A Hiko nose thread lift places absorbable PDO or PCL threads along the nasal bridge, and sometimes the columella, to add height and definition without filler or surgery, for a time. It cannot narrow a wide nose or shrink a bulbous tip. Dr Sin Yong assesses whether threads, nose filler or rhinoplasty fits the nose, then places the threads himself.
Main guideThread lift — what it treats, who it suits, sessions, downtime and what decides the cost, by Dr Sin Yong.
Dr Sin Yong · MBBS (NUS) · MRCS (Edin) · MSc Aesthetic Medicine with Distinction (Queen Mary, London) · MSc Practical Dermatology (Cardiff) · Global Key Opinion Leader
A Hiko nose thread lift places absorbable threads along the nasal dorsum to add definition without surgery. The nose is unforgiving anatomy — which makes the choice between threads and filler, and the plane they sit in, the decisions that matter.
Hiko nose thread lift Singapore · Dr Sin Yong, Orchard Road
Height and definition. Without filler, for a time.
PDO threads, dissolvable
Bridge and tip
No filler
Assessed first
Illustrative, not a patient. Every treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong after an in-person assessment.
A Hiko nose thread lift (often searched as nose threadlift) places dissolvable threads along the bridge and tip; this guide covers what a Singapore nose thread lift can and cannot change. Dissolvable PDO threads placed along the bridge and into the tip add height and definition without filler, for months rather than years. Dr Sin Yong assesses the nose first, because threads suit a low bridge or soft tip and not a nose that needs structural change.
A low bridge or soft tip suits threads; a bump, a wide base or a deviated nose does not.
under local anaestheticPlace
Threads along the bridge and into the tip, with the entry point hidden at the tip.
a temporary resultExpect
Threads dissolve over months; the collagen they prompt lasts somewhat longer.
Suitability is decided at an in-person assessment. No prices are quoted on this page; fees are given in writing after the assessment. Images and video are illustrative, not patients.
In brief
A nose thread lift in Singapore is a non-surgical nose lift: fine absorbable PDO threads are placed along the bridge, and where the anatomy suits, the columella, through a needle entry point. Hiko is a name for this style. The threads add definition and support rather than volume, then resorb. They cannot narrow or shorten the nose.
Also called: Hiko nose thread lift, nose threads, PDO nose threads, nose threadlift
Nose thread lift in Singapore: what it is and how the threads work
A nose thread lift places fine threads of polydioxanone (PDO), an absorbable surgical suture polymer, along the nasal dorsum, which is the line of the bridge. They are introduced through a needle entry point and sit in a plane above the periosteum, the layer that covers the nasal bone. Where the anatomy suits, threads are also placed along the columella, the strip of tissue between the nostrils, to support the tip. A 2020 retrospective study of 31 Korean patients treated with PDO threads and filler described the threads as especially useful for lifting the nasal tip.
The threads work in two ways. They act as a mechanical scaffold that sharpens the line of the bridge, and as the material is gradually absorbed, a collagen response develops along the track each thread occupied. The material disappears; what remains is the tissue response to it, which is why an absorbable polymer is used rather than an implant that stays.
Threads add structure along a line rather than volume, so on their own they add little height. Thick nasal skin tends to soften any definition, and very thin skin over the tip makes a thread more likely to show.
The names you will see on clinic menus
Hiko is a name used in Singapore and Korea for a nose thread lift in which fine absorbable PDO threads are placed along the bridge and, where the anatomy is suitable, the columella. It names a style rather than a different material, so the name alone tells you little about what is being done, or by whom.
How a nose thread lift differs from a face thread lift
The word lift is shared, but the aims differ. A face thread lift, such as Dr Sin Yong's Bliss Lift, uses barbed cog threads to carry descended fat and fibrous tissue back along planned vectors, for early jowling, a flattening midface or a lowered brow; PDO, PLLA and PCL face threads are compared on PDO vs PCL vs PLLA threads. In the nose there is no descended tissue to lift. The concern is shape rather than sagging, so fine PDO threads act as a scaffold for the bridge line and the tip. Face threads are covered in the thread lift Singapore guide.
If a problem has already appeared, see nose thread lift gone wrong: extrusion, visible threads and infection.
Lifting without adding volume. For a nose thread lift, Dr Sin Yong's first choices are his own protocols, the VF Lift – Vertical Facelift (monopolar radiofrequency on Volnewmer) and Time Freeze Laser LCLR® (dual-wavelength laser). Both work on your own tissue. Nothing is injected, so there is no filler to overfill, migrate or form lumps. Which one suits you, if either, is decided at assessment.
