What happens to your nose decades after getting a nose job? How does rhinoplasty hold up over long periods of time?

Question

I don't know if it is pseudo-science, but I've heard that the nose and ears change over time as you get older. It got me wondering how a rhinoplasty would hold up over time 10, 20, 50 years later after the procedure. Does the nose still change/ get bigger as you get older like it would've? Is there maintenance down the road after you get rhinoplasty, like revisions? Thank you for your time and knowledge!

A. Joshua Zimm, MD · Answer

Great question.  A nose doesn't really get bigger as one ages.  Like everything else in the body as we age, the nose can hang and droop (especially if there is weak cartilage/lack of tip support to begin with) which can make it appear larger.  If a rhinoplasty is performed well and structurally supported, it should last a lifetime.  On the other hand, if too much cartilage is removed without support, collapse and breathing issues can occur years down the road.  Best wishes.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD · Answer

The results of rhinoplasty hold up very well over time.  Everyone's skin and subcutaneous tissues change over time and this may make the rhinoplasty result appear slightly different but the overall shape and contour will remain.

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

The nose continues to change all to our lives.  Even after rhinoplasty the nose can become twisted, droopy, bulky over a period of 20-30 years.  That is natural progression which does not happen every case.RegardsDr. J

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. After one year, the results are stable. The most important aspect is to find
a surgeon you are comfortable with.  I recommend that you seek consultation with a
qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Richard W. Westreich, MD · Answer

The skin of the nose thins out for many years after Rhinoplasty. Bones heal over a 3-5 year period and cartilage can soften over time. With Rhinoplasty, a long term strategy is critical in making a nose last for a lifetime. Restructuring, rather than removal of cartilage is critical for long term stability and natural looking results.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Rhinoplasty results, when well healed after a year after surgery, are very durable and are affected very little by any aging process. This is because most of the nose is made up of harder structures (bone and cartilage) which are not affected by aging like skin is.

M. Azhar Ali, MD, FACS · Answer

Sometimes it takes up to one year for the swelling to completely subside. It a structural rhinoplasty is performed it will hold up its shape permanently. However facial changes take place with time and the nose like the ears tend to grow over time as well. But the results are usually permanent after one year.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

The nose holds up after rhinoplasty and the improvements or changes are permanent. The face and body do change with time and some normal aging changes will occur as it would with anyone.

Stuart H. Bentkover, MD (retired) · Answer

Prior to the open rhinoplasty era, large amounts of cartilage and bone were often removed from the nose, often weakening the nose and permanently decreasing airflow.  When I see an endonasal rhinoplasty for revision, I often have to put in cartilage grafts to stabilize the nose.  In open structure rhinoplasty, cartilage grafts are used to create a stronger and longer lasting architecture.  In theory, the changes should hold up better over time.  Yes, ears get bigger, not noses.

Dennis Barek, MD (retired) · Answer

After a year, the results of a rhinoplasty are expected to last a lifetime. Aging affects all aspects of the body, nose included. However I have a feeling that noses that were shortened at rhinoplasty, do not droop with age, as most  non-operated, noses do. I still see socially, a few patients operated on by me 40 years ago , while in their 30's and they still have  cute, pert noses in their 70s.Other changes can come about by absorption of grafted, cartilage material, over time. Probably this is more common in crushed grafts.

What happens to your nose decades after getting a nose job? How does rhinoplasty hold up over long periods of time?

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