Seoul
Chief MD, Gangnam
Duk-ha Kim
The trust our patients have placed in this clinic was built on conviction and principle. We intend to hold to both, unchanged, through the next hundred years.
Nose thread-lift risk and indication guide
HIKO Nose Thread Lift
A HIKO nose thread lift places a barbed thread under nasal skin to reposition tissue mechanically, marketed under that name at some Korean clinics. The cleared indication wording for lifting sutures, found in FDA 510(k) clearance records such as the MINT Product Family decisions, describes temporarily fixating cheek tissue — not the nose. Nose-specific evidence in the sources reviewed here is limited to case reports of an abscess and, separately, necrosis and a late granuloma.
- Device category
- Lifting sutures of this kind are Class II devices cleared through FDA 510(k) with special controls, not premarket approval
- Cleared indication wording found
- Describes temporarily fixating the cheek subcutaneous fat/SMAS layer or cheek sub-dermis — cheek tissue, not the nose
- Nose-specific evidence found
- Case reports only: a nasal abscess (single case) and a Korean report of two cases (necrosis at four months; granuloma with ulceration at ten years)
- General thread-lift complication data
- Pooled figures from a 26-study meta-analysis, not nose-specific; the discussion authors warn pooling heterogeneous studies limits generalization
What is a HIKO nose thread lift?
HIKO is a name used at some Korean clinics for a procedure that passes a barbed thread under the skin of the nose to hold tissue in place mechanically, the same general technique used for cheek and midface thread lifts. What "HIKO" covers can vary by clinic. The two things this page can source are the regulatory status of lifting threads in general and the nose-specific case reports that exist for this technique.
Sources: FDA — surgical sutures Class II special controls guidance
Does a clinic marketing name match a regulatory clearance record?
A regulatory clearance is filed under a manufacturer’s product name, not a clinic’s marketing term. FDA 510(k) clearance records for lifting sutures, including the MINT Product Family decisions dated 2020-09-09 (K192423) and 2023-03-07 (K220549), are listed by manufacturer and product name in exactly that way. A clinic menu name such as “HIKO” is a separate, clinic-chosen label, so connecting it to a specific cleared product means asking the clinic directly for the manufacturer name, product name and clearance or registration number of the thread it plans to use.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansion
What does the cleared indication wording for a lifting suture actually cover?
The manufacturer-published wording for the MINT clearances describes "mid-face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek subcutaneous fat layer and SMAS layer in an elevated position" (2020, K192423) and "face suspension surgery to temporarily fixate the cheek sub dermis in an elevated position" (2023, K220549). Both describe cheek tissue, and neither record’s wording extends to the nose.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansionMINT PDO — manufacturer statement on FDA clearances
Why doesn’t a cheek-area indication automatically extend to the nose?
The indication wording names a specific tissue layer and location — cheek subcutaneous fat and SMAS, or cheek sub-dermis — rather than "the face" in general. A clearance decision is scoped to what a manufacturer submitted and what a reviewer evaluated for that wording; it does not state a finding for a different site such as the nose. So a product cleared with cheek wording does not, by that clearance, carry a nose indication as well.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansion
What kind of device is a lifting thread, regardless of the brand name used to market it?
Under the framework used for the products this page can source, a lifting thread of this kind is a Class II device cleared through 510(k) with special controls, not through premarket approval, and clinical trials are not generally required for that pathway. That framework means a brand name can be marketed for a treatment area without that specific area having been the subject of a clinical trial as part of clearance — which is one reason to ask directly what evidence exists for the area being treated.
Sources: FDA — surgical sutures Class II special controls guidance
Which thread material or manufacturer would a Hongdae clinic use for this procedure?
That depends on the specific clinic and is not settled by the menu name "HIKO." Absorbable materials such as PDO and non-absorbable materials such as polypropylene behave differently over time, and the case reports below describe both categories. Ask the clinic to name the exact product and material before booking.
How long does the effect last?
No source reviewed here states a duration figure specific to the nose. The only duration language available comes from the cheek-area indication wording behind at least some cleared lifting sutures, which describes the fixation it covers as temporary — a word, not a stated number of months, and one written for the cheek rather than the nose. What actually governs how long a lift holds is the thread material: an absorbable material such as PDO degrades over time, while a non-absorbable material such as polypropylene is designed to remain in the tissue indefinitely, which is also part of why the case report below describes a granuloma appearing a decade after a non-absorbable thread was placed. Neither material category has a nose-specific duration study behind it here. At consultation, ask whether the thread is absorbable or non-absorbable, what the clinic means by "temporary" for your case, and how it defines and checks whether the lift is still holding at a given date.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansionCase report (Korea) — skin necrosis after absorbable nose thread and late granuloma after a polypropylene thread
What did the nasal abscess case report describe?
A case report describes a 45-year-old woman who developed an abscess spanning the nasal dorsum, tip and columella after a PDO nose thread lift, with Propionibacterium acnes cultured from the site; the report comes from a medical institution in the Philippines. It is a single case, so it cannot be used to state how often this happens or to prove the thread caused it rather than another factor.