Who a non-surgical nose lift with threads suits, and who should wait
A non-surgical nose lift with threads suits a nose that needs definition and a little support, in someone who accepts what threads cannot change. It is the wrong choice when the change wanted is structural, or when the tissue of the nose makes threads riskier than usual, and sometimes the outcome of the assessment is advice not to proceed.
Group
What it looks like
What usually happens
Tends to suit
A low or poorly defined bridge; a tip that would benefit from a little extra support; wanting definition without surgery and accepting its limits
The bridge and the tip are assessed separately, then threads alone or threads with filler are planned
Should wait
Pregnancy or breastfeeding; an active infection, cold sore, inflammation or active acne on or near the nose
Treatment is deferred, not squeezed in
Assessed individually
Blood-thinning medicines or a bleeding tendency; conditions that affect healing; a tendency to keloid or abnormal scarring; earlier filler or threads in the nose
The plan or the timing changes, or treatment is advised against
Tends to respond poorly
Thick nasal skin, which softens any definition; very thin skin over the tip, where a thread is more likely to show or work its way out
For thick skin, referral is often the better route; on thin tip skin, dorsal threads alone or filler may suit better
Referred on
Wanting a smaller, narrower or shorter nose; a large hump, a deviated nose, a bulbous or broad tip, a drooping nose or nostrils that need narrowing; a breathing problem; previous rhinoplasty or an implant with concerns
A plastic surgery specialist, or a return to the operating specialist
Expectations matter as much as anatomy: threads add definition and support, and they are not a route to a different nose. The profile questions behind many requests are covered on flat nose bridge and profile balance.
Nose threads or nose filler: which suits your nose
Nose threads and nose filler are both used for a low or poorly defined bridge, and they do different jobs. Threads add structure along a line and recruit collagen as they resorb. Nose filler adds material: it is placed with a fine needle on the bone, in the supraperiosteal plane, to build projection. On the bridge, Dr Sin Yong usually works with calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), because a firmer biostimulator holds projection more predictably on a thin-skinned, mobile structure. Hyaluronic acid is used instead when a patient would rather have a filler that can be dissolved.
Nose threads, nose filler, both together and rhinoplasty compared
Option
What it does
Suits
What it cannot do
Reversal, and what persists
Nose thread lift (PDO threads)
Absorbable threads along the bridge and, where suitable, the columella add definition and support the tip
A low or poorly defined bridge; a tip that needs a little support
Add much height; change cartilage, bone or nostril shape
The material resorbs and a collagen response persists; a visible thread end can often be removed
Nose filler: CaHA or PCL
A firm biostimulator placed on the bone with a fine needle builds projection along the bridge
A low bridge where projection, rather than a defined line, is the main need
Shorten the nose, narrow the nostrils or correct a structural deviation
Broken down gradually; cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase
Nose filler: hyaluronic acid
A softer gel that adds volume above the periosteum
Someone who would rather have a filler that can be dissolved
Shorten or narrow the nose, like any filler
Broken down sooner; can be dissolved with hyaluronidase
Threads and filler together
Filler supplies the height and threads hold the line, at the same visit or in stages
A bridge that is both low and poorly defined
Change the framework of bone and cartilage
Each part follows its own course; review is set at follow-up
Rhinoplasty (referred on)
Reshapes bone and cartilage surgically
A hump, a deviation, a bulbous tip or nostrils that need narrowing
Be done without an operation and a formal recovery
A surgical change, discussed with the operating specialist
Which row applies depends on whether the nose needs projection, definition or both, and on skin thickness, previous work and the vascular anatomy, which leaves little margin whichever option is chosen. Dr Sin Yong's filler choice is explained on CaHA nose filler for bridge and tip projection, and the three routes are compared at length in nose filler vs nose thread vs rhinoplasty.
Nose tip thread lift: the tip is planned separately from the bridge
Threads can support the tip, but they cannot reshape it. Where the anatomy is suitable, threads along the columella act as a strut that gives the tip a little more support and a cleaner line from the bridge. A small amount of filler at the tip can add a little projection, but it does not rotate a tip that droops because of its cartilage. Such a tip, a bulbous or broad tip, and nostrils that need narrowing are matters for rhinoplasty. The tip has thin skin and little tissue over it, so visibility, a thread end working its way to the surface, and infection are discussed before any tip work.
What a nose thread lift cannot do, and what is considered instead
A nose thread lift works within the existing framework of bone and cartilage. It is not filler: it adds structure along the dorsum rather than volume on the bone. It is not rhinoplasty, and it is not a face thread lift, in which cog threads reposition jowl, midface and brow tissue.
