In rhinoplasty jargon, the term "Tip Rhinoplasty" or "Tip Refinement" simply means reshaping the nasal tip to improve its appearance. This can involve making the tip narrower, smaller, less bulbous, less boxy, more/less upturned -- depending on the goals of the surgery.
"Tip rhinoplasty" can be performed via closed rhinoplasty or open rhinoplasty. In closed rhinoplasty, all the incision are placed on the inside of the nose. Open rhinoplasty involves connecting the intranasal incisions with an incision across the column of tissue between the nostrils. Closed rhinoplasty is certainly appropriate for some tip deformities, but many surgeons prefer the open approach to correct major deformties of the tip because the open approach allows direct visualization of the structures.
The "downtime" following tip rhinoplasty is variable depending on what rhinoplasty techniques are used such as whether the surgery was performed open or closed, whether any tip work was performed, and whether the nasal bones were broken (osteotomies). Patients who undergo open rhinoplasty typically have more edema (swelling) that persists longer compared to patients in whom closed rhinoplasty techniques were used. If the nose was surgically broken by performing osteotomies then there is usually more swelling and bruising.
