Nasal Tip Reduction, Dorsal Hump Reduction (Aquiline Nose Correction)

Treatment details: Nasal Tip Reduction, Dorsal Hump Reduction (Aquiline Nose Correction)

In male patients I take less off the bridge than the profile drawing suggests. A nose straightened completely tends to read as feminine, so a slight convexity was left rather than flattening the dorsum to a line. The tip was the harder part. The cartilages were bulky and sat low, and lowering the bridge alone would have made that droop more obvious, which is why tip reduction was carried out in the same operation. Narrowing the tip and rotating it slightly upward restored the angle at the base. Thick skin over this area holds swelling for a long time, which is why the photograph is at three months rather than earlier. The shape continues to refine for up to a year.

Swelling and bruising around the eyes are heaviest in the first week and take several weeks to clear completely. The bridge may feel numb and the tip stiff for months while sensation returns. Irregularity along the dorsum can become visible once swelling resolves, particularly where bone has been filed, and thick skin can obscure the result for a year. Breathing may feel restricted while the internal lining is swollen. Infection, bleeding, poor scarring at the columella if an open approach is used, and asymmetry between the two sides are possible. A residual or recurrent convexity, or reduction taken too far leaving the bridge low, may require revision surgery, which cannot be performed until the tissues have fully settled.