Is it possible for me to have a tip rhinoplasty? (Photo)

Question

Hello, I’m 30F, and I’ve been doing a lot of research on rhinoplasty. I truly don’t mind my dorsal hump, but I do feel like my nose is extremely long for my face. Is it possible to have my nose shaved without breaking the bones or to just have my tip shortened a bit. If not, what would be the best option? Thanks again!

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

When a nose comes out strongly forward away from the face, we call that a "projecting" nose, and we want to "de-project" it, by bringing it closer to the face. A "long" nose is a nose that is long if you measure from where the nose begins between the eyes, down along the bridge to the tip. So a long nose has a droopy tip. Having said that, when you deproject a nose, it tends to make the nose *look* longer, as if the tip had drooped more, so even on your nose, elevating the tip would be important.

You said you don't mind the bump, but if you imagine bringing the tip back closer to your face and leaving the bump, the bump would look much larger after surgery, so some lowering of the bump would also be important.

How *much* to elevate the tip, or deproject the nose, or make other changes? We figure that out with morphs, well before surgery. I'd love for you to see some excellent professionally-designed morphs of what could possibly be done with your nose. Morphs could also help you identify better just what's bothering you, and help you set a goal for the rhinoplasty that's accurate for your tastes. Profile and three-quarter views would be particularly important in morphing your nose. (Side note: in my opinion, morphs should really be done by the surgeon, or he should direct an assistant as she makes the morphs. Morphs should be made with a constant eye to what actually *can* be done in surgery, for that particular nose, and the surgeon has that information and judgment best.)

Finally, remember that rhinoplasty is an exquisitely difficult operation to get right, and you should only have surgery if you are able to make yourself very confident in your surgeon's skills. The changes that your nose needs require advanced techniques, and skill that most plastic surgeons don't possess with expertise. It's much better to not have surgery than to have inexpertly-performed surgery. Read my essay on how to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon. And it also discusses how to take photos that are best for online evaluations.

Selcuk Inanli, MD · Answer

Hello! Thank you for your question.As far as I can understand from your question the rhinoplasty operation I can recommend to you is both safer and it is more possible to achieve the desired result with rhinoplasty.It would be better face to face consultation.Best regards!

Bora Ok, MD · Answer

Hi from Istanbul! To address the length of your nose, deprojection (which involves shortening of the nasal tip cartilage) needs to be performed. However, this would make your nasal hump appear more prominent. Therefore, a nasal hump reduction should accompany this procedure. Additionally, narrowing of the nasal bones can further enhance the overall aesthetic, ensuring a balanced and natural appearance from the front view. Hope this helps, best of luck to you.

Caner Kacmaz, MD · Answer

Hi! This is Arzu from Dr Cner Kacmaz Clinic. We recommend you to have piezo rhinoplasty. It s done without breaking the bones and you would got very good result

Oakley Smith, MD, FRCSC · Answer

Hi there are several techniques during a rhinoplasty to address width,length and projection to reach a more harmonized nasal shape.
It is better for you to consult with a facial plastic surgeon who can examine you and discuss the surgical procedure and the post op recovery process.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

A tip rhinoplasty will only take care of the tip. It will not do anything with the dorsum. Your nose is too long and the entire length needs to be shortened. It is more of an anterior projection problem then length and the requires taking the bone and cartilage. Your nasal lip angle is quite good. You do have a little fullness of the lateral cartilage area. You will need bony work as well as cartilage work to decrease the projection.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Paul E. Chasan, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. You are an excellent candidate for rhinoplasty. I think it is one of the most beautifying surgeries that we do as plastic surgeons. A large portion of my practice is dedicated to rhinoplasty surgery.  In your case, you definitely need a full rhinoplasty.  A tip rhinoplasty would be inadequate achieving an excellent result.  It is important to only see plastic surgeons with extensive experience in rhinoplasty, ie perform at least 6 per month and have performed hundreds of cases. Also, critically evaluate on-line galleries to see if their art form resonates with yours. Rhinoplasty is definitely a grey haired plastic surgeon's sport. Best wishes to you.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

If you don’t have the dorsal hump removed, simply having surgery on the tip is unlikely to give you a worthwhile result. In fact it could make it look worse

Ruslan Zhuravsky, DO · Answer

Hi, it is possible but might not be a great idea. If you reduce your tip (deproject it), the bump will look even bigger and the transition from the bridge to the tip will have a beak like appearance (polly beak). The "bone breaking" part is not nearly what people imagine it to be. I've done several revisions on patients that chose a surgeon bc they promised not to break there bones. When considering a rhinoplasty, yes initial research is very important. The next step is to find several surgeons that truly specialize in rhinoplasty, and have several consultations. This will let you compare and learn from each one. I find the consultation to be a critical process in successful rhinoplasty and spend 30 min or more discussing the changes, while using morphed images to explain. This is a collaborative process and can be very enlightening as you see what these changes do for the overall aesthetic. Don't fall for gimmicks. The goal is to have the nose that will make you happy. That is accomplished by thorough consultation, a surgeon that understands your goals, appreciates your unique anatomy, and is able to use a wide range of techniques/maneuvers during the surgery to achieve that goal. Good luck!

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

You are looking for deprojection. That means to bring the nose closer to the face.  We can achieve that without otherwise substantially changing the way your face or nose looks.  Watch our videos to learn more.