What surgical techniques cause the tip to drop/soften over the healing period?

It usually takes good year for result of rhinoplasty to settle and mature. This particularly applies for tip swelling and, to a certain degree, position (over-rotated tip after surgery may soften and drop in this period). It is in your best interest to ask your surgeon these questions, since he is the one who knows your situation and plan of treatment best. Good luck.

That's absolutely correct. Initially the tip may appear short due to swelling. Over time the tip will drop back down to varying degrees depending on what was done during surgery. There are simple techniques to intentionally shorten the nose if needed.

Hi kawaiilover,
Thank you for your question! The tip should not drop if support is built in properly and all heals well.Multiple techniques will give you the same reliable results, with open being the most reliable.
- Yadro Ducic, MD

It typically takes about a year for a rhinoplasty outcome to settle. Initially due to swelling the tip may appear short and over time it will drop down to variable degrees depending on how the surgery was performed.

Dropping of the nasal tip postop:Early after rhinoplasty such as when the cast is first removed the tip may appear high and pointy. there are multiple changes that can occur which make the tip drop and appear softer or more blunt. These changes include resolution of swelling, the buildup of scar tissue, and the lack of affect of the tape and cast. These changes occur after all rhinoplasty‘s regardless of the particular technique involved, whether open or closed.

Hi and welcome to our forum!
It is not the technique that causes the nose to initially look full. It is the healing process. Injury to the nose (be it surgical or traumatic) will result in the development of swelling (inflammation), a fluid which contains nutrients to the injured tissues. The swelling will initially obscure the surgical result, but resolves (reabsorbs) over a period of 12-18 months. The nasal tip is notorious for taking the longest time to soften.
Best wishes...