I may have lowered my lateral cartilage when I was picking/cleaning my nose. Can this ever be fixed?

Question

I picked the top of my nose and after I did that there was this strange feeling that something moved /popped out of place? Ever since then I can see the tip of my nose constantly in my vision. I think I moved the lower literal cartilage when I was picking / cleaning. Can this ever be fixed? It's really awful seeing my tip of my nose in my vision.

Robert H. Woods, MD · Answer

Pictures of the appearance would help determine if this is fixable. This sounds unusual in that it would take a much more significant trauma to dislocation your lower lateral from your upper lateral cartilage, but anything is possible.Ordinarily, asymmetries can be corrected with a standard approach to rhinoplasty. The need for grafts to fill in a deformity may require a more complicated procedure. This determination is made based on the diagnosis of the problem, the appearance of the nose, and other related structures. There are many ways to skin a cat, all with the same end result. Try to find the surgeon who has a full quiver of arrows and not just a one size fits all procedure.There are some surgeons who do all their rhinoplasties through an open approach which requires a visible incision across the columella (vertical tissue separating the nostrils). There are some who do them all through a closed approach with no visible incisions. Each approach has its virtues, but they need to be applied taking into account the necessity for more exposure and the compromise of accepting a visible incision ( which, by the way, is very difficult to see).

George Commons, MD (retired) · Answer

Picking will not affect the cartilages or the shape of your nose.   Some emotionally disturbed people pick areas until there is bleeding and tissue destruction.   I doubt you do this.    So don't worry.    My Best,  Dr Commons

I may have lowered my lateral cartilage when I was picking/cleaning my nose. Can this ever be fixed?

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