The tip of my nose is hollow, I don't think I have enough cartilage to remove, will this be a problem during surgery? (Photos)

Question

Tip rhinoplasty is 1/2/18. When I squeeze my nose tip it's like a pop bottle you can feel it pop back out, it's balbous but not fat is this going to be a issue during surgery? I know a full rhinoplasty would be ideal but I just want a subtle change in my tip so it's not so boxy looking. I'm getting nervous and just want to make sure I'm making right decision. Last pic is with "nose secret" little plastic stents pushing the tip together. (Annoying fell out but I did like results) Thankyou for your help!

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

First of all, I doubt you nose is "hollow." Perhaps your cartilages are soft, and it doesn't feel as though there's a lot under the skin. However, the width of your tip, and the droopiness of your tip, and the strong forward projection of your nose away from your face, all indicate good strong cartilages in your tip.The bridge of your nose is wide, too, including the upper part, where it's made of bone. If your nose is shortened, and the tip narrowed, I think the bridge will just look massive as it sits adjacent to the newly-smaller lower third of your nose.If you are having large changes made to your tip, your surgeon needs to have permission to make sure the new tip fits with the rest of the nose. Besides, the work on the tip is by far the most complex part of a rhinoplasty like yours, and working on the rest of the nose would add not much to the overall complexity of the operation.Click on the "Learn more" link, just below my response, or go here:
FacialSurgery.com/RealSelf/RealSelf_sball01diva.html
I made a computer morph of your nose, and an animation of the morph, to show the changes that are possible for your nose in truly expert hands.I tried to show what it would look like to elevate the tip and narrow the tip and bring the tip back closer to your face.Those're my thoughts!

Bahman Guyuron, MD · Answer

No matter how serious the flaw is the nose tip can be improved significantly. You have an over-projected, long nose with thick skin that has actually plenty of cartilage. Please make sure that you consult a board certified plastic surgeon who has enough experience with the difficult  nose surgery. You would benefit from a full rhinoplasty by someone who has done enough surgery on this type of nose.Good Luck

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

The hollow feeling in the tip is normal but it still has enough cartilage that needs to be removed and will certainly improve the shape of the tip. RegardsDr. Janjua

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your
photograph, you may benefit from a tip refining rhinoplasty.  Your surgeon can
accomplish this by trimming, suturing, and reshaping the cartilage in your
lower nose. You may also benefit from a nasal tip deprojection to make your nose shorter overall.  Make sure you specifically look at
before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed
by your surgeon and not just a computer animation system.
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. FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Steven H. Dayan, MD · Answer

Dear sball01diva,
Thank you for your question. It is difficult to make an assessment and recommendations based on photographs alone. Sometimes trimming the cartilage may be helpful to achieve a refined tip. In other cases, additional cartilage grafts may need to be added. We recommend you discuss your questions and concerns with your surgeon who can discuss with you the best surgical plan to address your goals.

The tip of my nose is hollow, I don't think I have enough cartilage to remove, will this be a problem during surgery? (Photos)

Answers (8)

Answer: Rhinoplasty

Answer: Rhinoplasty

Answer: Rhinoplasty: tip

Answer: Rhinoplasty: tip

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The tip of my nose is hollow, I don't think I have enough cartilage to remove, will this be a problem during surgery? (Photos)

Answers (8)

Answer: Rhinoplasty

Answer: Rhinoplasty

Answer: Rhinoplasty: tip

Answer: Rhinoplasty: tip

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.