What’s The Average Nose Size?

There is no such thing as an ideal nose; what is perceived as beautiful will vary depending on the individual, their gender, their physical attributes, their age and their ethnic and cultural background. For that reason, it’s impossible to talk about an ideal nose! Dr. Siegel delivers beautiful results to each of his patients after an extensive discussion about what the patient envisions as “ideal”. This is based on the aforementioned factors, but also depends on whether the goal is surgically achievable, taking into account the particular constraints and limitations based on each person’s anatomical variants.

Note: If you’re in the Houston area – or willing to travel – Dr. Michel Siegel can help you get the nose you’ve always wanted.

All Noses, Great & Small

Nose size is determined by the proportion of cartilage and bone that each person has. These two factors can vary considerably from person to person, and for that reason, the surgeon must have extensive experience with rhinoplasty surgery in order to properly alter cartilage, bone or both, thereby achieving a balanced result after surgery. The width, or thickness, of a person’s nose depends among other things on the thickness of their skin. Skin thickness is assessed on a scale, with “thinnest” at one end and “thickest” at the other end and many other degrees of thickness in between. It’s absolutely vital to take into account a person’s skin thickness, as this is the only relevant anatomical detail that cannot be changed. When skin thickness has been properly assessed, the surgeon should tailor their next steps in order to accomplish the desired result.

A proficient and experienced facial plastic surgeon like Dr. Siegel will consider these anatomical factors, as well as the individual characteristics and desired outcomes of each patient, in order to deliver harmonious results for each patient.

Some surgeons—particularly if they are not rhinoplasty experts—have a sort of “one-size-fits-all” philosophy. This means that they’ve come up with the blueprint for a perfect nose, and apply this template to everyone, regardless of the unique needs of their face. But a perfect blueprint does not translate to beautiful noses for each patient.

In reality, it takes a lot of aesthetic sense, and years of rhinoplasty experience to work out the best possible size and shape for your nose. It also requires a knowledge of the normal variations between ethnic groups and their anatomy, so that the individual differences can be accounted for. An experienced rhinoplasty specialist will have a thorough understanding of the ideal ratios and angles of a given individual’s nose, and will be able to spot when these are slightly out of kilter.

Common Concerns

There are a number of departures from the “ideal” nose that are commonly referred to facial plastic surgeons. Most of these can be fixed with cosmetic procedures:

• Nose Humps– One of the more common reasons for surgery. Can be corrected with reduction rhinoplasty.
• Shallow Radix – This is the opposite problem to the one above. Instead of a cartilaginous hump, the upper portion of the nose has less cartilage than desired. Augmentation rhinoplasty can fix this.
• Crooked Nose – This can be straightened by performing special cartilage maneuvers, shifting or adding cartilage in specific areas of the tissue.
• Wide Nose– If your nose is too wide for your face, this can also be fixed through surgery.
• Flared Nostrils – Another common complaint, flared nostrils can be reduced by what is known as an “alar adjustment”, in which the nostril height is made shorter.
• Over/Under projected Tip – If our nose protrudes too far from our face (or not far enough), it can make us unhappy with our side profile. This can be fixed through reduction or augmentation respectively. Bulbous tips can also be made more streamlined, so the tip of the nose appears less round.
• Deviated Septum – This is a structural issue in which the septum (the tissue that separates your nostrils) is twisted to one side, or is blocking the airflow in some other way. A deviated septum can be fixed by removal or realignment of tissue, letting you breathe easily at long last.

Dr. Michel Siegel is a top facial surgeon in Houston, specializing in rhinoplasty. If you’re in Houston or willing to travel here, Dr. Siegel can help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted to see in the mirror. Contact our office today.