Sources: J Cosmet Med 2018;2(1):46-51 — case report of nasal abscess after PDO nose thread lift
What did the Korean necrosis and granuloma case reports describe?
A Korean report describes two cases: skin necrosis appearing four months after an absorbable PDO nose thread, with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) cultured, and a granuloma with ulceration appearing ten years after a non-absorbable polypropylene thread, also with MSSA cultured. The authors themselves note that two cases are a statistically limited sample and that separating the material from other causes of the complication is difficult — this page repeats that limitation rather than smoothing over it.
Why can a problem from a non-absorbable thread appear years after the procedure?
In the case report above, the granuloma and ulceration appeared a decade after the original polypropylene thread was placed, not shortly after the procedure. A non-absorbable thread is designed to remain in the tissue, so a case like this shows that a delayed problem is possible with that material category — which is why keeping a record of what was placed matters well beyond the initial recovery period.
How should you read complication percentages such as 32.9% or 11.7%?
An invited discussion in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports pooled figures from a 26-study thread-lift meta-analysis: edema 32.9%, indentation 11.7%, paresthesia 6.8%, infection 3.1%, thread extrusion 3.9%, and a palpable or visible thread 1.8%. The discussion’s own authors warn that pooling results from heterogeneous studies limits how far the numbers generalize, and none of these figures is broken out for the nose specifically. Treat them as a description of the wider thread-lift literature, not a nose-specific rate.
Why doesn’t this page state an infection or necrosis rate specific to the nose?
Because the nose-specific sources available here are case reports, and a case report describes what happened to one patient rather than how often it happens across a population. That is why this page does not call nasal infection or necrosis after a thread lift "rare" or "common" — neither word is something a case report can support, and no nose-specific incidence study is cited here.
Sources: J Cosmet Med 2018;2(1):46-51 — case report of nasal abscess after PDO nose thread liftCase report (Korea) — skin necrosis after absorbable nose thread and late granuloma after a polypropylene thread
Does a HIKO nose thread lift change nose height, bridge shape, or last for a stated period?
This page did not find a sourced figure for a height change, a bridge-shape improvement, or a duration specific to nose thread lifting. The only duration language available in the sources here comes from the cheek indication wording, which describes the fixation it covers as temporary. No number for the nose is stated on this page because none is sourced.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)FDA 510(k) K220549 — MINT Product Family expansion
What should you confirm before a HIKO nose thread lift?
Ask for the exact product name and whether the thread is absorbable or non-absorbable, along with its manufacturer and specification. Ask what the clinic’s response procedure is if signs of infection appear, including who to contact and how quickly. Ask what removing a thread would involve if that becomes necessary, and who bears that cost. Because a non-absorbable thread can cause a problem years later, keep your own written record of the product name, material and treatment date.
What symptoms are worth contacting the clinic about after a nose thread lift?
Based on the case reports cited here: swelling, redness or pain spreading across the nasal bridge, tip or columella; a change in skin color that could indicate reduced blood flow; and, separately, a new lump, nodule or ulceration even years after the procedure. None of these confirms a particular cause, but each is the kind of change described in a published case report, which is why it is worth a direct question to the clinic rather than waiting.
Sources: J Cosmet Med 2018;2(1):46-51 — case report of nasal abscess after PDO nose thread liftCase report (Korea) — skin necrosis after absorbable nose thread and late granuloma after a polypropylene thread
How should a consultation for the nose differ from one for the cheek?
Cheek and midface thread lifting has a cleared indication wording behind at least some products, plus a broader complication literature covering that area. For the nose, the sources reviewed here provide no equivalent cleared indication and no incidence data — only individual case reports of an abscess, necrosis and a late granuloma. That gap is a reason to ask the additional questions above, not a reason to skip them because the general thread-lift literature exists.
Sources: FDA 510(k) K192423 — MINT Product Family (Hans Biomed)J Cosmet Med 2018;2(1):46-51 — case report of nasal abscess after PDO nose thread liftCase report (Korea) — skin necrosis after absorbable nose thread and late granuloma after a polypropylene thread
Absorbable and non-absorbable threads at the nose — does the case-report evidence look the same?
These rows summarize what the case reports found here describe for each material category. A single case report cannot establish which material carries a lower risk, so treat this as a set of consultation questions rather than a ranking.
| Thread category | What is different | Case-report evidence found here | Confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absorbable (e.g., PDO) | Designed to break down over time | A nasal abscess case (Philippines) and a nasal skin necrosis case at four months (Korea), both involving PDO threads | The exact material and manufacturer, and how the clinic responds to infection signs |
| Non-absorbable (e.g., polypropylene) | Designed to remain in tissue | A granuloma with ulceration appearing ten years after placement (Korea) | That you keep a written record of the product for long-term follow-up, and what removal would involve |
| Either material, as a device category | Regulated the same way as a surgical suture in the records this page checked | No nose-specific cleared indication found in those records | The clearance or registration number for the specific thread offered to you |
This table organizes case-report findings for a consultation. It is not a ranking of which material is safer, and it does not state an incidence rate for either material at the nose.
