Lopsided nose & tip drop after revision rhinoplasty - did taping my nose cause this?

Question

I had rhinoplasty at 18. I developed scar tissue just above the tip, so I had a revision at 21. Following the revision, the swelling was taking forever to subside, so I began taping from left to right just above my tip b/c I was scared of forming scar tissue again. There is less cartilage on the left side, & more on the right, & I am concerned I caused this from taping w/o consulting my surgeon. My tip also dropped. I am 31 now and get fillers, but did I worsen my result w/the tape?

Marc Polacco, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Taping in the supratip region is usually really helpful, as it eliminates deadspace and can reduce scar tissue formation. In fact, I always ask my rhinoplasty patients to tape at night in this area for 2-4 weeks following surgery. As far as the tip dropping, this can occur if the tip isn't properly supported during surgery, usually with cartilage grafts. There will always be some degree of drop, but usually it's fairly minimal.
-Dr. P

Lopsided nose & tip drop after revision rhinoplasty - did taping my nose cause this?

Answers (1)