If your tip feels collapsed 1.5 years after surgery — confirming the cause, timing, and a thread-lift case

2025. 11. 11.

An answer to the question of a tip feeling collapsed and flattened 1.5 years after septal tip surgery with a silicone bridge. Possible causes like cartilage splaying, when revision becomes possible, and a case of thread removal·revision after thread lifting.

Key points

If your tip feels lowered or splayed after surgery, it could be splayed cartilage — or other causes like tissue change or absorption — the exact cause must be confirmed through direct examination.
1.5 years post-surgery is past the general minimum recovery period — but revision timing gets set after confirming current tissue and inflammation status.
If cartilage really has splayed and the tip lowered, correction proceeds by re-approximating the tip cartilages through open approach.

"I had tip surgery with septal cartilage and silicone in the bridge — and about 1.5 years on, the tip feels slightly collapsed. It's not turned red, but there's a roundish darkened area like discoloration, and when I touch it, a part that should be convex feels flattened. Did the cartilage splay? If I get revision, can it be 3 months from now? I also feel something moving when I touch the tip — if the cartilage separated, can that be corrected?"

Since the nose sits at the face's center and shapes overall impression, a tip lowering or shape changing over time brings revision to mind. Cases of septal cartilage deforming or the tip flattening after silicone insertion are surprisingly common. This article organizes the answer to the question above, plus a case where thread lifting led to revision.

The tip feels lower and flattened — what causes come to mind?

If, like the symptoms described, your tip feels lowered or splayed after surgery, it could be splayed cartilage — or other causes like tissue change or absorption.

What matters here is that which one it is can't be concluded from feel alone. The exact cause must be confirmed through direct examination — and the surgical method differs by cause.

When can revision start?

1.5 years post-surgery is generally past the minimum recovery period. Still, whether it can proceed right away must be decided after directly confirming current tissue state, inflammation·scarring status, and the correction scope needed.

If cartilage really has splayed and the tip lowered, revision corrects by entering through open approach and re-approximating the tip cartilages. Since revision hinges on reorganizing the tip structure and stabilizing the shape, proceeding through thorough consultation is advisable. Pre-revision checklist items are organized in the revision guide.

How is it different when the tip was lifted with threads?

Many choose procedures like Misko threads, dissolvable threads, or fillers first out of fear of surgery. These allow immediate change but can't correct structure — so when satisfaction drops over time, many end up looking into revision.

What to keep in check with thread-lift tip raising is as follows.

Barbed threads raise the tip somewhat but leave the dorsum as is — which can look unnatural overall.
Filler sometimes gets added to compensate, but its duration is short and it can't build a dimensional bridge.
Barbed threads are demanding to remove, requiring refined technique — and only after thread removal can actual surgery proceed. This process burdens inner nasal tissue, needing careful approach, and high difficulty can mean cost burden too.

In a real case, before thread removal the tip had sunk and the dorsum was low, making the whole line unnatural — and in photos taken from below, what looked like threads bunched at the tip was visible. After thread removal, tip raising proceeded using septal cartilage, and at 2 weeks post-surgery the line showed a stabilized appearance. Whether your state needs thread removal can be seen in detail in the thread removal guide.

Summary — confirming the cause is where revision planning starts

Tip collapse 1.5 years after surgery could be cartilage splaying — or tissue change·absorption. Since correction method differs by cause, confirming your state through direct examination comes before concluding from feel alone. If there's a procedure history like thread lifting, planning must include thread removal. If curious which case your current state falls under, it can be checked in a 1:1 video consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions patients ask before a consultation.

If something feels mobile when I touch the tip, has the cartilage separated?

It could — but it can't be concluded. Besides splayed cartilage, other causes like tissue change or absorption exist, so direct examination is needed. If cartilage has splayed, correction by re-approximating the cartilages through open approach is possible.

Is there a mandatory waiting period before revision?

In this case, 1.5 years had already passed since the first surgery — so revision was immediately possible. If scheduling is tight, proceeding 3 months later is fine too. For different elapsed periods, judgment can vary by state — so confirming in consultation is good.

Can I try thread lifting 'as a trial before surgery'?

Many experience HiKo·Misko·Banco thread lifts that way — but the inside of the nose is among the most sensitive, narrow areas of the body. It looks simple on the outside, yet if thread removal becomes needed later it requires a considerably complex process — so thorough consultation and careful judgment before the procedure is needed.

Responses to treatment and recovery progress vary by individual. Outcomes and side effects vary from person to person. Bleeding, infection, swelling and asymmetry may occur. Please consult our medical team before making a decision.

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