My nose has gotten more and more droopy at the tip

Question:
I’m a 64-year-old male and I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older that my nose has gotten more and more droopy at the tip. Is this something that can be fixed with a nose job and what would be any concerns for surgery given my age? Would my nose continue to droop afterward?

Answer:
When older patients come to see me because of concerns related to their nose, the number one complaint is that their nose has dropped and seems to look longer.  What happens over time is that, like the rest of your facial skin, the nose skin and connective tissue attachments in your nose that keep the nasal structure the way that it is have become weak and elongate.  The tip starts to fall because of gravity.  When I perform rhinoplasty surgery in these situations, I always place a cartilaginous graft from the patients septum into the nose that helps to support and elevate the nasal tip.  The graft is called a columella strut and provides tremendous support to the nasal tip and will prevent the tip from drooping in the future.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld