Asymmetriclal Nose from nose picking?

If you draw a line in the middle of the nose and look upward, no one's nostrils are perfectly, precisely, exactly the same to the millimeter. The nostrils are not twins, but sisters. A moderate amount of "finger manipulation" (to put it nicely) generally would not change these structures. If you look carefully at your "before" pictures, you will probably find that there was asymmetry of your nostrils to begin with. However, postoperatively it's never a good idea to pick one's nose or to put any objects (q-tips etc.) inside the nose. This can lift the skin off the surgical site, thereby allowing space for scar tissue to form. My best advice is to speak with your surgeon about your concerns.

While it's remotely possible that picking at your nose shortly after surgery could have provoked some asymmetries, it's more likely that it was either 1) present pre-operatively (take a close look at your surgeon's pre-op photos of your nose, or 2) a result of the surgical technique itself. Follow up with your surgeon to address these concerns and note that it's still healing at only nine months post-op.

All the best,

--David C. Pearson, M.D.