Does correcting a droopy tip involve cutting the tip or lifting the nose? (photo)

This can be corrected by removing cartilage and nasal lining beneath the columella. This can be accomplished with the closed rhinoplasty technique

There are various causes for a droopy tip. These can all be corrected with a rhinoplasty. These can be done closed (incisions are all inside the nose) or open (same as closed but with a small incision in the skin between the holes of the nose). Regardless of what technique is used there should not be any noticeable scars once everything is healed. Often, surgeons will use your own cartilage to offer support to your tip and help lift the tip. This is something very commonly done with all rhinoplasties. Hope this helps!

Your nasal columella angle is less than 90 degrees. This needs to be corrected and the tip can be refined. This will require an open rhinoplasty.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Based on your photo, you appear to have thick nasal skin and a droopy nasal tip appearance. Maneuvers that we utilize to improve upon this include cartilage division, Columella strut grafting, and extended shield graft placement. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

The best answer to your concerns could be given after an in person consultation, where the structure of your bones, strength of your cartilage and thickness of your nasal tip skin could be evaluated. Having said that, from your photograph, it appears you have relatively thick tissue at the tip of your nose. In order to raise your tip, additional support would be required to project your nose, slightly forward and upward to correct its drooping. This is usually done by using a piece of cartilage from your nasal septum to add additional support underneath the nasal tip. As the nasal tip gets projected forward and upward, it usually slightly elongates your nostrils. Discuss this in detail with your plastic surgeon.

Tip of the nose should be the most prominent and highest point of the nose. A goal of well executed rhinoplasty, in your case, would be to slightly reduce the dorsum of the nose, in particular the supratip area which is now your nose highest point, and rotate and lift the tip into most prominent position from a profile perspective. In person consultation with a board certified plasti surgeon with good reputation in nose surgery (check before/after photos) will give you a chance to discuss the concept of rhinoplasty and see the result in 3D simulation. Good luck.

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your photograph, you may benefit from a tip refinement and tip elevation. Tip elevation can be accomplished by a number of different maneuvers including placing a strong structural support graft from your septum to prevent drooping. With good surgical technique, you could have an outstanding result. 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

Correcting a droopy nasal tip: lifting or “rotating“ a droopy nasal tip does not require a cut across the columella or any incision in the skin of the nose. It can be done very effectively with a closed rhinoplasty. Not all plastic surgeons perform closed rhinoplasty, but many do. Elevating a drooping nasal tip does not really change the shape of the nostrils but from the front you will show more nostrils.

Hi and thank you for your excellent question. Correcting a droopy nasal tip should not involve cutting through the tip cartilages although often an external (open) approach is needed to access the tip which means making a small cut through the skin (but not the tip cartilages which are underneath). In terms of lifting the tip, by definition a droopy tip is where the tip is hanging down a bit more than is ideal, in other words the nasolabial angle is too acute. So correction of a droopy tip usually involves a slight increase in rotation to widen the nasolabial angle. The technique would involve either placing stitches in the tip, or a cartilage graft, or both. In so doing, this would usually refine the shape better and also cause a slight increase in projection, although not always. It is also possible to refine the shape and appearance of the nasal tip at the same time as correcting the droop with the same techniques as above. Hope this helps.

Dear shejeje,
Correcting a drooping nasal tip during rhinoplasty may require several maneuvers. And different surgeons may have different techniques for doing so. Your best bet is to go to a few consultations with American Board of Plastic Surgery board certified plastic surgeons for an examination and discussion of your options and expectations. Good luck!