, Korea is a go-to country for revision Rhinoplasties because of botched surgeries outside Korea.

Next, alar reduction is at least two times more expensive in Western countries compared to Korea. Not only that, but there are plenty of ways to save money for example a tax refund,

Korean surgeons are also some of the most experienced and skilled in the world when it comes to nose jobs.

Not that you read this guide, you have all the information you need to start your journey to a successful alar reduction in Korea.

Don’t forget to check out our list of recommended alar reduction clinics in Korea.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to us at info@seoul.clinic. Our dedicated and experienced will answer them in 48 hours.

FAQ

How much is alar reduction in Korea?

The average alar reduction in Seoul, Korea, costs between $1,000 (1,300,000 KRW) and $2,000 (2,600,000 KRW).

The same procedure would cost you up to two times more in popular Western plastic surgery destinations.

Now the actual cost of the procedure is hard to determine before you have a consultation. There are several factors, that influence the price, so the best way to learn the exact cost is to demand a quote from the clinic.

What is alar reduction?

Alar reduction, also known as alar base reduction or alarplasty, is a special type of rhinoplasty where small amounts of skin called alar, are removed.

The goal of this procedure is the removal of excess alar which makes the nose appear more narrower.

Essentially, what this procedure does is reshape and narrow down your nostrils. It helps achieve a much more symmetrical and slender-looking nose.

Is alar reduction safe?

Generally speaking, alar reduction is a safe and minimally invasive nose surgery.

However, all plastic surgeries carry some risks including, but not limited to, scarring, bleeding, swelling, bruising, unsatisfactory results, etc.

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