Will A Rhinoplasty Revision Give Me A Small Cute Nose?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in a rhinoplasty revision.I had my nose done twenty years ago. I have a boxy tip and I would like to shorten my nose . My nostrils are big and long. I want them short and round. I want a cute small shorter nose. I’m wondering if there is hope for me. Thank you.

A: When it comes to a rhinoplasty revision, there is always hope. The key to achieving a shorter or smaller nose, in just about any patient, is the thickness of the overlying skin. When the cartilaginous portion of the nose is reduced, particularly the tip, the overlying tip skin must shrink down to reveal the reduced length of the tip cartilages and the greater narrowness of the dome cartilages that has been created. In a thin-skinned patient, such as yourself, this is most likely to occur. In thicker-skinned noses the thickness of the skin often does not reveal the new cartilage shape very well as it may actually become thicker as it contracts, failing to show the details of what was done underneath it.

When the nasal tip length shortens, the shape of the nostrils will change somewhat. Instead of oblong vertically oriented nostrils, they will be shorter in length and somewhat rounder in shape.

Whether any of these rhinoplasty revision changes will create your ideal shorter nose is a matter of personal opinion, but it is fair to say that it will be closer to your nose shape goals that before. You do have the best nasal skin to make that possible.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana