Q: I have a bulbous nose and want to reduce the size of my nose tip and maybe change its shape. I don’t wanna change anything of the nose bridge or the height of my nose tip though. What kind of operation would you recommend? Do I just need to cut some fat off the tip, or do I need to put anything inside my nose? How much would that cost? Also, I know the total heal takes a whole year, but how long would it take for me to just look “normal”, namely, not sallow or look like I’ve just been beaten?

A: It will be possible to achieve significant refinement to the tip of your nose using grafts fashioned from cartilage inside your nose (septum) and possibly one of your ears.  Simply “cutting fat” from the tip of the nose will not provide the structure and support your nose needs to show definition through your skin.  Sometimes removing tip cartilage alone in an attempt to refine the nose will cause the nose to appear more bulbous, due to the lack of support.

Most patients will take 10-14 days off of work or school.  After 4-6 weeks enough swelling will have resolved for your nose to start looking smaller and refined than it does now, and the majority of swelling will resolve in 3-6 months.