Nostril lowering done with ear cartilage — how long can it still be removed? The meaning of the 6-month mark

2024. 10. 17.

If considering removal after nostril lowering grafting ear cartilage and ear skin together — the graft method and adhesion·skin state get checked rather than a fixed month count. Why removal risks and the cause of a blunt-looking tip must be viewed separately.

Key points

Nostril lowering is sometimes performed as a composite graft transplanting ear cartilage and ear skin together.
Removable timing and scope vary by grafted tissue, adhesion, and skin state — 6 months isn't a uniform deadline.
Still, a blunt-looking tip may not be caused by the nostril lowering — the order is checking the current nose shape first with the operating surgeon.

"A month ago I had nose revision along with surgery adding cartilage to my nostrils — I looked it up and it's called nostril lowering. The nostrils got a bit more covered, but my tip turned oddly blunt and lost its definition, looking bulbous. When should the ear cartilage be removed?"

This is a question that came into KOWON Plastic Surgery. The first surgery was 4 years ago; in this revision, while the bridge and tip were being adjusted, nostril cartilage grafting was recommended together because the nostrils showed slightly frontally. A month on, touching the tip feels not like swelling but thick cartilage — and cases found online give removal timing all over the place (3 weeks, 2 months, later), deepening confusion.

Does nostril lowering only transplant ear cartilage?

Nostril lowering is sometimes performed as a composite graft transplanting ear cartilage and ear skin at once. The fact that not just cartilage but skin is transplanted and adheres becomes an important factor when judging removal timing.

Why is 6 months cited as the reference?

In such cases, ear-cartilage removal is sometimes reviewed after time passes. But removal scope and outcome differ by the adhesion level of the grafted skin and cartilage and by wound state.

So rather than dividing it as safe before 6 months and too late after, a plan must be made by checking surgical records and current tissue state at the point removal is being considered.

Timing	What's considered
Early post-surgery	Wound recovery, graft method, and any early complications get checked first
After time passes	Adhesion·skin·cartilage state get examined directly to set removal scope and risks

What else must be accepted alongside removal?

What needs considering after removal isn't only the nostril shape returning to before.

Possibility of inflammation
Nostril asymmetry

These two get checked together.

Is the blunt tip also from the nostril lowering?

That's hard to conclude. The tip looking blunt now may not be because of the nostril-lowering surgery — because if the bridge and tip were adjusted together in the same revision, the tip shape involves more than one factor.

So removal timing and the current nose shape need an order of detailed consultation with the surgeon who operated. What gets checked when viewing tip shape can be seen together in the tip surgery guide.

Summary — separating timing from cause

If considering removal after ear-cartilage nostril lowering, two things need organizing. One is the graft method and current adhesion·skin state. The other is cause — a blunt-looking tip now may not be from the nostril lowering, so surgical records and the current nose shape must be checked together.

If you want your current state viewed from another angle, a 1:1 video consultation is available.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions patients ask before a consultation.

Online cases give different removal timing — what should be the reference?

Graft methods and adhesion levels may differ. Don't apply a specific timing from the internet as-is — judge by surgical records and current state.

Swelling still remains — can I judge now?

During a period with remaining swelling, whether the current shape is from swelling or structure — and whether there's a medical reason to hurry removal — must be checked together with the operating surgeon.

Will the nostrils return to original after removal?

Beyond the nostril shape returning to before, things like inflammation possibility and nostril asymmetry get considered together.

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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