Nose problems, explained
Start from what you see in the mirror. Each guide explains the cause, the treatment options, recovery and risks.
Most people who come for rhinoplasty in Dubai do not start with the name of an operation — they start with a problem: a bump on the bridge, a nose that leans to one side, a round or drooping tip, wide nostrils, or a nose that simply feels too big for the face. Many also have a blocked side or struggle to breathe through the nose at night.
Each nose problem has a different cause underneath. A crooked nose is usually a bent septum and off-centre nasal bones; a bulbous tip comes from the shape of the tip cartilages and the thickness of the skin; a saddle nose is a loss of support in the middle of the bridge. Understanding the cause is what decides the treatment — and whether surgery is needed at all.
The guides below are written for patients by Dr Sanjay Parashar, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Cocoona, Al Wasl Road, Dubai, who has performed more than 3,000 rhinoplasties. Each one covers a quick self-check, what can and cannot be changed, how the operation is done, typical recovery, risks and cost.
Crooked nose
A crooked or deviated nose that leans or twists — causes, breathing and straightening surgery.
Read02Nose hump
A bump on the bridge — bone, cartilage or both — and how it is smoothed.
Read03Big / large nose
A nose that feels too large for the face — reduced in proportion, not shrunk.
Read04Wide nose / nostrils
A broad bridge, tip or nostrils — narrowed where the width actually is.
Read05Flat / low bridge
A low or flat bridge — built up with your own cartilage or an implant.
Read06Bulbous / round tip
A round, wide or boxy tip — refined with sutures and support, not over-trimming.
Read07Droopy / hanging tip
A tip that hangs down or dips when you smile — lifted and supported.
Read08Long nose
A nose that is long from bridge to tip — shortened with care, never over-shortened.
Read09Uneven nostrils
Nostrils of different size, shape or height — corrected at the cause.
Read10Saddle nose
A dip or collapse in the bridge — support rebuilt, usually with cartilage.
Read11Breathing problems + shape
A blocked nose you'd also like to reshape — both fixed in one operation.
Read12Unhappy after previous surgery
Revision rhinoplasty — correcting shape or breathing after an earlier operation.
ReadAt a glance
- Crooked nose
- A crooked (deviated) nose leans away from the midline, usually from a bent septum and off-centre bones — straightened with septorhinoplasty, septum first.
- Nose hump
- A bump on the bridge made of bone, cartilage or both — lowered in stages and the bridge narrowed so it stays smooth from the side and the front.
- Big / large nose
- A nose that looks too large is reduced in proportion — hump, length, projection and width — while keeping support for breathing.
- Wide nose / nostrils
- Width can sit in the bridge, the tip or the nostrils — each narrowed separately, with nostril incisions kept inside the nostril where possible.
- Flat / low bridge
- A low or flat bridge is built up with your own cartilage or a silicone or Porex implant, usually with added tip support.
- Bulbous / round tip
- A round or boxy tip refined with sutures and support — plus soft-tissue (SMAS) trimming, alar fat removal and alar reduction when the skin and nostrils are thick.
- Droopy / hanging tip
- A tip that hangs down or dips when smiling is lifted and supported with a graft, and the muscle pulling it down released if needed.
- Long nose
- A long nose is shortened in small, measured steps — tip rotation, septal trimming and bridge balancing — without over-shortening.
- Uneven nostrils
- Nostrils of different size, shape or height are corrected at the cause — usually the septum, the tip cartilage or the nostril base.
- Saddle nose
- A dip or collapse in the bridge from lost septal support — the cause is checked first, then support is rebuilt, often with rib cartilage.
- Breathing problems + shape
- A blocked nose you'd also like to reshape — septum, valves and turbinates corrected with the shape in one operation, with ENT input when needed.
- Unhappy after previous surgery
- Unhappy after a previous nose operation — revision (secondary) rhinoplasty rebuilds support and corrects shape or breathing, usually after 12 months.
Not sure which problem describes your nose? Many noses have more than one — a hump with a drooping tip, or a crooked nose that also blocks breathing — and they are usually corrected in a single operation. Send three photos (front, left and right side) on WhatsApp for an initial opinion, or book a consultation.
Every nose is planned individually.
A consultation starts with your face, your breathing and what you want to change.