Rhinoplasty for “seniors” Did my nose grow its hump back?

Rhinoplasty for “seniors” Did my nose grow its hump back?

As we age, many structures in our face slowly change. Cartilage in our body, including the nose, starts to stretch and relax. Part of the problem is that when our noses stretch, they may droop and start to hang lower.

A droopy nasal tip, also known as a ptotic tip or dependent nasal tip, has several aesthetic consequences. First of all, the entire nose is going to look longer in appearance. When the nose hangs, the dorsum of the nose (where a hump is) looks more prominent because the nasal tip is now in a lower position. The nose did not regrow a hump back.

Functionally, the effects of a hanging nasal tip have been well studied. Nasal airflow likes to be smooth (laminar airflow). When the nose is ptotic, nasal airflow may not be able to easily enter the nose and is often choppy (turbulent airflow). Many patients will describe relief from lifting their noses in an improved position.

It would make sense that a rhinoplasty should lift the nose for both cosmetic and physiologic purposes.

The cosmetic changes in a person with more seniority is quite different than in a person who is very young. As we age, we have a stronger identity of who we are and what we look like. A drastic change is not a good answer to most older patients. First of all, it changes their social interaction with friends. Patients have changed from themselves to someone else. A facelift or a blepharoplasty's goal is to change a person back into how they looked at a younger age. If a rhinoplasty changes an older person too much, it is typically not embraced.

In addition, other features of a "Baby Boomer nose", or older nose are different. The bones of the nasal bones are often more brittle and need special techniques to fracture them if necessary.

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"The nose should fit the face"
A strong jawline would suggest a stronger nose.