Sources: J Cosmet Med 2018;2(1):46-51 — case report of nasal abscess after PDO nose thread liftCase report (Korea) — skin necrosis after absorbable nose thread and late granuloma after a polypropylene threadFDA — surgical sutures Class II special controls guidance
Medical care at Abijou
Care is provided by the medical team at the branch you select. These clinicians lead the three branches linked from this guide; confirm the doctor assigned to your visit with that branch.
Chief MD, Myeongdong
Cheol-su Yoon
I want to be thinking about how the patient feels right up to the last moment of the procedure.
Chief MD, Hongdae
Jae-wook Kim
I will give my best with the attentiveness to catch even the smallest change.
Listed branch medical team — not a medical-review byline for this article.
Frequently asked questions
Is "HIKO" a specific FDA-cleared product?
A clinic marketing name is not the same as a manufacturer’s registered product name. FDA 510(k) clearances for lifting sutures, including the MINT Product Family decisions (K192423, K220549), are filed under the manufacturer’s own product name rather than a clinic’s menu term — ask the clinic for the manufacturer name and clearance number of the thread it actually uses.
Does the cleared indication wording for lifting sutures mention the nose?
No. The cleared wording describes fixating cheek subcutaneous fat and SMAS, or cheek sub-dermis, in an elevated position — both cheek tissue, not the nose.
If a thread is cleared for the cheek, does that cover the nose too?
No, because the indication wording names a specific tissue layer and location rather than the face in general. A clearance decision reflects what was submitted and reviewed for that wording, so it does not establish a separate finding for a different site such as the nose.
What kind of device is a lifting thread under U.S. rules, regardless of the brand?
A Class II device cleared through 510(k) with special controls rather than premarket approval, a pathway that does not generally require clinical trials. That means a brand can be marketed for an area without that area having been the subject of a trial as part of the clearance itself.
What did the nasal abscess case report describe?
A 45-year-old woman developed an abscess spanning the nasal dorsum, tip and columella after a PDO nose thread lift, with Propionibacterium acnes cultured from the site, reported by a medical institution in the Philippines. It is one case, so it does not establish how often this happens.
What did the Korean case reports on necrosis and a granuloma describe?
Two cases: skin necrosis four months after an absorbable PDO nose thread (MSSA cultured), and a granuloma with ulceration ten years after a non-absorbable polypropylene thread (also MSSA cultured). The authors note that two cases are a limited sample and that separating the material from other causes is difficult.
Why did the granuloma case appear ten years after the procedure rather than soon after?
Because the thread involved was polypropylene, a non-absorbable material designed to remain in the tissue. The case shows that a delayed complication is possible with that material category, which is why keeping a record of exactly what was placed matters long after the initial recovery.
What do the reported complication percentages such as 32.9% mean?
They are pooled figures — edema 32.9%, indentation 11.7%, paresthesia 6.8%, infection 3.1%, thread extrusion 3.9%, palpable or visible thread 1.8% — from a 26-study thread-lift meta-analysis discussed in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The discussion’s own authors warn that pooling heterogeneous studies limits generalization, and none of the figures is specific to the nose.
Why doesn’t this page say nasal infection or necrosis after a thread lift is rare or common?
Because the nose-specific sources here are case reports, which describe individual patients rather than a rate across a population. Neither "rare" nor "common" is something a case report can support, so this page states what the reports found and leaves the frequency question for the clinic to answer directly.
Does a HIKO nose thread lift come with a stated height change or duration?
No sourced figure for a height change, bridge-shape result or duration specific to the nose was found here. The only duration language available comes from the cheek indication wording, which describes that fixation as temporary — no comparable number for the nose is stated on this page.
How do I find out what thread material my clinic would actually use?
This page cannot tell you — that information is specific to each clinic and each patient’s plan. Ask directly for the product name, whether it is absorbable or non-absorbable, and the manufacturer and specification, and ask before booking rather than at the procedure itself.
What should I ask before booking a nose thread lift?
Ask for the exact product name and material, whether it is absorbable or non-absorbable, the manufacturer and specification, the clinic’s response procedure if infection signs appear, and what thread removal would involve and who pays for it if it becomes necessary. Keep your own written record of the answers, since a non-absorbable thread can cause a problem years later.
What symptoms should make me contact the clinic after a nose thread lift?
Swelling, redness or pain spreading across the nasal bridge, tip or columella; a change in skin color; or a new lump, nodule or ulceration, even years after the procedure. These are the kinds of changes described in the case reports cited here, not a guarantee of cause, so treat any of them as a reason to contact the clinic rather than wait.
If a thread needs to be removed later, who is responsible for the procedure and its cost?
None of the sources cited here answer that question, so it is not stated on this page. Confirm the removal procedure and who bears the cost directly with the clinic before booking, particularly given that non-absorbable threads can cause problems years after the original procedure.
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We started in Gangnam in 2006 and the network now runs 17 branches across Korea. The line we work to is skin transformation woven into everyday life — care you can keep up with, rather than one dramatic change.
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