Can I get a nose job to remove bulbous tip, fix some other issues with nose, and make it a little longer on my face?

Question

Is there a way to get a nose job and bring the nose down to the lips a little without doing a surgical lip lift. I'm scared of scarring because I have ehlers danlos. And I don't want one really. I want to make the nose less bulbous and more symmetrical, fix my deviated septum. But I'm worried that will make the philtrum too long. Also, I feel like my philtrum looks a little weird? Like it's sunken in on both sides below the nostrils. If anyone has any insight on that it would be appreciated.

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

To my eye, your upper lip is already quite short, and you're not at all a candidate for a lip lift anyway. You had complained about the relative "depressions" to the side of the philtral columns, but they are just a normal variation of facial shape. You just happen to notice them more than other people might; you're probably very observant about a lot of things. When we're deciding whether to change something on the nose (and I agree that the tip looks somewhat bulbous), we don't very often consider how it might change what's next to the part that we don't like. So: if you don't like your bulbous tip, you should have your bulbous tip corrected. If you refrain from correcting the tip because of fear that the lip will look bad, you'll always have your bulbous tip, which you *know* you don't like. And your lip might look *better* after the nose surgery! It's just sooo rare for a patient to be unhappy that she had an operation because something *else* looks different after surgery.

How *much* to narrow the tip, 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 -- the tip work -- 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.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

A rhinoplasty can be done to straighten the dorsum, refine the tip and lower the columella, if desired.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Oakley Smith, MD, FRCSC · Answer

Hi during a rhinoplasty multiple aspects of the nose are addressed to enhance the final nasal profile. 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.

Can I get a nose job to remove bulbous tip, fix some other issues with nose, and make it a little longer on my face?

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Can I get a nose job to remove bulbous tip, fix some other issues with nose, and make it a little longer on my face?

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.