Concern
Why threads are not the answer
What is considered instead
A smaller, narrower or shorter nose
Threads cannot remove bone or cartilage
Rhinoplasty assessment, by referral to a plastic surgery specialist
Wide nostrils
Neither threads nor filler change nostril width, and filler at the base can make a broad nose read wider
Rhinoplasty, by referral
A large hump or a deviated nose
Both are structural
A surgical opinion
A tip that droops because of its cartilage
Threads can support the tip but do not change its cartilage
The first is that a nose thread lift gives the same change as rhinoplasty. It does not: threads add some definition and support, but they cannot alter cartilage, bone or nostril shape. The second is that absorbable threads carry little risk. The nasal vasculature leaves little margin, so technique and plane matter, and complications can occur even with absorbable material. The wider limits of threads are weighed in is a thread lift worth it.
Risks and side effects of nose threads, and when to call
A nose thread lift is not risk-free, and the nose is not a low-risk area. Swelling along the bridge, possible bruising, tenderness at the entry point and a feeling of firmness are expected while the tissues settle. The risks that matter are:
A visible or palpable thread: more likely where the skin is thin, particularly at the tip.
A thread end working its way to the surface: it can often be removed, which is one reason for the review appointment.
Infection: particularly at the thin-skinned tip.
Contour irregularity or asymmetry: few noses are symmetrical to begin with, and swelling or thread position can make asymmetry more noticeable.
A problem with the blood supply: uncommon, but the nasal vasculature leaves little margin, so blanching or a dusky patch needs urgent review.
Why plane and technique matter more than the product
Both threads and filler in the nose need an understanding of the planes involved and of what lies beneath them. With filler, the serious risk is blockage of a blood vessel, which can damage the skin of the nose and, rarely, affect vision; the warning signs are on vascular occlusion after filler. Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with hyaluronidase, which should be to hand wherever it is injected; calcium hydroxylapatite and polycaprolactone cannot. Previous rhinoplasty, an implant or earlier filler alters the planes and blood supply, and can be a reason to advise against treatment. No outcome can be promised.
Contact the clinic the same day if you notice
Blanching, or a dusky or mottled patch of skin over the nose
Increasing pain, spreading redness, warmth or discharge
A thread end that can be seen or felt at the surface
Every step is carried out by Dr Sin Yong, and it starts with an assessment:
Consultation and examination of the bridge, tip, skin thickness and any previous work
Written plan and quote, including threads, filler, both, or referral
Treatment day: absorbable threads placed along the planned line with attention to plane and technique
Review to check healing and the result, with adjustment as needed
Local anaesthetic is used, so most people feel pressure and a brief sting rather than sharp pain while the threads are placed.
Before you book
Declare all medications and supplements, especially blood thinners, aspirin and fish oil
Tell the clinic about any previous rhinoplasty, nose implant, filler or threads in the nose
Mention any history of cold sores, keloid scarring or slow healing
Say if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, and avoid strong sun exposure beforehand
Bring photos of your nose in profile and from the front, and note what you would like to change
Aftercare and recovery
Recovery usually involves swelling along the bridge, possible bruising and tenderness at the entry point, and a feeling of firmness while the tissues settle. How long this lasts varies from person to person, so it is discussed beforehand and can be planned around work and social plans.
Early on: avoid pressing, rubbing or massaging the nose, and be careful with anything that rests on the bridge.
The entry point: keep it clean.
For a time afterwards: facial treatments over the nose and strenuous activity are postponed.
At review: healing, symmetry and the result are checked, and a visible thread end can be dealt with.
Warning signs: do not wait for the review; the same-day list is under risks and side effects.
What decides the cost of a nose thread lift in Singapore
Fees are not published on this site, and a figure quoted before assessment would not reflect your nose. Treatment is planned individually, so the cost follows the plan:
The area treated: the bridge alone, or the bridge with tip support.
The threads: the number and type of threads and the consumables used.
Threads alone or combined: whether filler is planned alongside.
What the assessment finds: skin thickness, previous work and the shape of the nose decide the approach.
Staging: work done at one visit is planned differently from work spread over stages.
A written quote is given at consultation after examination, and the consultation also decides whether a non-surgical approach is advised at all. How quotes work at this practice is explained on how we quote.
How Dr Sin Yong approaches a nose thread lift
Dr Sin Yong, an aesthetic physician, assesses and performs the treatment personally at the clinic on Orchard Road, Singapore. He examines the bridge and the tip separately, then places fine absorbable PDO threads along the dorsum, in a plane above the periosteum, and along the columella where the anatomy is suitable to support the tip. Some patients are planned for dorsal threads alone, some for threads with filler, and some are referred for a surgical opinion rather than treated.
