But why does your nose looks bigger after rhinoplasty? Is it normal to have your tip still too wide after surgery? Or is it a result of a botched nose job?
Is your nose still too big after rhinoplasty? Here are some of the main reasons why the tip of your nose is still too wide post-op.
Generally, swelling is the most common reason why your nose looks bigger after rhinoplasty, which is completely normal. As a general rule, half of the swelling in the nasal tip will be gone after a month, but it will take at least a year for the tip to reach its final shape.
During a rhinoplasty, the cartilages in the tip of the nose are usually thinned. If this is not done sufficiently, the nasal tip may still look wide. The truth is that this is NOT a common reason for a residual wide tip. If anything, care must be taken not to over-thin of the tip cartilages so the breathing is not affected.
The thicker the skin in the nasal tip the less visible the new, sculpted tip cartilages will be. There is no reliable way to thin the skin so some patients will never have a nasal tip that is quite as delicate as they desire.
Some noses plunge downward, making the tip too close to the lip. In other cases, the projection of the tip is lost in the first operation. If the tip is lifted and pushed forward, the tip definition will often be improved. In other cases, the placement of a cartilage graft can create a more sculpted tip.
After some rhinoplasties, there is too much fullness just above the tip (rather than in the tip itself), which makes the tip appear hooked or “beak-like” when viewed from the side. This is due to inadequate lowering of the septum during the procedure and can usually be repaired with a brief, second operation.
Being unhappy with the outcome of your nose job is discouraging and frustrating.
Contact an experienced plastic surgeon with experience in rhinoplasty for an opinion. As one of the top plastic surgeons in NYC, Dr. Charles Thorne will provide you with your options and can often make long-lasting, natural-looking improvements to the shape or size of your nose. Contact us for a virtual consultation today.
Dr. Thorne is the Editor-in-Chief and the author of several chapters in Grabb and Smith's PLASTIC SURGERY, 7th Edition.
