There are different surgical and non-surgical solutions that can reduce a bulbous nose and reshape a bulbous nasal tip. Dr Stephen Kleid is an experienced Melbourne ENT Surgeon performing Rhinoplasty for patients with Bulbous Nose Tip.
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What Causes a Bulbous Nose Tip?
The nose tip plays a crucial role in determining the overall appearance of your nose and its compatibility with your other facial features. Sometimes, the tip of the nose either has too much cartilage or a thick skin layer. This can make it look too rounded, boxy, or bulbous. As a result, your nose may look too wide or too big and out of proportion with the rest of your face.
Surgeons can permanently fix a bulbous nose tip with a specialised type of rhinoplasty surgery called tip-plasty. This surgery fixes the appearance of a flat, or under-projected nose bridge; it can also correct the appearance of a boxy nasal tip. As an alternative, non-surgical injectable options and makeup contouring offer ways to change the look of a bulbous nose.
Dr Stephen Kleid is one of the top ENT surgeons in Melbourne, Australia. He offers his patients the most advanced rhinoplasty techniques to help them reduce the size of their nose tips and change their bulbous appearance.
What Gives Your Nose Its Shape?
The shape of your nose is determined mainly by how the bones, cartilage, and soft tissue inside of it are arranged. The different sizes, shapes, and arrangements of these components give each nose its unique structure.
Your nose is primarily made up of:
- Nasal bones
- Your nose has two oblong bones in the middle of your face.
- The bones inside of your nose are responsible for the shape and projection of your nasal bridge (dorsum).
- Cartilage
- The nasal cartilage is a flexible structure inside of the nose and is softer than your nasal bones.
- Cartilage helps keep your nostrils open by giving them structural support.
- It also shapes the tip of your nose, giving it its distinctive appearance.
- Nasal septum
- It’s the wall dividing your left and right nasal cavities.
- Your septum is part bone and part cartilage and gives shape and support to your nose.
What causes a bulbous nose tip?
Many people have cosmetic nose concerns that involve different parts of the nose including the nose tip.
The ball at the end of your nose may look either swollen or too rounded (in the shape of a light bulb) when:
- There’s an excess amount of cartilage at your nose tip.
- The nasal cartilage at the tip of your nose is convex (curved outward) in shape.
- The nose tip cartilage is spaced too far apart making the nose tip too wide.
- Or, the nasal skin at the tip of the nose is thick.
In addition, an under-projected nose bridge can make the nasal tip look projected ahead of the dorsum. This can give the illusion of a prominent bulbous nose tip that stands out in the middle of the face.
Surgical Solutions for the Bulbous Nose
The best way to permanently correct a boxy nose tip is with a cosmetic nose reshaping surgery known as rhinoplasty.
There are various rhinoplasty techniques that skilled surgeons can do to improve the appearance of different parts of the nose including a bulging nose tip. Dr Stephen Kleid specifically tailors each nose reshaping surgery to address your individual nose shape problems.
Bulbous tip nose surgery
A bulbous nose job, also known as rhino-tip surgery or tip-plasty, is the best way to fix a boxy nose tip. It’s a specialized type of rhinoplasty that specifically addresses the cosmetic concerns in the tip of your nose.
A bulbous nose surgery allows your surgeon to:
- Reduce the volume of the nose tip and reshape it
- Change the angle of the tip of the nose
- Refine the width of the nasal tip
As a result, a tip-plasty can balance the nose tip with the nostrils and bridge of the nose. You’ll end up with a nose that’s more symmetric and in proportion with the rest of your facial features.
Procedure
To treat the boxy nose tip Dr Kleid will:
- Start by making an incision on the outside or inside of your nose (open or closed rhinoplasty)
- Then, he will carefully remove part of the tip cartilage to reduce the size of the nasal tip
- He will also strategically manipulate the cartilage in the nose tip to reshape it
- He will not break any nasal bones
- Dr Kleid may also use cartilage grafts to better refine your nasal tip
- For patients with thick nasal tip skin, Dr Kleid may use special surgical techniques for the thinning of the nasal tip skin
- Finally, he will use non-traumatic delicate suturing techniques to skillfully close the wound and create a sharper and natural-looking nose tip
Surgery for a boxy nose tip can take between 20 minutes and 1 hour. It has an easier recovery (less edema, bruising and bleeding) than other rhinoplasty procedures.
You can also combine a rhino-tip surgery with other rhinoplasty options to refine different parts of the nose like the nostrils, septum (septoplasty), and the nose bridge.
Bulbous tip rhinoplasty is a simple surgery that can dramatically change your entire appearance by giving your nose more symmetry and harmony with your facial features.
Nose bridge augmentation surgery
Another surgical solution for a boxy nose tip is getting nose bridge augmentation surgery – rhinoplasty to reshape the nasal bridge. As mentioned before, a nose bridge that lacks projection can create the illusion of an over-projected rounded nose tip.
Performing a nose bridge rhinoplasty can;
- Improve the projection of a flat nose bridge and bring it into proportion with the nose tip.
- Similar to a tip-plasty, your surgeon can use either a closed or open incision when performing surgery on the nasal bridge.
