This is an in-depth guide for anyone looking to get jaw reduction in Korea. Because of the Korean V-shaped face standards, jaw reduction is quite popular there.
Often called V-line surgery, Korean surgeons use it to achieve the desired feminine and more defined jaw shape.
Although jaw reduction is more popular among Korean women, jaw reduction can also help men achieve a more defined and well-shaped jaw.
In this guide, we will cover everything you should know about jaw reduction in Korea, including:
- What is jaw reduction
- What to expect from Korean jaw reduction
- Jaw reduction cost in Korea
- Why choose Korea for jaw reduction
- Best jaw reduction clinics in Korea
To start, let’s quickly go over what jaw reduction is:
Jaw reduction, or mandibular contouring or jaw shawing, is a cosmetic surgery that aims to reshape the lower jaw.
It aims to reshape the lower jaw to achieve more symmetrical and balanced facial features. Typically, patients get jaw reduction to fix an overly square-looking jaw.
It helps smoothen the patient’s jawline to get a more natural and feminine-looking jaw.
Jaw reduction is more popular among women than men, as the main goal is to make the jaw appear more feminine (less-squared). It’s also common among people who want to transition from male to female.
It’s an invasive surgery with permanent results. Jaw reduction can help slim down both front and side face lines or just one.
An alternative to jaw reduction might be dermal fillers. However, they only give subtle changes, and the results aren’t permanent.
Jaw reduction goes hand in hand with a genioplasty, as both procedures focus on fixing your jawline/chin.
Recovery
Recovery after jaw reduction is different from patient to patient. However, it typically takes 6 months for all the swelling and bruising to go down.
As this is a major plastic procedure, you should expect a lot of swelling for the first few days after surgery. You will get pain medication to manage pain and discomfort.
As a precaution, you might get some antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medicine.
After a few weeks, most of the swelling will go away and the pain will subside.
You can return to work and most daily activities after 10 days. However, avoid strenuous exercise for longer or until your doctor clears you.
Results
Full results from jaw reduction will show after 6 months. You will start noticing results gradually through time when swelling starts to disappear.
After all the swelling goes down, you will notice a more smooth and natural-looking jawline.
You will have no visible scarring as the incision is inside of the mouth. Also, surgeons now use self-dissolvable stitches that dissolve in your mouth after a few weeks.
What To Expect From Jaw Reduction In Korea
Jaw reduction is often called mandibular jaw bone reduction or V-line surgery in Korea.
The so-called V-shaped face is becoming a popular trend in Korea. For that reason, Korean surgeons innovated the old technique for jaw reduction to help achieve that Korean V-shaped face.
The most common method of performing jaw reduction surgery in Korea is by using a special wire, often called the ”V-line”. This way, the surgeon can cut skin and the bone and leave no visible scar.
The V-shaped jawline is one of the more popular Korean beauty trends right now. Along with Rhinoplasty, jaw reduction or V-line surgery is one of the most popular procedures in Korea.
Here, you can see how the jawline is now more V-shaped. In this case, a Genioplasty was done together. Both surgeries complement each other well.
Basic Info About Korean Jaw Reduction Or V-Line Surgery
Jaw reduction or V-line surgery is a complex and major plastic surgery. That being said, there is some information you should know about Korean jaw reduction.
In general, jaw reduction in Korea lasts from 1 to 2 hours. However, the actual duration depends on your wishes and facial structure. We recommend to discuss it with your surgeon.
You will be under general anesthesia during the procedure. The surgeon will make an incision inside your mouth.
Depending on the surgeon, you might need stitches removal. Some surgeons use self-dissolvable stitches, so no removal is required.
If you get regular stitches, you will have them removed about 1-2 weeks after the procedure.
Recovery is a bit more difficult. It can take anywhere from 2 to 7 days for you to return to daily activities.
Post-Jaw Reduction Stay In Korea
Since jaw reduction is an intricate procedure, we recommend you stay in Korea a bit longer.
A minimum stay in Korea after jaw reduction is until the removal of stitches, so around 10 days.
However, we recommend you stay a day or two longer. This is so you can squeeze in one more appointment before leaving and recover a bit more.
First, you will stay at the clinic for at least a day. They have great aftercare facilities or are partnered with some other clinic. After that, it will take some time for pain and swelling to subside. Try to stay inside and not move too much for a few days.
What To Do In Seoul During Recovery
When you feel okay, with a few limitations, you are free to explore Seoul. Follow your surgeon’s instructions during your stay.
Since you should watch what you eat for a few days, you can enjoy a lot of soup dishes at Seoul’s food markets. Soup is a big part of Korean food culture.
The market in the picture above is Gwangjang Market in Seoul. You can find a lot of street food vendors and local shops there.
Seoul is also heaven for people who like to shop. There are a ton of large shopping malls with every brand you can imagine. There is something for everyone in those malls.
However, if you want to find great deals on clothes and souvenirs, you should visit local markets. We recommend Namdaemun or Dongdaemun Market.
