Male rhinoplasty

Scientists at the University of Iowa found in a study that men's noses are, on average, 10 percent larger than women's. During childhood, boys' and girls' noses are very similar, but from puberty onward, hormones influence them differently – testosterone leads to greater muscle growth in adolescent men and, consequently, to a more pronounced nose. A larger nose can supply the muscles with oxygen better than a smaller one. A large nose is therefore generally considered a sign of masculinity.

Nevertheless, there are changes in the shape of the male nose that are detrimental to both aesthetics and function. Most commonly, we encounter patients in our practice with drooping nasal tips, disproportionately long noses, humped noses, crooked noses, or combinations of these shapes.

The surgical techniques are similar to those used for "regular" rhinoplasty. We also use a variety of techniques for male rhinoplasty to achieve the desired result. We always choose the most gentle approach possible for a perfect long-term result.

Gentle techniques include the use of piezo instruments to avoid breaking bone, but rather to work on it precisely and gently. This also includes the removal of humps using the so-called push-down or let-down technique. This technique preserves the anatomy of the nasal bridge, which is simply repositioned further into the plane of the face and reshaped to maintain a straight nasal bridge and improve breathing. For severely crooked noses, I achieve the best results with the so-called push-over technique.

If the nasal tip is unstable or drooping, it must be reinforced. In Hamburg, I favor stabilization with septal extension grafts, as this cartilage graft ensures the nasal tip remains stable even after many years.