Where projection is needed as well as definition, he adds a firm biostimulator filler, usually calcium hydroxylapatite or polycaprolactone, at the same visit or in stages. Hyaluronic acid is used when a patient would rather have a filler that can be dissolved. Where the change needed is in the bone or cartilage, he refers the patient to a plastic surgery specialist.
“The nose has less room for error than anywhere else on the face. Plane and technique matter more than product choice.”
Dr Sin YongOn non-surgical nasal work
Questions to ask any clinic
Whatever the name on the menu, the useful questions are the same. Which threads are used, and where do they sit? Is the bridge assessed separately from the tip, and is filler planned alongside? Who performs the procedure, and what happens if a thread end becomes visible? For some noses the honest answer is a referral rather than either non-surgical option.
Your next step
1. MessageWhatsApp +65 8023 7170 with what is bothering you. A reply comes from the clinic, not a bot.
2. AssessmentDr Sin Yong examines you himself on Orchard Road, with ultrasound where earlier filler is involved.
3. A plan in writingWhat he would do, what he would not, the fee factors, and the option of no treatment.
Every treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong personally. Singapore Medical Council registered · invited to share his clinical expertise internationally as a Key Opinion Leader for CLASSYS, DEKA, HIRONIC, FOTONA, ALMA, LUTRONIC and ILOODA · HSA-registered devices · ultrasound-guided correction
What does a thread lift actually do? Threads have a real job and an oversold one. Let me draw the line for you. They reposition and add a degree of support. What they don't do is remove tissue or replace what surgery achieves. I am a designated trainer for a thread system, and I still tell you they are wrong for plenty of faces. If threads are being offered as the answer to everything, you are being sold to.
Transcript of Dr Sin Yong's video, lightly edited for reading.
Nose thread lift: sessions, downtime and how long it lasts
Nose thread lift Singapore at a glance
How many sessions
One session; a second set of threads can be added after 4–6 weeks if more height is wanted.
Downtime
Swelling and tenderness for 3–7 days; occasional bruising at the entry point.
How long it lasts
PDO threads dissolve over 6–9 months; the collagen they leave keeps some lift for 12–18 months.
Figures are typical ranges from Dr Sin Yong's practice and the published literature; your plan, including the number of sessions, is set after the assessment and may differ. Fees are given in writing after the assessment: see how we quote.
Nose Thread Lift Singapore: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Nose threadlift, nose thread lift and HIKO are names for the same procedure: absorbable PDO or PCL threads placed along the nasal bridge, and sometimes the columella, to add height and definition for a time. It cannot narrow a wide nose or shrink a bulbous tip.
There is no fixed number. The count depends on whether the bridge alone is treated or the tip is supported too, the length and shape of the bridge, skin thickness, and whether filler is planned alongside for height. Dr Sin Yong examines the bridge and the tip separately and sets the plan from what he finds, so the number of threads is decided at assessment rather than quoted in advance.
In the early period, avoid pressing, rubbing or massaging the nose, and be careful with anything that rests on the bridge, such as glasses. Keep the entry point clean. Facial treatments over the nose and strenuous activity are postponed for a time. Do not wait for the review if you notice blanching, a dusky patch, spreading redness, discharge, a thread end at the surface or any change in vision.
Yes, where the bridge needs both height and a defined line. Filler supplies the projection and threads hold the line, at the same visit or in stages. On the bridge Dr Sin Yong usually uses calcium hydroxylapatite or polycaprolactone, placed with a fine needle on the bone, and hyaluronic acid when a patient would rather have a filler that can be dissolved. Combining them does not change cartilage, bone or nostril width.
It is assessed individually, and the answer is sometimes a referral rather than threads. Previous rhinoplasty, an implant or earlier filler alters the planes and the blood supply of the nose, which leaves less margin for error. Where a nose that has had surgery or an implant has a concern, a return to the operating specialist is often the better route. Dr Sin Yong reviews what was done before deciding whether any non-surgical option is appropriate.
A nose thread lift is done through a needle entry point at the tip rather than an incision, so there is no surgical wound to stitch, and a small mark is expected while it heals. A 2024 review of nose thread procedures listed thread visibility, protrusion, migration, infection, dimpling and granuloma among the adverse effects, so a keloid tendency or abnormal scarring is declared beforehand and any thread end at the surface is reviewed promptly.
Ask the clinic to name the thread product, then check it on the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) medical device register. Absorbable PDO threads are medical devices, and in Singapore medical devices must be registered with HSA before they can be supplied; only the lowest-risk Class A devices are exempt. Check too that the clinic holds an MOH licence and that a doctor examines the nose and places the threads.