Lastly, take some time and explore Seoul’s top attractions. Trust us, there are a lot of must-see sights you shouldn’t miss. Plus, most of them are accessible by bus or metro so, no walking!
Maybe take a relaxing walk along the 10,9km long Cheonggyecheon stream In Seoul. It’s a good way to spend an afternoon after a surgery like jaw reduction.
And that brings us to our last recommendation, which is bus tours. These tours are a great way to see Seoul without walking too much. Try booking through your clinic. You might get lucky and get a discounted price!
Jaw Reduction Cost In Korea
The average cost of jaw reduction in Korea is 6,600,000 KRW (=5,000 $).
However, the final cost depends on many different factors, such as:
- Clinic reputation: some more reputable clinics may charge you more because of their reputation.
- Surgeon experience: Some more experienced surgeons might charge you more just because of their experience.
- Additional procedures: If you get an extra procedure done, clinics might give you a discount on the final price.
- Extra costs: Some clinics charge additional fees like guest fees. Don’t worry, these usually don’t cost more than 26,000 KRW (=20 $).
A more feminine-looking jaw is very popular among Koreans. That is why jaw reduction is so affordable in Korea. Clinics compete with each other for patients and offer very competitive prices.
More foreign patients fly to Korea for plastic surgery, so clinics try to attract them by running promotions exclusive to them.
Another thing to point out is the all-inclusive prices in Korea. Typically, Korean prices include surgery costs, anesthesia, operating room and consultation fees, and tax.
Another thing you will notice is the extra services a lot of clinics include in their prices. We will go over those later.
Lastly, there are a ton of other ways for you to save money in Korea. We will give you our tips later in this guide.
Compared To Other Countries
Compared to other countries, Korea is much more affordable and budget-friendly for jaw reduction.
This is due to the competition between Korean clinics. To attract customers, they offer very competitive prices. The popularity of jaw reduction in Korea also helps keep the price low.
For the same procedure, you can expect to pay:
- an average of 14,500,000 KRW (=11,000 $) in the US
- an average of 7,900,000 KRW (=6,000 $) in Australia
- an average of 9,800,000 KRW (=7,300 $) in Canada
You can save at least 20% on jaw reduction by having it in Korea. Jaw reduction is two times more expensive in the US than in Korea.
Keep in mind that the above prices are just ballpark figures. Those prices don’t include everything, as most Western clinics charge extra consultation fees and surgical costs (anesthesia, staff costs, etc.).
Due to low and all-inclusive prices, Korea is becoming popular among foreign patients. Many decide to fly there just for plastic surgery.
With such high standards, advanced healthcare, and affordable prices, Korea is an obvious choice for jaw reduction.
Save More Money In Korea
Korea is already very budget-friendly and affordable for jaw reduction. However, there are still plenty of ways to save even more money on jaw reduction in Korea.
We did some research, asked around, and found some great tips you can use to shave something off your cost.
Paying In Full
Clinics prefer you pay in full instead of in monthly installments.
If you pay in full, clinics will happily offer you a discount of up to 10%. You can also try asking about one before paying for your procedure.
Additional Procedures
If you get an extra procedure done with your jaw reduction, clinics might offer you a discount on the final price.
They do this because they save money on anesthesia and staff costs.
You can look into getting another facial contouring or anti-aging procedure with your jaw reduction. However, we recommend you get a genioplasty as both done together can give optimal results.
You can also look into getting fat removal procedures like liposuction or AccuSculpt together with jaw reduction. An alternative to jaw reduction could be dermal fillers, but the results from those are temporary and not so distinct.
Before And After Showcases
Clinics like to showcase results on their websites, and if you are a perfect candidate, they might ask you to model for them in exchange for great discounts.
If you are okay with it, this is another great way to save money in Korea. You can even try volunteering for it.
Tax Refund
If you are a foreign citizen, you are eligible for a VAT refund when leaving Korea.
This is an easy way to get some money back because the only requirement is that you are not a Korean citizen.
Keep all of your receipts and look for tax refund machines at airports.
Korea: The Perfect Choice For Jaw Reduction
Korea is worldwide famous as the ”plastic surgery capital of the world”. It’s becoming popular among foreigners as well. Their high beauty standards and advanced plastic surgery are why people are flying to Korea for cosmetic surgery.
In 2020, the Korean plastic surgery industry was estimated to be worth a whopping $10,7 billion. This number has only grown since then.
With quality healthcare and innovative plastic surgeons, Korean plastic surgery is at the very top of this industry.
Let’s break down a few reasons we believe make a difference when deciding about jaw reduction in Korea or elsewhere.
Cost
As we already covered in the ”Jaw Reduction Cost In Korea” section, jaw reduction in Korea is very affordable compared to other countries.
Jaw reduction in Korea is at least 20% cheaper than in other countries. For example, jaw reduction in the US costs twice as much as getting one in Korea.
The reason for such affordable prices is the popularity of jaw reduction in Korea. Over 500 plastic surgery clinics compete for patients, offering competitive prices to attract them.
