My nose is still long after Rhinoplasty. Will is get shorter?

Question

I'm 16 and I got a nose job four months ago. The shape of the nose is great, the hump has been shaved & tip are better. The issue is that my nose seems to be long. If the length of my nose were to decrease by about a centimeter I'd be so happy. I have super oily skin and very thick skin as well. The hanging columella is bothering me. My surgery was focused on the tip, and it's still hard. The surgery was done by a well-known professional. Will it shrink down, and not be as long?? Please help.

Umang Mehta, MD · Answer

Thanks for the question. If you have thick skin, the nose will continue to improve for several months after the surgery. I have even seen the nose get thinner for 18 to 24 months, during which time the nose continues to become more defined. As the tip becomes more defined the nose may look shorter, though not by 1 cm. An issue like a hanging columella may not change that much, however it would be helpful to see before and photos of your nose. For patients with thicker skin, I have found that conservative steroid and 5-FU injections can be helpful.One important thing to keep in mind is that when patients have thick skin,  it is important not to make the cartilage framework too small underneath. I have done many revision rhinoplasties in which the prior surgeon aggressively removed more and more cartilage in order to make the nose smaller and this created a bulbous nose filled with scar and lacking definition.Feel free to contact our office and we can help you find somebody in Southern California. I trained Beverly Hills so I know a lot of the surgeons there.Best regards,Dr. Mehta

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Sometimes a nose is too long after rhinoplasty and needs to be shortened at a second procedure. You would have to wait about a years. Shortening a long nose and correcting a hanging columella are simple and can usually done using the closed approach.

Clark Schierle, MD, PhD, FACS · Answer

Hang in there! As long as the shape and swelling are improving week to week, however slowly, there is still hope for the final outcome. Ask you plastic surgeon if there would be any benefit to taping or a steroid injection that can help speed your recovery. It takes over a year to realize the final results of rhinoplasty. Think of it this way, one millimeter of swelling would not even be noticeable in a breast augmentation. One millimeter may be the whole difference between success and failure in a rhinoplasty. It will take well over a year before that last millimeter of swelling has gone away and right now there is even more swelling as it is still very early.

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS · Answer

At just 4 months, there is still plenty of time for healing that will include the continued resolution of swelling.  I recommend massages and steroid injections for such situations.

John Michael Thomassen, MD · Answer

If your tip is still hard and insensate, you may still have swelling to recover from.  Once the tip feels a bit softer like normal cartilage and you have normal tip sensation, you may consider a revision.   However, A 1 cm change in length sounds excessive.  If you could provide pictures, you may be better counseled.

My nose is still long after Rhinoplasty. Will is get shorter?

Answers (9)

Answer: After rhinoplasty

Answer: After rhinoplasty

Answer: Revision

Answer: Revision

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My nose is still long after Rhinoplasty. Will is get shorter?

Answers (9)

Answer: After rhinoplasty

Answer: After rhinoplasty

Answer: Revision

Answer: Revision

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.