Is It Possible That With Age, My Nose Is Growing Larger?

The nose grows from birth to about age 5. It then starts growing again until puberty. The nose is comprised of four main parts. The connections betwen these parts begin to relax as we age and the nose can droop. Things that can cause the nose to droop are trauma to the nose, genetics, and the aging process.If one has a collagen vascular disorder like Ehlers Danlos it could possibly fall.

Typically at your age, the nose is longer growing. As we all age, the ligaments inside the nose can weaken and the nose will droop some, making it appear larger. Also the skin can thicken over time. If you are concerned, then be sure to see a rhinoplasty specialist for consultation.

Yes, the nose can get larger very gradually over time (you can google photos of Paul Newman as a young man and then as an old man and see the difference). Most women who see me for rhinoplasties have noses that are too big and they prefer a more feminine nose. But they do not wish to look like someone else or have a nose that looks like it has been operated on. At 24, any future changes in the size of your nose are going to be very small. You may wish to consider a rhinoplasty. Yes, the appearance of the nose is important to everyone's self image. I have attached a link to my website in case you wish to read more.

Once you become an adult your nose no longer grows.  However your nose may appear to getting longer as it can slowly droop with time.  This has to do with ligaments and connective tissue weakening like it does everywhere else in the body. 

Answer from Dr. Sean Hill, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon at Lone Star Plastic Surgery in Frisco, TX:
This is a great question — and one I hear often from patients considering rhinoplasty later in life.
The truth is, your nose doesn’t actually “grow” in adulthood, but it can change shape and appearance over time due to natural aging processes. Here’s what typically happens: • Cartilage weakens and loses support, especially in the nasal tip, which can cause the nose to droop or appear longer. • Skin and soft tissue thin, which can make the underlying structure more noticeable or lead to a change in definition. • Gravity and volume loss in the midface may make the nose appear more prominent, even though its size hasn’t truly increased.
So while your nose isn’t growing like it did during childhood and adolescence, aging can subtly change its look, especially from the profile view.
At Lone Star Plastic Surgery, I work with many patients who seek rhinoplasty later in life to address age-related changes — particularly a drooping tip or loss of nasal-facial balance. These refinements can restore a more youthful and harmonious profile, often with very natural-looking results.
If you’re considering a change, it’s never too late to explore your options — just be sure to work with a board-certified plastic surgeon and member of The Rhinoplasty Society to ensure expert care.
Warmly,Dr. Sean HillBoard-Certified Plastic SurgeonLone Star Plastic Surgery – Frisco, TX

Hello and thank you for your question. The dorsal hump doesn’t necessarily grow with time but the tip can droop more if it is not properly stabilized and that can make it appear that the dorsal hump is growing as you age. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

The nose, like any body part, can change over time. With age, the nose can appear larger and the tip may droop. However, this process is slow and likely isn't shown in your early 20s. There are medical reasons for a nose to get larger, but this does not appear to be your case.

If you're unhappy with the size of your nose, or its proportion in relation to your face, consult a plastic surgeon. A rhinoplasty can make your nose smaller or reshape it.

With time and age things in your body change.Particularly in the nose, there seems to be a growth of the cartilage and also the skin gets thicker, especially in the tip/supratip area. But don't despair, there things usually happen quite late in life and very slowly.Another common thing i have heard is that people think the nose gets bigger or more prominent with weight fluctuations. Well, perhaps but its not the nose that is changing, its everything else around it...!

Most likely with age, you will notice the tip of your nose becomes larger and point downwards and that has to do with laxity of tissues.  There are ways to correct that surgically adding support to your nose wit cartilage taken rom your septum or ear

Your nasal shape is the result of the underlying bony and cartilage skeleton and the overlying skin and soft tissue that covers it.  With age, the relationship of these structures can change.  Traditionally, our skin and soft tissues become thinned and less supported with time, and therefore can change the way the skin and soft tissue appear as a covering over the nasal skeleton. While it is my opinion that the old wives tale  saying that the nose keeps growing our whole life is false, I do believe that there are noticeable and often predictable changes that occur in the nasal shape over the course of a lifetime. 

This is a very interesting question. The aging process can certainly make it seem as if your nose is getting larger, or at least changing in shape, with time. The nose can descend, or droop, with age. Other aspects of the aging process include loosening of skin on the face as well as a decline in the structural support of the face. All of these changes can give the alter the appearance of your nose over time. 

Gary Linkov, MD
Rhinoplasty Specialist
Manhattan