A nose thread lift cannot narrow a wide nose. The threads sit along the bridge and, where suitable, the columella, so they add definition and some tip support but do not change bone, cartilage or nostril width. Filler at the base can even make a broad nose read wider. Wide nostrils or a broad, bulbous tip are matters for rhinoplasty, by referral to a plastic surgery specialist.
Nose threads are absorbable PDO, so they are not designed to be taken out, and the material resorbs over time. If a thread end becomes visible or works its way to the surface, that end can often be removed, which is one reason a review appointment is built into a nose thread lift. Redness, discharge or a thread that can be felt should be reported promptly.
A Hiko nose thread lift is not risk-free, and the nose is not a low-risk area. Swelling, bruising, tenderness at the entry point and firmness are expected while the tissues settle. The risks that matter are a visible or palpable thread, a thread end working to the surface, infection, irregularity or asymmetry and, uncommonly, a problem with the blood supply, where blanching or a dusky patch needs urgent review.
Hiko is a name used in Singapore and Korea for a nose thread lift: fine absorbable PDO threads placed along the bridge and, where suitable, the columella to add definition and support. It describes a style rather than a different material. It does not reshape cartilage or bone, and some noses suit filler or surgery better.
They do different things. Nose filler adds material to build projection and is placed with a fine needle on the bone; threads add structure along a line and recruit collagen. Which suits depends on your anatomy and on whether projection, definition or both are needed, and the two can be combined. In some cases neither is appropriate and rhinoplasty is the honest answer.
It varies, and no duration is promised. The PDO thread itself is absorbed, and what remains is the collagen response along its track; how long that change is visible depends on your tissue, your nasal anatomy and how the plan is staged. Repeating or combining treatment over time is discussed at review.
Local anaesthetic is used, so most people feel pressure and a brief sting rather than sharp pain while the threads are placed. Tenderness and a feeling of tightness along the bridge are common afterwards. How much discomfort you feel varies, and it is discussed at consultation.
No. A thread lift works within the existing nasal framework, so it cannot make the nose smaller, narrow the nostrils, reduce a hump or correct a deviation, and nor can filler. Where the bone or cartilage is what needs changing, Dr Sin Yong refers the patient to a plastic surgery specialist.
Swelling, some bruising and tenderness along the bridge are expected. Increasing pain, spreading redness, warmth or discharge can suggest infection. A thread end that can be seen or felt at the surface needs attention, and can often be removed. Any change in skin colour over the nose, such as blanching or a dusky patch, should be reported straight away.
The cost of a nose thread lift in Singapore depends on the area treated, the number and type of threads, whether filler is combined, and what the assessment finds about your nasal anatomy. Dr Sin Yong gives a written quote at consultation after examining you, because the assessment decides whether a non-surgical approach is advised at all.
It is worth considering for a low or poorly defined bridge in someone who wants more definition without surgery and accepts that threads add structure rather than much volume. It is a poor fit for a broad or bulbous tip, a drooping nose, thick skin or a goal of reshaping, where filler or rhinoplasty referral is the more suitable route.
A Singapore nose thread lift places dissolvable PDO threads along the bridge and into the tip under local anaesthetic to add height and definition without filler. Dr Sin Yong assesses the nose first, as threads suit a low bridge or soft tip but not a nose that needs structural change.
A nose threadlift uses dissolvable PDO threads that break down over months, with the collagen they prompt lasting somewhat longer. Dr Sin Yong assesses the bridge and tip first, as threads suit a low bridge or soft tip and are not a substitute for structural change.
A nose thread lift in Singapore at this clinic is performed by Dr Sin Yong, who places dissolvable PDO threads along the bridge and into the tip under local anaesthetic. He assesses the nose first, as threads suit a low bridge or soft tip and not a nose that needs structural change.
Hiko comes from the Korean for a high nose. It is the name given to the technique of placing absorbable threads along the bridge and columella to raise and define the nose without surgery, rather than a brand of thread. The threads themselves are PDO or PCL, the same materials used in face thread lifts, and must be registered with the Health Sciences Authority to be supplied in Singapore.
Non-surgical rhinoplasty through minimal invasive nose thread procedures: Adverse effects and prevention methods. Skin Research and Technology, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong, MBBS (NUS), MRCS (Edinburgh) · Last updated 6 November 2026 · Editorial policy
Where Dr Sin Yong consults: Orchard Road, Singapore (unit on booking) · Orchard MRT · Mon–Fri 10am–8pm, Sat 11am–3pm · WhatsApp +65 8023 7170 · Getting here · How fees are quoted
