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Is It Possible to Shave the Sides of Nasal Bone?

asked 2 years ago by escape89 in New Zealand
Latest answer by William Portuese, MD
Question viewed 2,991 times
Tags: nose, bump, shape

I understand this is done for bumps on the top of the nose. The bones on the side of my nose stick out and I would like to reduce them without losing the overall shape. I also don't want my nose to look like a stick; just more refined. Can this be done?

14 answers to Is It Possible to Shave the Sides of Nasal Bone?

Shaving nasal bone vs. osteotomy

Shaving the nasal bone generally achieves a subtle improvement only. The nasal bones just aren't that thick. When a significant hump is removed or a significant narrowing of the nose is needed, an osteotomy (insetting of the bones) is generally necessary. Both techniques are valuable in different circumstances.

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Sides of nasal bones not usually shaved.

During a rhinoplasty procedure the corners and top of the nasal bones can be filed down, but the sidewalls are usually not filed. The sidewalls are usually narrowed through osteotomies, breaking of the nasal bones to set them in a new natural position. If the sidewalls are filed down too much they can be more easily fractured and weakened.

William Portuese, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

Shaving Nasal Bones

Nasal bones can be shaved to subtly change the thickness of those bones. However, the increased width you're talking about is usually secondary to the shape or position of the bones, not their thickness. To change position, the bones would be fractured at their junction with the face; to change the contour the bones would be fractured closer to the bridge of your nose. It is best that you have a consultation, describe what you want to achieve, then consider your treatment alternatives. more

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Options to shave down the bumps on a nose.

There are many ways to do this but it depends on the thicknes of the bones. Sometimes this is due to cartilage and not bone. You should meet with a surgeon to discuss your concerns. Certainly if you desire a conservative correction, express this to the surgon, to review your options

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Shaving the sides of the nasal bones

Usually the bony dorsum is rasped or shaved to remove bumps. If the edge is irregualr , then yes this can be shaved a bit. It may however make the nose look wider.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Shaving the sides of nasal bone

Dear Escape89 , Entire texts were written on how best to shape the nasal bones, so the confines of a brief response do not permit a full explanation. The simplest way to think of Caucasian rhinoplasty is as one where we modify the pup-tent shaped bone and cartilage framework of the nose and the overlying skin then redrapes accordingly. Osteotomies, the cuts in bones, are placed to produce a planned crack in the thin nasal bone as they are guided to a NARROWER closer together position,... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD
Memphis Plastic Surgeon

Visible nasal bones can be corrected with Rhinoplasty surgery.

If the edges of your nasal bones are filed down, this may lead to a wider appearance of your nose. So a qualified, experienced Rhinoplasty surgeon would likely need to in-fracture your nasal bones at the time of surgery to correct an appearance that could be too wide. I hope this helps, and best regards.

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

Narrowing the nasal bones

Generally, the nasal bones will be infractured to narrow the upper part of the nose. They are rather thin usually and shaving them down could destroy them.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Contouring of the nasal bones

Instead of shaving the bones, the bones are usually broken incompletely to bring them closer together and narrow the width of the nose. Make sure you let your surgeon know that you don't want to narrow of a nose. The entire procedure can be done as an outpatient and is very well tolerated. ...

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

The nasal bones can be shaved in a subtle fashion

Yes, the nasal bones can be shaved or rasped on the sides to narrow the width of your bridge. Osteotomies (re-setting or contolled fractiring) are also used to reduce the wideness of the nose, yet result in a natural look.

Edward J. Gross, MD
Orlando Facial Plastic Surgeon

Nasal Bones Shaving

The protruding nasal bones can be easily shaved off by rasping or using an osteotome (chisel). What you might not realize is that there is a cartilaginous part to the deformity as well. A blade is used to shave that off followed by an osteotome or a rasp for the bone. Regards

Tanveer Janjua, MD
Bedminster Facial Plastic Surgeon

Absolutely possible to shave lateral nasal bones

Reshaping the lateral nasal bones is certainly possible, and can be done without changing the overall shape of your nose. Other nonsurgical options for minimal changes to the contours of your nose are also available, depending on exactly how the nasal bones are shaped. The best way to find out about your options is to visit a qualified facial plastic surgeon who will provide you with a thorough consultation about all of your options. Digital imaging can also help you and your surgeon... more

Jen Yuan Chow, MD
Pasadena Facial Plastic Surgeon

Subtle Rhinoplasty for Protruding Lateral Nasal Bones

Hi Escape,If all you desire is to shave down lateral nasal bone protuberances, it can be done using a rasping technique while preserving the overall shape of your nose.Make sure to choose a qualified rhinoplasty specialist who understands exactly what you want, and who can perform a subtle rhinoplasty.Good luck and be well.Dr. P

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

You can shave or infracture the sides of the nose

To narrow the nose, usually a combination of infracturing (the bone on the side of the nose is cut and pushed in) and rasping (sanding). I infracture around 1 in 3 rhinoplasties that I do. It's really fairly simple and predictable. Although it sounds painful, it really is not.