LONG NOSE/ DROOPING NOSE

If the nose sticks out too far from the face or the tip hangs too low, the entire facial proportions can be changed. 

People with a long nose are often bothered by the fact that it visually dominates the middle of the face - other features, such as beautiful eyes and cheeks, are less noticeable. A long nose is characterized by a long bridge, which means that the nose protrudes disproportionately far from the face. A long nose is often genetic and is not the result of an accident. A long nose is usually caused by a sunken tip, which can also lead to a deterioration in breathing.

The correction of a long nose can vary greatly depending on the extent of the operation: from shortening the nasal septum to straightening the tip of the nose or completely reducing the size of the nose, an individual surgical plan is drawn up for each patient.

The more pronounced the long nose, the more complex techniques are required for nose correction. In addition to external correction, every good nose surgeon also focuses on improving function or at least maintaining nasal breathing. Deviations of the nasal septum are corrected, as are enlarged cavernous bodies in the nose, the so-called nasal turbinates. In the case of long noses that have already been broken, very complex techniques such as extracorporeal septum correction may be necessary, in which the extremely crooked nasal septum is completely removed and reinserted after straightening. A stable and straight nasal septum is the basic requirement for a straight and well-functioning external nose. In the case of bone fractures, more complex corrections to the bony nose are also usually necessary.

To ensure good symmetry, open access to the nose is usually chosen when correcting a long nose. Basically, only a small incision on the bridge of the nose distinguishes the open from the closed access to the nose. This access provides the best overview of the misalignment. In most cases, long noses can be corrected without additional cartilage, for example from the auricle or rib. The goal is always a smaller nose that fits proportionally into the face. There are big differences between the sexes: a female nose can be smaller and "snubbier", whereas a male nose can certainly be made smaller, but must still retain its distinctive character.

As with all nose corrections, the skin is an important factor in the subsequent appearance of the nose and unfortunately is often the main limitation in a nose reduction - the nose can only be reduced as much as the skin covering the nose can shrink. Thick skin in particular does not contract much after an operation. 

To immobilize the nose after surgery, an external splint is applied, which is removed after about 1 week. After this time, most swelling and skin discoloration will have disappeared. Similar to other nose corrections, the final result can be expected after a wound healing phase of about 1 year, with most progress happening in the first few weeks.