Serious (not a joke) question: do noses grow bigger with age ?

Question

I have the same nose as my mother. She passed at 91. Her nose was huge and I'm observing older people (seniors) and wondering if this is an issue ?

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS · Answer

I am sorry to hear about your grandmother but 91, wow! Your question is one I am asked weekly!  The nose does not technically grow as we age.  All of the cartilage that supports your nose is held together with connective tissue covered by a skin envelope.  As we age, the connective tissue glue that holds our cartilage to cartilage and bone to cartilage in the nose weakens and stretches (loss of elasticity we call it)  along with the skin envelope covering the nose which leads to the nose drooping and even stretching, not technically growing.

Damien Grinsell MBBS, FRACS (Plast) · Answer

Hi. You wont find a scientific answer to your question but noses to change with age.  I believe it is the skin that changes and if you have thin or normal skin then this gets thinner with age and the nose can look smaller.  However the opposite is also true that the thicker the skin the more the nose grows with age and this is seen more often in males.  The extreme of this is obviously rhinophyma but it can be subtle.  Regards

Jonathan Pontell, MD, FACS · Answer

No, noses don't grow with age.  They simply droop.  Gravity works on noses the same way that it does with jowls and breasts.  All of these parts of our anatomy sag with age-they don't grow.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The current thinking is that the cartilage of the nose does not grown larger, but the  skin becomes thinner and the nose becomes more droopy with the aging process.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I think that the nose does change shape a bit with age and some cartilage does grow with age over time. It does not grow like Pinocchio!

William B. Rosenblatt, MD · Answer

Actually, they do not grow, as you age the tip of the nose droops and the nose appears longer and the dorsal bump appears larger. Which is why often with a face lift we do a little work on the nose to rotate it back up.

Craig Harrison, MD · Answer

Come now my little Pinocchio.  Tell me the truth.  Sorry I couldn't help myself.  The answer is yes.  Noses and ears continue to grow as we age irrespective of our veracity. 91 years old,  how terrific to have your mom around that long.  Long life to you too.

Paul Silverstein, MD (retired) · Answer

I have always believed and been taught that noses do grow longer with age.  For example, young girls before puberty generally have small pug noses. that make approximately a 120 degree angle with the upper lip. By puberty, the tip comes down to approximately 110 degrees, and by age 50, it make a 90 degree (right) angle with the upper lip.  By age 65 to 70 the tip will descend further to make an acute angle (less than 90 degrees) with the lip.  If you think back to your Andersen's fairy tales, you will remember that witches- were always drawn with long, hooked noses- because the caricature artists of that time noticed that older people had longer noses.  (9999To see an elderly person with a little pug nose would look really strange)

Serious (not a joke) question: do noses grow bigger with age ?

Answers (8)

More Rhinoplasty Questions

Smell in nose after Rhinoplasty with skin thinning. Any suggestions?

1 day post septorhinoplasty and my cast and nostrils are crooked. Any suggestions? (photos)

Nose whistling after Rhinoplasty?

Is there any possible way to flatten the hump on my nose without seeing a doctor? (Photo)

WE SEND PRETTY
EMAILS