Pointy cartilage at the tip of my nose that sticks out and is shiny/red and can't be covered by makeup, what is this? (photos)

The possibility exists that the repeated manipulation of the tip of your nose led to an inflammatory process, such as inflammation within a small cyst under the pointy area of the left side of the tip of your nose. It is nearly impossible to know this from the photos provided. If this is so, however, the injection of a small amount of an antiinflammatory solution, such as triamcinolone, could bring down the swelling and correct the asymmetry without any additional treatment needed.If this is not deemed the case, the use of a filler, such as Restylane Lyft, which I would use in my Upper East Side Manhattan office or Hyaluronica 2 (my choice in my Israel satellite facility, where a far greater number of regulatory agency approved fillers are available) could be used in your right nasal tip in order to balance the two sides.

You have thin nasal skin and pointy nasal cartilage.  This combination allows the point to be visible.  A non-surgical rhinoplasty by adding filler to the nose may help camouflage the pointy area, but it is difficult to say by how much.  In the long term, you would be better served undergoing a tip rhinoplasty.  It would be the permanent and best long term solution.  

You appear to have very asymmetric lower lateral cartilages, the cartilages which form the tip of the nose. This can be corrected with a Tip Rhinoplasty. You also appear to have a septal deviation as well. You should be seen by an experienced plastic surgeon and see which options: Full or Tip Rhinoplasty may be best for you. Dr. Pater. A. AldeaMemphis, TN

Thanks for your question. The nasal tip is formed by two paired arched cartilages called the alar cartilages. Your left alar cartilage is arched differently from the right. This may have happened from manipulating the cartilage with your hands. Regardless of the cause, the correct treatment for this problem is rhinoplasty. As you may be aware, rhinoplasty is a term that encompasses many different maneuvers. In your case, a very limited focus on the tip would solve your problems and would be maintenance free.Best of luck!