Is it possible to keep my dorsal hump as is while refining my tip and fixing deviated septum? (photos)

Hi @Humorous65042. Thank you for sharing your photos. I recommend seeing an expert rhinoplasty specialist for an in person examination. There are several options for you that can be determined after examination.

Best of luck,

Dr. Nima

Thank you for providing photos of yourself. You appear to be a great candidate for a cosmetic rhinoplasty. When considering any cosmetic procedure, it is very common for patients to stress the importance of maintaining their ethnic identity. The projection of your nose is good for your face shape such that subtle but artistic changes can be made to your nose to create a more balanced and feminine look for your face. Possible changes to consider would be refining the tip of your nose, bringing up the columella so that it does not hang too low from the frontal view, and picking up the tip such that it would not droop over time. It’s important to consider that a rhinoplasty does have anatomical limitations such as skin thickness, bone structure, and cartilage which can all alter the maximum refinement options. Going forward, I would recommend you to complete multiple in-office consultations with board certified facial plastic surgeons to discuss your ideal outcome. This way, they can assess your goals in person and determine the best treatment for you. Best of luck! Kian Karimi MD, FACS

Hello and thank you for your question. Although an exam in person is ideal, from your photographs alone it appears that you can benefit from a subtle dorsal hump reduction and a tip rhinoplasty where the nasal tip cartilage is modified for a more refined, feminine look as stated in your question. If you don't reduce the hump the nasal tip, it may throw off the balance of the nose. Moreover, your nasal tip may benefit from deprojection. The modification of your nasal cartilage can be done with trimming, stitching or grafting. Your nose appears slightly crooked to the left -- if your septum is deviated (as you mentioned) and you have breathing difficulty, a septoplasty may benefit you as well.

The next step for you is to find the right aesthetic plastic surgeon. In your rhinoplasty consultation, be sure your surgeon addresses all your aesthetic goals and concerns specifically, and discusses the surgery details including the position and size of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just digital animations), the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative course. Also, be sure to see plenty of before-and-after pictures in women who have a similar nose appearance to yours, and preferably at different time frames (3 weeks out, 3 months out, etc) to more accurately predict your own surgical outcome.

After seeking out a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery, I think the most important component of the consultation is to establish a good connection with your plastic surgeon. It’s the connection that allows you to clearly define your desired nose outcome goals, the first step of this whole process. If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for you.

For more information on rhinoplasty, please refer to my link below.

Good luck.

Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS
Harvard-trained Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon