Rhinoplasty for an Overprojected Tip

The projection of the nasal tip refers to how far the tip of the nose extends out from the face. An overprojected tip occurs when the distance between the nasal tip and the face is too long, contributing to the appearance of a large nose.

At Advanced ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. William Cohen can perform the rhinoplasty procedure to bring more balance to the facial features and deproject the nasal tip. To learn more about rhinoplasty for an overprojected tip, read on, and then contact our Orange, CA practice to schedule a consultation.

Candidates for Nasal Tip Deprojection

Rhinoplasty to shorten an overprojected tip can dramatically improve a patient’s profile view. However, the procedure does not affect the frontal view; rhinoplasty techniques that address narrowing and straightening of the bridge, tip, and mid-third of the nose change the frontal view.

To determine if you have an overprojected nasal tip, we will measure the distance from the tip of the nose to the face, from the profile view. Dr. Cohen will consider the measurement in relation to other aspects of the nose, such as the bridge height and rotation.

If the nose visually looks too large and the nasal tip projection measurements are excessive, the patient is probably a good candidate for a nasal tip deprojection rhinoplasty.

Nasal Tip Deprojection Techniques

In many cases, we adjust other aspects of the nasal structure to bring the entire nose into balance with surrounding facial features. In addition to shortening the length between the nasal tip and face, we may adjust the bridge height and rotation of the nose.

Nasal Tip Deprojection Technique

To deproject the nasal tip, it may be possible to reduce the size of the domal cartilage. This is the farthest out section of the lower lateral cartilage that runs around the nostrils to the nasal tip. In many cases, just a couple of millimeters need to be removed to improve the projection of the nasal tip.

In other cases, we may need to detach, move, and reattach all of the lower lateral cartilage to achieve a good outcome.

Reducing the Bridge Height

The bridge height refers to how far the bridge of the nose projects out from the face. Since the bridge height follows the outward projection of the nasal tip, it makes sense that the bridge would also extend out too far on the face.

To reduce the bridge height, we will reshape and remove some cartilage on the nasal bridge to complement the deprojection of the nasal bridge. In many cases, a similar amount of cartilage will be removed from the nasal tip and bridge (if the nasal tip is brought in by two millimeters, the bridge may be taken down by two millimeters.

Adjusting the Rotation of the Nose

During nasal tip deprojection, we often adjust the rotational position of the nasal tip to maintain ideal aesthetics. We will measure the surrounding aspects of the nose, and then rotate the tip slightly to bring it into balance with the newly refined tip and bridge.

To find out if you are a good candidate for nasal tip deprojection, contact Advanced ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery today.