Will My Nose Bridge Continue to Develop?

Question

When I was in second grade, I accidentally had a knife sliced on my nose bridge. However it did not hurt because the nose is made of cartilage. But back then, I had a really good nose bridge, but now it is really flat, and whenever I smile it gets even flatter. I was wondering if my nose bridge will continue to grow and get more lifted. And, did my nose get flatter because of the cut I got?

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

A flat nasal bridge can be significantly improved with the help of a graft.  An injury at a young age can make the nasal bridge flat.  Once you have grown completely by the age of 18 it is unlikely that the nasal bridge will continue to change.RegardsDr. J

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. I suggest that you consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon to determine the cause of your flat bridge. You may be a candidate for Rhinoplasty, although, I have not seen a picture of your nose. Best wishes,

Jan Zemplenyi, MD · Answer

Hi Rona, Noses
continue to grow as we age, thanks to changes in soft tissue, muscles, skin
elasticity and the cartilage that makes up the underlying nasal structure. 
Unlike bone, cartilage continues to grow over time.  The nose changes differently with age for
various ethnic groups and in general, older people tend to have larger noses
than younger members of the same gender or ethnic population. Another consistent finding is that the nasal
tip angle - the angle created along the bridge of the nose, around the tip to
the vertical space above the upper lip - decreases, meaning the nose tends to
droop with age.  Some other trends:  growth in the nasal soft tissues is greater
and occurs earlier for adolescent girls vs. same age boys.  Nasal height increases the most, doubling
from birth to around 20. While males have larger noses than females, female noses
grow a bit faster when measurements are compared over a lifetime. By the time
an adult reaches the age of 30 or so, nose growth slows down considerably. Between
50 and 60 years of age, nasal volume in men will typically increase by another
29 % and in women, 18%.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

A nasal hump will begin to appear age 8 to 10 with a typical pubertal growth spurt. If you bridge is flat our bet is it will stay that way. Any cut to the skin on the nose probably will not cause any change or flatening that you see.

Scott R. Brundage, MD · Answer

The cut that you describe does not sound to be enough to cause underlying damage to to the structure of your nose. The upper 1/3 of the nose is bone and not cartilage. Sharp trauma would not effect bone. I suspect your appearance is just from normal development. If this is something bothersome to you, I would see someone versed in Rhinoplasty surgery. They would also be able to evaluate your scar.

Will My Nose Bridge Continue to Develop?

Answers (5)

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