Rhinoplasty Tip Correction

Rhinoplasty Tip Correction at Berkeley Square Medical

Tip Rhinoplasty is one of the most common requests of patients who want to undergo a Rhinoplasty that does not require any changes to the bridge of their nose. This can result in a proportionate and refined nasal tip especially in patients that have a rounded or bulbous tip.

There are some factors that are creating the impression of a bulbous tip. First is the skin thickness on the nasal tip. To remove the bulbous appearance of the nose, an experienced Rhinoplasty Surgeon will remove a safe amount of underlying cartilage but also any fibro-fatty tissue. This is generally common in a non-Caucasian nose.

The second impression on a bulbous tip is the unnatural relationship and distance between the nasal tip and the upper lip proportion. It is not uncommon for a nasal tip to look bulbous due to it hanging or drooping. This can be partly due to an over-projected nasal hump on the bridge of the nose, however, it can also be simply because of the weight of the bulbous tip that is too heavy to be supported to the right proportionate angle.

The most common problem in Tip Rhinoplasty performed by surgeons who are not experienced in regular rhinoplasty surgery, is by attempting to sharpen the appearance of a rounded nasal tip by removing an unsafe amount of nasal cartilage.

This tip correction process can cause an unnatural effect if overcorrected and can lead to some destabilisation, such as a nasal collapse. Reshaping the correct amount is paramount in, what we consider, a lifetime successful result without future complications and patient unhappiness.

Berkeley Square Medical are proud to have one of the lowest revision rhinoplasty rates in the UK. This means that we perform our Rhinoplasty surgeries with first time success in 98% of all patients which could arguably be the highest in the UK and USA.

In order to perform a successful nasal tip rhinoplasty, an experienced Rhinoplasty Specialist needs to understand and examine the anatomy of the natural nasal tip. This means assessing how much cartilage can be removed and still leave a safe underlying amount. One of the limitations in Tip Correction is the thickness of the patient’s skin. The thicker the skin, the thicker the redrape will cover the new shape of the tip after surgery.

Types of tip rhinoplasty

There are different types of rhinoplasty tip correction. The type of tip treatment that a patient has to undergo will be determined depending on the strength of the cartilage found in their nasal tip. Here are the types of nasal tip treatment.

Cephalic Trim

Cephalic Trim has been common for quite some time now in the field of Rhinoplasty. Previously, surgeons tended to be a bit limited in adjusting the nasal tip cartilage. They observed that after the healing process the nose tended to acquire a leveled cartilage shape. Today, they are aware that leaving a sufficient amount of cartilage can give better structural support, even when factoring in any scar tissue growth.

Dome Binding Suturing

The process of this type of nasal tip correction includes the insertion of a suture below and on top of the tip. This process can create a better shape for the nose. Also in some known cases, this procedure can also pull the nasal tip cartilage downward which results in a less rounded and bulbous tip and create a more natural look between the nostrils.

Lower Lateral Crural Strut Graft (LLC Strut)

LLC Strut Graft is one of the most complex procedures in reducing the bulbous tip of the nose. It consists of the reorientation of the lower lateral crural which plays the primary purpose of how the nose will appear and how will it function. A convex LLC will result in a rounded nose,  a concave LLC will appear to be more pinched. Altering the shape of the lower lateral cartilage can greatly enhance the shape of the nasal tip. This is always discussed at your consultation with your Surgeon.

Lower Lateral Overlay

This involves the “shaving” of the LLC across its small axis. The skin beneath the lining will be separated from the lower lateral crural for a short distance and the cartilage will lie on top of each other. Again, this may sound quite technical but is a technique performed by the most experienced Rhinoplasty surgeons.

Tip Defatting

Tip defatting (if applicable) is the more traditional method of dealing with a bulbous tip. Tip correction like this is usually done with people who have too much fibro-fatty tissue found on the tip of their nose.

The above techniques are always considered by a Consultant Rhinoplasty surgeon, who not only has an understanding of tip Rhinoplasty correction but also performs them regularly (weekly to monthly basis).

Though the techniques do sound complex to read, a consultation with a renowned rhinoplasty surgeon will explain clearly the techniques best to achieve your rhinoplasty tip correction results.

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Sanjay Rai

Sanjay is a Senior Clinical Member at Berkeley Square Medical carrying over a decade of experience. He has assisted over 1500 surgeries carried out at the hospital supporting patients both pre and post-surgery throughout their treatment journeys. This article was written with the contribution of Dr Taimur Shoaib, our Consultant Plastic Surgeon.

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