Will My Nose Continue to Grow After Rhinoplasty?
People have numerous questions about the results of their rhinoplasty in Pittsburgh. However, one of the most important questions is about the possibility of nose growth after a rhinoplasty. Your body continues changing with time for several factors, including age and weight fluctuations. Most people want their rhinoplasty results to last a lifetime, and most people don’t have to worry about the general structure changing. However, your nose shape may change for the following reasons.
Age
Ideally, cosmetic rhinoplasties should only be performed after the patient’s nose has reached maturation, i.e., it has stopped growing. The specific age that an individual’s nose reaches maturation differs for everyone. For girls, that age is usually around 14 or 15; for boys, that age is usually approximately 15 or 16.
As such, teenagers opting for rhinoplasty should be incredibly careful. The surgeon will assess the patient’s nose to determine if they should wait a few years for the surgery. If a teenager opts for a rhinoplasty too early, their nose might continue growing, leading to unwanted cosmetic results.
It’s worth noting that the nose only reaches 90% maturity during the teenage years. Minor changes may continue happening well into the patient’s 20s. Even if the patient opts for rhinoplasty after 16 or 17, they may notice minor changes over time. However, at that stage, the changes are minor and barely noticeable.
Cartilage Changes
Another point worth mentioning is that parts of your nose continue growing throughout your life. Your bone stops growing after maturity. But the cartilage may continue growing and changing throughout your life. The cartilage is a flexible connective tissue — more complex than the soft tissues and skin, but not as hard as the bone.
The nose is made almost entirely of cartilages rather than bone. As such, even though you won’t notice significant changes after the rhinoplasty, you might see small and barely-perceptible changes over extended periods, like years and decades, due to cartilage changes. However, age-related cartilage growth occurs over several decades, so you don’t need to worry about those changes.
Unforeseen Changes
Although rhinoplasties are supposed to be permanent, the results might change over extended periods because of unforeseen circumstances. Accidents, injuries, illnesses, surgeries, and other unexpected incidents can change your nose shape. However, that’s true for all surgeries — no one can predict or prevent changes caused by unforeseen circumstances.
Final Note
When they talk about nose growth after the rhinoplasty, most people refer to the gradual and inevitable changes in cartilage. The rhinoplasty involves removing parts of the bone, cartilage, and soft tissues from your nose. The bone doesn’t grow after maturity, but the cartilage continues growing for the rest of your life. As such, over several years and decades, your nose will appear larger than it was during the surgery, and that’s inevitable. However, you don’t have to worry about this for several decades.
To ensure optimal results that don’t reverse or necessitate a revision, you must choose a reputable facial plastic surgeon with a strong track record of rhinoplasties. Please schedule your rhinoplasty consultation with Dr. Paul Leong today.