- Dr Kleid will use implants or cartilage grafts to elevate your nose bridge and give your nose more height.
- Once the dorsum is raised, the tip will look less protruded and more proportional compared to the augmented nasal bridge.
This type of nose job is common for patients of Asian, African, and Hispanic ethnicities who typically have under-projected nose bridges and wide nose tips.
Closed rhinoplasty
A closed rhinoplasty is the most common technique. During a closed rhinoplasty:
- All the incisions your surgeon makes are on the inside of your nose.
- There will be no incisions on the outer nose skin.
- As a result, there will be no visible scars on the outside of your nose following your tip rhinoplasty.
Open rhinoplasty
For more complex and extensive changes in the nose tip, an open rhinoplasty may be performed. Open rhino-tip surgery involves incisions on the outside of the nose:
- Dr Kleid will make a small inverted V incision at the base of your nose (under the columella and between the two nostrils).
- This will give him better access to the cartilage inside your nose. This will make it easier for him to manipulate the thick skin of the nose and enhance the tip appearance.
- The open technique doesn’t leave any visible scars.
Open rhinoplasty allows more extensive tip reduction and better refinement of the nose tip and nostrils.
How to Fix Bulbous Nose Without Surgery
You cannot permanently fix a boxy nose tip without surgery. However, there are some non-surgical ways to temporarily correct the appearance of a bulbous nose. The “liquid nose job” procedure has high risks, can cause a Vascular occlusion or blindness and should only be performed by an expert. PLEASE NOTE – Melbourne ENT does NOT offer or recommend this procedure.
Makeup
Another natural solution for a boxy tip is using makeup contouring to correct the nose shape. Makeup will not change the size of your nose tip, but it can help temporarily change the appearance of a rounded nose tip.
To contour your bulbous nose:
- Use a bronzer, a shade darker than your skin to outline the sides of your nose
- Highlight the bridge of your nose using a highlighter (preferably matte)
- Use a beauty blender to control the shadows and highlights and reshape the nose tip
Using makeup, you can contour different parts of your nose and instantly reshape a bulbous nose tip without surgery. But this can only last you until the makeup comes off.
Should I Get Bulbous Tip Reshaping Surgery?
People often search for the fastest way to correct a bulbous nose tip and are tempted to choose non-surgical options. That’s why makeup contouring for the nose or injectables may seem like your best option to instantly fix the appearance of your nose tip.
Nevertheless, the results of these methods are not durable and require constant maintenance. These temporary options may also feel like less expensive solutions for a boxy nose tip than a nose job. In the long run, they might actually cost more money and time because they need continuous do-overs.
Nose tip surgery remains the most effective way to address a bulbous nose tip and achieve long-lasting results. Although a simple and relatively short surgery, nose tip surgery requires immense surgical expertise and a thorough understanding of nasal anatomy.
Bulbous Nose Surgery FAQs
Can a bulbous tip be corrected with thick skin?
During a nose tip surgery, Dr Kleid can refine the appearance of a bulbous nose tip despite the thickness of the nasal tip skin. He achieves this by using special suturing techniques, meticulous tip cartilage reshaping, and even cartilage grafts. Dr Kleid will modify the surgical methods he uses during a tip nose job depending on each patient’s nose anatomy and skin type.
How much does a bulbous rhinoplasty cost?
The cost of bulbous nose surgery will vary depending on several factors.
Your surgeon will first give you a consultation to assess your cosmetic needs and the amount of work that needs to be done to fix your bulbous nose tip. After that, you will be offered an estimation of the expenses of your nose tip reshaping surgery depending on the type of anaesthesia used, the location of the surgery, the needed surgical equipment, and whether you’ll need additional corrections to fix other breathing or cosmetic nose problems.
Can I get rhinoplasty just for the nasal tip?
Many patients who just want to change the appearance of their nose tip opt for a rhino-tip surgery instead of a full rhinoplasty. It’s important to note that when you change how the tip of your nose looks, the entire appearance of your nose will change as well. That’s why it’s critical to choose an experienced and skilled specialist surgeon who will make sure that your new nose tip will suit the rest of your nose and other facial features. Your surgeon might suggest other adjustments to your nose to ensure the balance of your reduced nose tip with the rest of your nose.
Can I get a revision rhinoplasty for a boxy nose tip?
Many patients come to Dr Stephen Kleid to fix a bulbous nose after getting a rhinoplasty at another clinic. They’re usually still concerned about how their nose tip looks after their nose job and want more refinement of the nasal tip. Revision rhinoplasty for a bulbous tip can be considered depending on several factors including the results of their previous nose job, how many nose surgeries they’ve had, and the level of scarring beneath their nasal tip. After careful consideration, Dr Kleid will offer you the best options for your nose tip correction. Read Fixing a Failed Nose Job with Revision Rhinoplasty to learn more.
Medical References and Sources:
- Grafting in revision rhinoplasty – PMC
- New Concepts in Nasal Tip Rhinoplasty
- The surgery of the tip of the nose
- Filler Rhinoplasty – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf
