I have a dent on the tip of my nose, what are my surgical/non-surgical options? (Photos)

Question

As you can see from the photos, I have a dent down my nose. It's very distracting and hard to hide with makeup. I also have a hump on my nose which I would like to remove (though this is less of a priority). The dent gives my nose a very square appearance and doesn't help. Because this doesn't seem to be very common, I'm curious if it would be a complicated rhinoplasty? i've looked through countless before and afters and cant find any who's had this problem fixed.

Paul Quinn, MBBS (Hons), FRACS · Answer

Hi RitaThanks for your question and photos. From your photos it appears you have a bifid tip deformity. This is actually a relatively common finding in both men and women, but is more obvious in women (particularly as they get slightly older) due to their relatively thin skin. It can be camouflaged with a hyaluronic acid based dermal filler, which could also be used to help lessen the appearance of your relatively mild dorsal hump. This is an office based procedure, relatively inexpensive but NOT permanent. There are risks and these will need careful consideration at the consultation with your Specialist Plastic Surgeon. Alternatively, a more permanent method of correction, particularly if you also desire a more narrowed/ refined nasal tip, is an open rhinoplasty. After reducing your dorsal hump, the central tissue between your alar cartilages contributing to the bifid tip appearance can be reduced and the cartilages can be sewn together. In some instances an additional on lay cartilage graft to the nasal tip may be required. There are plenty of very good Specialist Plastic Surgeons in Sydney who are well qualified to perform this surgery. Begin by discussing this with your family doctor. Kind regards

Damien Grinsell, MBBS, FRACS (Plast) · Answer

Hi Rita. The dent in the tip of your nose is from separation of the tip cartilages and is straightforward to fix with a tip rhinoplasty. My advice would be to have a full rhinoplasty and address the hump as well. RegardsDamien

Robert H. Woods, MD · Answer

The hump is relatively easy to correct and is not out of the ordinary for any rhinoplasty techniques. The dent you see is a space that lies between the domes and medial crura of your lower lateral crura. That is the cartilage that forms the tip, and in your case just needs to be exposed, trimmed, and then sutured together which can be done with several different approaches. All are considered routine when dealing with the boxy tip. Yours, is not an uncommon problem and can be addressed with routine approaches.

I have a dent on the tip of my nose, what are my surgical/non-surgical options? (Photos)

Answers (3)