Can I Pull the Tape to a Side in Order to Keep my Nose Straight?

Question

I had a nose job a month ago to straighten my nose. after the cast came off it was staight (not perfect) but now it seems that the cartridge is getting back to it's former place(the left side)is that commen? Can using the tape and pulling it to the right be usefull?

Etai Funk, MD · Answer

Taping the nose after rhinoplasty is helpful for swelling but likely will not straighten your nose.  Rhinoplasty for a crooked nose will make the nose straighter, but it may not be completely straight.  You may cause more harm than good by taping your nose incorrectly.  See your original surgeon for more information.

Aaron Stone, MD · Answer

Cartilage has positional and shape memory. If you bend your ear forward and hold it there all day it goes back to where/what it was as soon as you let go. The same is true of cartilage in the nose so there is some inherent recurrence rate after nasal surgery to straighten nasal cartilage. There are some techniques that can be used to lower this recurrence rate. These include the use of shaping sutures placed in the cartilage and/or suturing cartilage grafts to the native cartilage as a splint just as you would splint a broken bone. These work because bent cartilage held in a constant straightened position in situ will reshape itself over a few months. The external tape could only work if its pull were constant for a few months. That does not happen because the tape loosens with each day that is worn. As soon as you take the tape off to change it the cartilage moves back to its original position and the clock starts over again.

	My response to your question/post does not represent formal medical advice or constitute a doctor patient relationship. You need to consult with i.e. personally see a board certified plastic surgeon in order to receive a formal evaluation and develop a doctor patient relationship.

Can I Pull the Tape to a Side in Order to Keep my Nose Straight?

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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

Can I Pull the Tape to a Side in Order to Keep my Nose Straight?

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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