Medically reviewed by Dr. Jule Yasser Kong, R.N., M.D. · PRC Licence No. 0133571 · 28 October 2026
One lifts the nose you have. The other rebuilds the frame. Here's the friendly version of the choice.
The 30-second version
| HIKO thread lift | Surgical rhinoplasty | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Dissolvable threads under the skin, with numbing | An operation on bone and cartilage, under IV sedation or general anaesthesia |
| Time | About 45 min to 1 hour | About 2 to 4 hours |
| Downtime | Mild swelling; no pressure on the nose for 2 weeks | Splint for 1 to 2 weeks; desk work at 10 to 14 days |
| Lasts | 12 to 24 months for most patients | Designed to be long-term |
| Starts at | ₱35,000 | ₱150,000 |
| Where | Cebu, BGC/Taguig, Makati | Cebu, Makati |
You've pinched the bridge of your nose in the mirror. Maybe you've saved a few "after" photos on your phone. Now comes the big question: threads, or surgery?
It comes down to two things. How much change do you want? And how long do you want it to stay? Answer these in your head:
If the first two sound like you, threads may be worth a look. If the last two do, surgery may fit better. Either way, the final call is one you make with your doctor.
HIKO is like tent poles. The doctor slides thin, dissolvable PCL threads under the skin of your nose. They prop up the bridge and the tip, so you see more height right away. As the threads slowly dissolve, your body builds collagen around them. Your bone and cartilage don't change at all.
Surgery is a renovation. The surgeon works on the bone and cartilage themselves. For more height, One Nadela uses an implant or a cartilage graft from your own body. Surgery can also fix breathing problems caused by the structure inside your nose. Threads can't reach that far.
In one line: threads lift the nose you have. Surgery changes its frame.
HIKO is a bit like a rebond. It looks great, then slowly grows out. The threads dissolve over about 18 to 24 months, and most patients enjoy a visible lift for 12 to 24 months. Some keep a little improvement for longer. Your skin, how you heal, and how much your face moves all play a part.
Surgery is meant to stay. The changes to bone and cartilage are designed to be long-term. Your nose still ages along with the rest of your face, just like your cheeks and jawline do.
After HIKO
After surgery
Quick tip
Can't take two weeks off? That alone may point you toward threads.
HIKO starts at ₱35,000. Surgery starts at ₱150,000. Your exact price is set at your consultation, once the doctor has seen your nose.
An easy way to think about it: threads are a lower-cost way to try a higher nose. Surgery is a one-time investment in a change that's meant to last. If you already know you want it for good, ask your doctor what keeping a thread result going would involve for you.
Yes, but read this part first.
Besides building collagen, threads can leave a little scar tissue inside the nose. Surgery is still possible later. It just takes your surgeon more careful work and more time in the operating room to get you a safe, good result.
Quick tip
Even a small "maybe someday" about surgery is worth saying out loud at your first consultation, even if you're getting threads today. It helps your doctor plan around both.
HIKO may suit you if...
Surgery may suit you if...
"HIKO thread lifting is highly technique-dependent."
Dr. Jule Yasser KongWhere the threads go matters as much as the threads themselves. So ask who places them, and how they'll plan the lift for your face.
Every surgery carries some risk, and threads have risks of their own. At One Nadela, your doctor goes through them with you honestly before you decide anything.
Ready to find out which one fits?
Book a consultation. The doctor looks at your nose, hears what you want, and tells you which route makes sense.
HIKO is available at our Cebu, BGC/Taguig and Makati clinics. Surgical rhinoplasty is performed by Dr. Jule Yasser Kong at our Cebu and Makati clinics.
No. HIKO is a non-surgical thread procedure. The area is numbed, and dissolvable PCL threads go under the skin of the nose.
Surgery. With HIKO, most patients enjoy a visible lift for 12 to 24 months as the threads dissolve.
They can. Threads may leave scar tissue inside the nose, so later surgery is still possible but takes more careful work and more time.
HIKO starts at ₱35,000. Surgical rhinoplasty starts at ₱150,000. Your exact price is confirmed at consultation.
