Nose Tip Droops when Smiling, is This a Hyper Active Muscle?

Nasal tip droop when smiling is usually caused by muscular contraction, and can be corrected by weakening or cutting that muscle.  Sometimes this can be performed under local anesthesia in the office if no other maneuvers are needed (a physical exam is necessary to determine this).  Sometimes an injection of Botox/Dysport can yield a favorable result, and not commit you to a surgery or permanent change.  Be sure it is an absolute droop, rather than a relative droop (i.e. the tip appears that it droops only because the lip itself is contracting and changing shape around the nose, when the nasal tip in fact does not actually change- that's a different situation).  This is fairly straightforward- you don't necessarily need to find a surgeon with "elite" credentials- just a surgeon who is board certified in general plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery, and they will let you know if they are comfortable dealing with this issue.  Hope that helps!

          This drooping during animation can be caused by muscle contraction.  This can be released in a simple surgical maneuver.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of rhinoplasties each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

A drooping nasal tip at rest is due to inadequate tip support. However, many people also see their tip drop with smiling. The best solution is a combination approach where structure is added to support and reposition the tip and removal of the muscle that pulls the tip down with smiling. These are common maneuvers that are performed during rhinoplasty. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACSWeber Facial Plastic Surgery