Tip Rhinoplasty

A disharmonious nasal tip attracts attention. Tip rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure that improves the appearance of the distal part of the nose, including the nasal tip, the alar wings, the nostril openings, and the columella.

This procedure most often falls within the scope of a standard rhinoplasty, but can be performed alone if the imperfection is limited to the distal part of the nose. It can significantly improve the appearance and harmony of the face.

The nasal tip is one of the most challenging areas in nose surgery, requiring extensive surgeon experience. The framework of the distal nose is made exclusively of cartilage, hence the difficulty of transmitting shape through skin that can sometimes be very thick.

Tip rhinoplasty can improve:

• Tip projection: a tip that is over- or under-projected
• Tip position: a drooping or plunging tip, especially in ageing noses, or an overly upturned tip giving a "pig nose" appearance
• A deviated tip
• Tip shape: an overly round tip ("champagne cork"), an overly wide tip, a bifid (bilobed) tip, or an asymmetric tip
• Tip mobility: a tip that droops when smiling due to hyperactivity of the depressor septi nasi muscle

Most of the time, the surgical technique of choice for tip rhinoplasty is open rhinoplasty. Only this approach allows for alar cartilage remodelling and the placement of cartilage grafts if necessary.

Upon dressing removal, the change is already apparent. The final result is expected after one year, after which it can be considered stabilised. This mainly concerns the end of skin retraction, which is individual to each patient and not entirely predictable.

A successful tip rhinoplasty will meet the patient's requests while respecting the proportions described by artistic and surgical anatomy, ensuring a natural and harmonious face.