How do I remove a bump on the nose?
When you look at your face in the mirror or at portraits of yourself, you see only one thing: that bump on your nose. Whatever its origin, there are various techniques available to eliminate your nasal hump and restore a harmonious line to your profile. For slight humps, hyaluronic acid injections can be performed. For more prominent humps, you should consider aesthetic nose surgery. The surgeons at Clinique du Lac explain what rhinoplasty entails.
Why do you have a bump on your nose?
Viewed from the side, your nose forms a more or less regular ridge: what you call a hump is a convexity placed more or less high up on the bridge of your nose. The hump may concern the upper part of the nose (bony structure), the lower part (cartilaginous structure) or both. In both men and women, a humped nose can have different origins:
- The hump may be a congenital deformity of the bones (natural kyphosis) or of the cartilage.
- A lump can also appear following trauma or shock.
What is a medical rhinoplasty?
Medical rhinoplasty is a non-surgical technique that reshapes the nose through injections of hyaluronic acid performed in the office. It's a fast, non-invasive method for correcting nasal defects, such as a small bump on the bridge of the nose.
Hyaluronic acid is a filler that the doctor injects on either side of the bump to reduce its pronounced appearance. The result is immediate and very natural, but the correction does not last, as the product is resorbable.
Medical rhinoplasty by injection is a solution reserved for small noses (injections increase the volume of the nose) and minor imperfections. It can also be performed on the forehead or chin to enhance the overall profile.
How does a surgical rhinoplasty work?
Surgical rhinoplasty restores a harmonious line to the bridge of the nose by removing the hump. The operation is performed under anesthesia and requires a short hospital stay.
Surgical rhinoplasty, a complex procedure
Depending on the type of bump, the surgeon will choose an operating technique, using either conventional instruments (hammer, chisel and rasp) or miniaturized instruments that vibrate with ultrasound. In most cases, the hump involves the bone and cartilage of your nose, so the osteo-cartilaginous structure needs to be reconstructed.
Rhinoplasty can be performed either open or closed. In the first case, the surgeon operates "blindly" through incisions inside the nose or at the base of the wings. There is no external scarring. In the second case, the surgeon operates "in sight", with direct access to the hump of your nose.
This latter solution is preferred when additional surgical procedures are required (e.g. reduction of the drooping nasal tip or nostrils), or when the surgeon operates using the ultrasonic method.
What happens after rhinoplasty?
The patient leaves the clinic in a splint or plaster cast, which is removed after eight days. Swelling and haematomas appear under the eyes, and the nose is congested for a few days. You'll need to rest for a good week, and avoid violent sports, smoking and sun exposure for a month.
Post-operative consultations allow you to monitor healing, tissue and skin remodeling, and evaluate the new contours of your nose. Final results can only be appreciated after 6 months, and usually between 12 and 18 months after the operation.
Contact the surgeons at Clinique du Lac to discuss the bump on your nose, and they'll answer all your questions about rhinoplasty and the results you can expect.