How to Correct my Drooping Nose Tip?

asked 3 years ago by gbrenner in 91304
Latest answer by Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Question viewed 4,897 times
Tags: nose tip, droopy, drooping tip

When I smile, my nose tip droops down. I read about the depressor septi being cut but I think my doctor does not want to cut any muscle. he wants to attach a cartilige or something to the septum. Which way is better? My sister had the muscle cut and her results are good. Her nose tip no longer drooped, but that was 8 years ago and things have changed.

5 answers to How to Correct my Drooping Nose Tip?

Drooping Tip

Cutting the depressor muscle does help to inhibit tip drop with facial animation, as you saw with your sister. Discuss this again with your surgeon. Interrupting the muscle is an easy, minimally invasive procedure. The placement of cartilage at the end of your septum (we call this a strut) will help support the tip. If you're happy with the position of your tip when not smiling, this may not be necessary.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Rhinoplasty, Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty, Nasal Refinement, Nose Job

To answer the question of how to best treat your droopy tip, I'd have to see you or pictures of the nasal tip on profile, front and from below the nostrils looking up...both at rest and when you are smiling. Droopy nasal toips can be from: Enlarged upper lateral cartilages literally pushing the nasal tip doen (tension tip) weak nasal cartilage that lacks the proper support and so it sags a full angle of the anterior septum causing the nasal tip to point downward... more

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Commonly performed

The depressor septi muscle can be easily clipped at the time of the rhinoplasty surgery. When successfully clipped, the tip will no longer drop when smiling after the surgery. This is commonly performed and has no consequences to it.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Non-surgical alternative

A nice alternative to try before surgery is a small injection of Botox. A skilled physician who understands Botox and facial anatomy can put a small amount of Botox into the muscle and this can give you the "fix" you are looking for before turning to surgery. As a facial plastic surgeon, I can recommend rhinoplasty as the more permanent alternative. Of course, cutting the muscle is one option but muscles do heal. There are pros and cons to putting a cartilage graft to elevate... more

Yael Halaas, MD
Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgeon

Drooping nose tip correction depends

The anatomy in siblings will not be exactly alike. What worked for one might not be the right thing for the other. Rhinoplasty is a very complicated operation. If you doubt what has been recommended to you, I would speak to other rhinoplasty experts before deciding. Post photos and we can offer more advice.

Phillip Langsdon, MD
Germantown Facial Plastic Surgeon

Ask a question

Get Free Email Updates