Can a doctor see if you broke your nose when you were younger?

Hi and thank you for your question.There is a chance the doctor can determine if the nose was fractured, but not guaranteed, as bumps and asymmetry is possible with no trauma to the nose. If you recall going to the doctor and taking x-rays when you were injured, that would be helpful.I hope this helps.Nick Slenkovich MD, FACS

 Many patients have bumps on the nose that are unrelated to previous trauma. However with a photograph prior to trauma any physical examination it may be able to establish a link.

The crooked nose can be straightened with the rhinoplasty procedure. Trauma to the nose can result in a fracture of the nasal bones and a dislocation of cartilages off of the nasal bones. A deviated septum can also occur from nasal trauma. A septoplasty is performed for a deviated septum which is blocking air flow in the back of the nose, and is done for medical necessity. A septoplasty will not have any bearing on the shape of the nose, only to improve air flow. It is not possible to tell from looking in the nose how long ago the nose has been broken. For many examples of broken noses we have repaired in our practice with closed rhinoplasty techniques, please see the link and the video below

It is usually impossible to tell if someone has suffered a nasal fracture in the distant past. If you're having trouble with your nasal breathing or want to cosmetically change the appearance of your nose, the reason for these issues is moot. Rhinoplasty is usually the only way to improve the size, shape and or function of the nose. I hope this information is helpful for you.Stephen Weber MD, FACSDenver Facial Plastic Surgeon

Dear Annacb13, Many patients fracture their nose at some point in their childhood years and will often remember a trauma that they coincide with the deviated septum in later years. When or if there was trauma to the nose is irrelevant to the surgery itself and does not play into the final result. If it is a recent trauma or a traumatic event that has played psychologically into the patient i.e. crime victim, child abuse, battery then this is important on the stand point of the patients overall psychological state and is taken into consideration when helping the patient recover. If both functional and aesthetic changes are required then you would be a candidate for a septorhinoplasty which is a combined procedure addressing both factions. Best regards, Michael V. Elam, M.D.

Whether or not your nose was broken or when it may have been broken is not important in the decision to have a rhinoplasty.   The important decision is that you see issues with your nose.  See a Facial Plastic or plastic surgeon who performs rhinoplasty surgery for best results!  An experienced Rhinoplasty Surgeon can determine whether your nose had sustained a previous fracture through an examination. 

I'm not sure why it would matter if it were broken or not and how, you have a nasal shape that bothers you no matter what the cause so see someone for ideas on how to reconstruct it.

It is impossible to determine when or if a nose was broken on the basis of physical examination. That information is not important when deciding what should be done to improve appearance or function.