Is It Possible to Rasp Down the Corners of Naturally Square Top Nasal Bones?

Question

Is it possible to just rasp/file down the nasal bones in a closed rhinoplasty procedure on a nose that has square/flat top nasal bones instead of a curved pyramid shape? I'm not wanting to change the tip, profile or projection of my nose. Even if only 1mm was filed off the corners to slightly curve it, that would make a difference. I'm just scared if the nasal bones have to be broken then the height of my nose will change then I'll feel like the rest of my nose will look too big.

Jacob D. Steiger, MD · Answer

The nasal bridge is composed of cartilage and bone. The proportion or amount of bone vs cartilage varies from person to person.  The bone can be rasped to shape that portion of the nose, sometimes if it is "square". It seems that this is what you are speaking of rather then narrowing the nose. Narrowing the nose would likely require what is called osteotomies.  

	In order to best determine if you are a candidate for rasping the nasal bridge in order to achieve your desired result, an examination by an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon would be your best start.

Aaron Stone, MD · Answer

Rasping is used to removed a hump or bump on the bridge of the nose or deepen the groove at the upper root of the nose. It does not work for decreasing the side to side (right to left) dimensions of the bridge. In those cases you need to do an infracture of the nasal bones. The ideal in a female is for the sides of the nose to follow the gentle curve of the eyebrows.  A pyramid shape to the nose is the ideal for a male nose. The infracture usually accounts for most if any of the bruising after nasal surgery and in and of itself does not change the height of the bridge out from the plane of the face.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

It is possible to file down the square top corners of the nasal bridge as a stand alone procedure for a rhinoplasty. This is still done usually under general anesthesia since it is hard to get the nose numb completely under a local. It is possible to file 1-2 mm of bony projection on the corners of the nose which will get rid of the flat top appearance and give more of a pyramidal shape.

Is It Possible to Rasp Down the Corners of Naturally Square Top Nasal Bones?

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Is It Possible to Rasp Down the Corners of Naturally Square Top Nasal Bones?

Answers (3)

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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.