Is Rhinoplasty the right option for bulbous/droopy noses? Or can filler also be an option as well? (Photos)

The treatment for a bulbous nose is not fillers and will not work at all. You would benefit from a rhinoplasty. A rhinoplasty takes 2 hour to perform under general anesthesia and costs $8,000.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hello and thank you for your question and photographs. Although an exam in person is ideal, from your photographs alone it appears that you can benefit from a subtle tip rhinoplasty where the nasal tip cartilage is modified for a more refined look to improve the bulbous aspect you discussed in your question. Fillers can be a temporary solution, by placing it on your tip to make it more "pointy" in appearance. However, fillers only serve as camouflage and would not address the problem directly. A bulbous tip needs to be reduced in volume -- fillers only add volume. In terms of the surgical details, the modification of your nasal tip cartilage can be done with trimming, stitching or grafting. I would also place a mastoid fascia tip graft between the reconstructed tip complex and your skin to (1) reduce cartilage prominence (tenting up of the nasal tip skin by cartilage) and (2) to also create a feminine tip-defining point (subtle natural upturn).

Just an fyi and also important, if your septum is deviated and you have breathing difficulty as you stated, a septoplasty may benefit you as well -- insurance can cover this and reduce the price of your surgery☝️

The next step for you is to pursue the right aesthetic plastic surgeon for your rhinoplasty. In your rhinoplasty consultation, be sure your surgeon addresses all your aesthetic goals and concerns specifically, IN PERSON, and discusses the surgery details including the position and size of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just digital animations), the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative course. I also think a key component of your consultation is to establish a good connection with your plastic surgeon. This is difficulty to do without seeing your surgeon in the office, in person. It’s the connection that allows you to clearly define your desired nose outcome goals, the first step of this whole process. If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for you.

For more information on rhinoplasty, please refer to my link below.

Good luck.

Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS
Harvard-trained Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon