Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. There are so many characteristics of what a certain part of your face needs to be just to be considered beautiful. Our noses, as the centre of our face, play a huge part in making the face look polished, elegant, and clean. However, the notion of having a perfect nose is sometimes misunderstood, mainly because there are so many types of noses depending on the ethnicity and facial proportion that one person has. There are certain nasal imperfections though that are generic for all types of nasal profile – bulbous tip, nasal flaring, crooked nose, flat nose, wide nose, witch-like pointy nasal tip, among many others. There are many rhinoplasty approaches that can correct these flaws, and one of them is the rhinoplasty for tip of nose. Let us discover what tip plasty is, how it works, and what we can expect from this type of rhinoplasty for tip of nose.
Nose reshaping surgeries: What are they?
We all know that rhinoplasty is a cosmetic medical procedure that addresses the aesthetic and functional problems of the nose. This procedure often affects the whole nasal structures, including the skin, bones, cartilages, and blood vessels. Rhinoplasty can also be used as a collective term for different cosmetic medical procedures that improve and enhance the physical aspect of the nose. This may include tip plasty, alarplasty, alar lift, septorhinoplasty, or nasal bridge enhancement, among many others. We say that these are just some of the wide variety of nose reshaping surgeries because more and more techniques suddenly spring up and get used by cosmetic doctors in an attempt to address different nasal flaws that people complain about. Some doctors even brag or boast about being the pioneer of this technique or that just because they discovered the best way to address an imperfection of the nose.
Tip alarplasty or tip plasty: What it is all about
By the way, let us focus our attention on one particular nasal flaw, the bulbous tip. It is easier to concentrate on one nasal imperfection at a time because tackling a lot may complicate explanations and make the discussion more technical and vague than expected.
How does a bulbous tip look like?
Having a bulbous nasal tip particularly means your nose appears to have a wider nasal tip that is not proportional in width to the base of your nose. It looks as though the tip of your nose is a different or separated part of your nose, which makes so many people self-conscious and embarrassed. Having a bulbous tip may be caused by a poorly defined, hypertrophic nasal cartilage that creates the rounded or dome shape tip of the nose. Sometimes, the patient’s skin quality and thickness also affect how a nasal tip gets enlarged or overemphasised.
This problem does not have any effects on the function of the nose. This nasal issue is purely aesthetic in nature that a proper rhinoplasty may not be recommended by a doctor since the main concern is just the tip. Rhinoplasty for tip of nose may be too extreme, so doctors created a particular surgical procedure that could specifically address this nasal deformity. This is when tip plasty or tip alarplasty was developed.
Tip plasty may sound like a simple aesthetic for the nose, but actually, the procedure is quite complicated. Why? Because the cartilages and skin that need to be reshaped and manipulated would actually affect the rest of the other nasal structures. Despite this, a tip plasty can make a huge difference in how you look. As the nasal tip is the focal point of the face, it is extremely important for achieving an overall proportion and symmetry to the facial features. A broad or bulky nasal tip can obscure the other highlights of the face, making a person look dull and plain. However, a nasal tip that is too sharp and pointy, on the other hand, is often said to make a person look like a snob and unreliable.
A nasal tip that points down makes the person come across as adamant or unfriendly. Sometimes, a drooping nose can also cause difficulty in breathing.
The ideal nasal tip is slightly upturned, meaning not bulbous but not pointy at the same time.
Tip plasty is a surgical procedure which is specifically aimed at getting a better-looking nasal tip alone. Your rhinoplasty doctor aims to create a symmetrical nasal tip with the right amount of projection, rotation, and proportion of the tip to the other parts of the nose and face.
How is the tip plasty (rhinoplasty for tip of nose) procedure done?
The surgical procedure for tip plasty is similar to a standard rhinoplasty but, of course, is less extensive. As mentioned earlier, unlike a full-fledged rhinoplasty, this type of rhinoplasty for tip of nose is specifically aimed at reshaping the tip of the nose and does not aim to make any structural changes to the bone or the dorsal line. During the procedure, the cartilages in the nasal tip are re-positioned and reshaped depending on the nasal deformities of the patient. Here are some of the usual approaches rhinoplasty doctors use for tip plasty:
For a bulbous tip: In the case of a bulbous nose characterised by thick nasal skin and soft tissues, the procedure reduces the size of the nasal tip by removing excess soft tissue.
For a pointy nose tip: If the nose is too pointed or sharp, the rhinoplasty doctor will focus on adding some volume to the nasal tip. He can achieve this by augmenting cartilage taken from another part of the nose such as the septum or another part of the body such as the ears or the ribs. Ear cartilage is considered an ideal material for this type of tip plasty due to its soft and pliable nature similar to that of the nasal cartilage.
For an upwardly rotated or a drooping nose tip: In both these cases, the doctor might just choose to rotate the nasal tip (either upwards or downwards) to achieve the desired angle rather than actually reshaping the tip by adding or removing cartilage.
What to expect after the tip plasty
Length of the procedure. This rhinoplasty for tip of the nose can be expected to finish a lot quicker than a regular nose job , typically after at least 30 minutes.
Splints and dressing. Your doctor may still use splints to protect and support your newly-shaped nose.
Complications. Typical complaints patients have are similar to those given by patients who underwent rhinoplasty . However, the pain and discomfort, as well as the swelling may be lesser.
Scar formation. Scarring may be less visible because it would only require a very small incision in an area where people wouldn’t notice it. But if you are in need of ear cartilage, the ear where the cartilage has been harvested would have a small scar much like what you have on your nose.
Cost. The cost of getting a tip plasty would depend on the location where you would want to get it from, the expertise of the doctor, and the complexity of your nasal tip condition. It is still best to consult and discuss with your doctor all your concerns including your financial capacity so you both can create a treatment plan that would suit all your needs and preferences.