With high beauty standards, advanced plastic surgery, and very experienced surgeons, you get the best price-to-value possible.
Using our tips on saving money in Korea, you can lower your final cost even more.
Surgeon Experience
Korean surgeons are some of the most experienced surgeons in the world.
They perform over 1,000,000 plastic surgeries annually, and many are jaw reductions. Korean beauty standard, a V-shaped jawline, is achieved using jaw reduction.
With how many plastic surgeries they perform yearly, there is no doubt that Korean surgeons are very experienced.
Not only that, but Korean surgeons use advanced techniques that minimize scarring and speed up recovery time. They use self-dissolvable stitches, so you don’t have to worry about removing them.
Another important thing is that Korean surgeons are specialized.
Jaw reduction is popular among Koreans because of the famous V-shaped jawline. That is why many surgeons specialize in facial contouring, which includes jaw reduction.
Those performing facial contouring procedures only do those. You will get the best possible results from Korean surgeons specializing in facial contouring, which, of course, includes jaw reduction.
And lastly, even Korean clinics are starting to specialize in facial contouring. We will cover that later in this guide.
Best Jaw Reduction Clinics In Korea
Picking the best plastic surgery clinics for jaw reduction is an important decision to make.
There are many factors to consider when searching for a plastic surgery clinic.
With over 500 plastic surgery clinics in Seoul, this decision can be difficult and stressful. However, you shouldn’t just pick a random clinic or the cheapest one, as this can mean the difference between good or bad results.
Because of that, we did all the leg work for you and came up with a list of recommended jaw reduction clinics in Korea.
We verified these clinics by visiting their facilities, checking their reviews, checking their credentials and staff, and interviewing former patients.
These clinics are your best bet if you want to avoid a botched or overpriced jaw reduction. They are a safe and reliable option.
It might also be helpful to consider scheduling consultations with more clinics. In most cases, these consultations are free of charge.
Let’s now break down the two factors, we believe are the most important:
Real, Verified Reviews
One thing that we believe is important when searching for a clinic is the customer reviews.
When looking at reviews, make sure to look at those for facial contouring. Among those, focus on reviews about jaw reduction.
Clinics with great reviews for body contouring and just average for facial contouring are not the best choice. Clinics with great facial contouring reviews are the ones you should look at.
Make sure to find detailed reviews and read them carefully. They can give you a lot of information about the clinic. Here is an example:
The review above is about facial contouring procedures at FacePlus Plastic Surgery. They are one of the clinics we recommend for jaw reduction.
Lastly, be on the lookout for fake reviews. They are becoming popular as clinics try to do everything to attract customers.
When researching clinics, we like to look at their Google reviews since they are harder to fake. Some other websites like WhatClinic are also good for research. We recommend you focus on those when researching reviews.
Another thing we do is contact former patients to get their experience with the clinic. This gives us great insight into how the clinic works.
Clinic Specialization
Another thing to look out for when looking for a clinic is the specialization of the clinic.
There are a lot of clinics in Seoul, and not all of them specialize or are the best for jaw reduction.
You should focus on clinics specializing in facial contouring, which includes jaw reduction. Those are the safest and best possible options for you.
Usually, clinics do not have a set specialization, but you can easily figure out one yourself. Here is what to look for:
- Specialization of their surgeons
- Customer reviews about procedures they offer
- Track record and patient satisfaction
We managed to find excellent clinic recommendations for jaw reduction by following the tips mentioned above. A good choice for jaw reduction is FacePlus Plastic Surgery.
For the safest and most effective jaw reduction, choose a clinic that meets the criteria mentioned above. Specialized clinics with specialized staff and equipment are the ones you should look at.
Conclusion
In conclusion, getting jaw reduction in Korea is a good and safe choice.
Korea has some of the most experienced surgeons in the world who use advanced techniques that guarantee the best results. Beauty standards in Korea are very high, and Korean clinics have to follow strict safety and health standards.
Lastly, prices for jaw reduction in Korea are at least 20% cheaper than in other countries. In the US, the same procedure will cost twice as much.
Now that you’ve read this guide, you know everything you need on your journey to jaw reduction in Korea.
Remember to check out our list of recommended jaw reduction clinics in Seoul.
And don’t forget, picking the right plastic surgery is an important step towards great results. Think this decision through and make the best choice.
If you have any questions about how we find the best jaw reduction clinics or any general questions, contact us. We have tons of experience and can help you have a successful and stress-free jaw reduction in Korea.
FAQ
How much does jaw reduction cost in Korea?
The average cost of jaw reduction in Korea is 6,600,000 KRW (=5,000 $).
However, the final cost depends on many different factors. It’s best to demand a full-price quote from the clinic to understand what you are paying.
How long does recovery from jaw reduction take?
Recovery from jaw reduction can take up to 6 months.
It’s a more complex and invasive cosmetic procedure, so it will take longer to recover from it. You should stay home for at least 10 days and avoid strenuous exercise for a few weeks.
You will start noticing results when the swelling begins to subside.