Is There Anyway I Can Make an Upturned Tip Go Down After Rhinoplasty?

Question

I feel as if my tip is too up-turned. I am still in the healing process but I have heard of people who use tape to alter their nose after Rhinoplasty because they weren't happy with it. Or should I just hope that the swelling will drop the tip of my nose? I am a week and 3 days post-op.

Paul K. Holden, MD · Answer

Your nose is slightly more upturned than the range one would expect, however, you are still pretty fresh from surgery, and your nose was quite under-rotated before.  Because of your preo-op nose, you are even more sensitive to rotation because there is such a drastic difference in your appearance.  Almost all noses lose rotation after surgery, so give it the full year...yes, it seems like forever, but you should approach it like a marathon, not a sprint.  Noses just take a long time to heal.

	Secondly, you will start getting used to your nose and some of the new rotation you have.  I think you will begin to feel more comfortable with it the less you worry about it. 

	The best advice is to be patient, accept your nose as it is for now, and follow your surgeon's instructions.  There is no benefit to doing anything inside of the one year mark, and you should resist thinking about revision at all (since it is only going to make you worry and is probably not even going to be necessary).

Kevin Brenner, MD, FACS · Answer

It is fairly common for the nasal tip to be slightly turned up right after surgery. More likely than not, this will come down over the next few months. One week after surgery is not long enough to have a true appreciation of how your nose will look. Be patient, it will change.

Richard H. Fryer, MD · Answer

You are still early in the healing phase and some dropping of the tip is always expected after rhinoplasty. You need to wait a full year after rhinoplasty before considering any revision work. This time is necessary for the "stiffness" and "firmness" of the nose to resolve so that any changes in tip rotation or projection can result in a predictable result.

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Taping won't help. You will have some tip drop but if you are dissatisfied at 6 months with the shortness this can be fixed by lengthening. This requires a skilled and very experienced revision rhinoplasty surgeon. You can look at revision before after photos on websites.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

One week after rhinoplasty your nose may look "upturned" secondary to normal post-op swelling. I would not recommend taping, but follow your surgeon's instructions. If you are not satisfied with the final result, cartilage grafts can be placed in the tip or in the septum to lengthen your nose.

Is There Anyway I Can Make an Upturned Tip Go Down After Rhinoplasty?

Answers (5)