Rhinoplasty stiff tip
Nasal tip stiffness will improve but likely not completely resolve following rhinoplasty
Nasal tip stiffness will improve but likely not completely resolve following rhinoplasty. Your Facial Plastic Surgeon will often place a robust columella strut to prevent drooping of the tip following surgery.
This cartilage survives for the long-term and can result in a tip that is stronger and more rigid than before surgery. Ths can be compounded by the numbness that patients experience following external rhinoplasty which can last up to 12 months. (Stephen Weber, MD, FACS, Denver Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Tip Stiffness after Rhinoplasty
In most cases after rhinoplasty your nose is stiffer and stronger than before surgery due to the grafts that give your nose support and shape.
Most surgeons wait until one year after surgery before analyzing the final result so at six months, you should not be worried.
Thick skin does take longer to resolve tip edema and the steroid shots you received should help. Be patient for the next 6 months to allow your body to heal. (Kristin Egan, MD, Manhattan Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Columella Stiffness
The columella will not return to its pre-surgical feel. The reason the graft initially was placed was to add support and stiffness to the nasal tip.
Rhinoplasty stiff tip after surgery
Over time, the tip does soften a bit. If you are unhappy with having such a stiff tip, there are some very simple ways to fix this problem.
Have a chat with your surgeon and discuss some of these options. (Joseph Campanelli, MD, Minneapolis Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Stiff Tip After Rhinoplasty
It is not unusual to have a stiff nasal tip and columella 6 months after rhinoplasty. Placement of columella strut enhances postoperative swelling and may prolong firmness in the area. While the upper nose skin can be soft and mobile in a few months, it can take a year or two for the skin to get to its ultimate softness in the lower part of the nose. This is different than a palpable strut. If you are feeling the strut, this will not improve without surgery. Be certain to check in with you surgeon if you have any concerns. They will be able to answer more thoroughly. (Joseph Mele, MD, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon)
Tip stiffness after a columellar graft
Nose job stiff tip
The softness in the tip will return unless grafting has been placed where it is visible. The columellar strut is designed to help adjust the support and projection of the tip. Depending on how it is shaped, the columella can be wider and stiffer than before. If it does not soften in say, six more months it may need to be revised or removed altogether. (Peter E. Johnson, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
Columellar stiffness with a cartIlage strut after rhinoPlasty.
It depends on how it was done as to how fast it will soften. if it does not change in afew months you should see an experienced revision rhinoplasty surgeon. (Toby Mayer, MD, Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Will Columella Stiffness Resolve After Rhinoplasty?
After rhinoplasty stiff tip
With columella cartilage graft also known as strut graft, there will be some stiffness which is permanent. This graft maintain the position of the lower part of nose intact thus avoiding columella show. (Mohsen Tavoussi, MD, DO, Huntington Beach Facial Plastic Surgeon)
Columellar Strut
I agree with the other doctors as well. Swelling in this area is notorious for taking its time. That being said, though, a strut may always feel a bit stiffer than it did before any surgery.
Since the strut is typically from septal cartilage it wont bend as easily, which is the idea. I would give it 6 more months and see how it goes. (C. Coleman Brown, MD, FACS, Bethesda Plastic Surgeon)
Sometimes it can take up to a year or longer for the tip to soften up and feel normal again especially if you have thick skin. I would continue to be patient for now. (David E. Kim, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)