What Is A Crooked Nose?

It’s quite common for people to have a bent or contorted nose – also known as a crooked nose. Depending on the underlying cause, the degree of “crookedness” can vary from mild to severe.  

This, of course, makes many people worry about their nose’s appearance. Having a crooked nose can make them feel more self-conscious, affecting their self-esteem. 

Keep in mind that the nose is in the central region of the face. Additionally, it protrudes more significantly than the surrounding facial features. As a result, the shape of your nose will affect others’ first impressions of you.

Unfortunately, a crooked nose doesn’t just affect the aesthetics of the face. Furthermore, it can cause serious functional issues that can negatively impact your overall health. For this reason, many people look for surgical and non-surgical ways to fix their crooked noses.

What Is A Crooked Nose? 

The human nose falls on the midline of the face. However, if it shifts out of its normal position, it appears crooked (or bent out of shape).

It should be noted that nasal crookedness cannot be attributed to just one structure in the nose. While a deviated septum commonly leads to an asymmetric nose, it can also happen due to problems in the: 

• Bony pyramid of the nose 
• Upper lateral cartilages 
• Lower lateral cartilages 

In all these instances, the nose becomes off-centre. However, its function can also change along with its appearance. For instance, many people with crooked noses also have: 

• Breathing difficulties
• Blocked nasal passages
• Headaches 
• Weakened nasal valves  
• Frequent nosebleeds
• Repeated sinus infections 

Therefore, surgery for a crooked nose can sometimes become a “medical necessity.” 

What Are The Causes Of A Crooked Nose?

You can have a crooked nose due to one or more of the following: 

Fractures 

According to a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, most fractures in the face occur in the nasal bones. And fractures very commonly leave the nose crooked. 

These injuries can also result in indentations and irregularities on the nose, according to Medscape. That, in turn, can make the nose look even more crooked. 

For instance, the American actor Owen Wilson has a noticeable depression on one side of his nose, making it look quite crooked. 

Traumatic injuries from contact sports or accidents also commonly lead to nose fractures, which end up making the nose asymmetrical. 

Keep in mind that after an injury, your nose needs to be fixed within 1-2 weeks. If it’s any later than that, your nose will start to heal even though the underlying structures are out of place. So, the nose can end up healing crooked. 

This can happen in the case of childhood injuries. After they’ve grown up, people assume that the crookedness is genetic, but it might have resulted from the nose healing (in their childhood) while it was crooked. 

Congenital Abnormalities 

A child can also be born with a crooked nose. Nasal deformities in children can be a result of: 

• Nasal bone hypoplasia
• Binder syndrome
• Nasal glioma 
• Intranasal Meningocele 
• Nasal duplication
• Nasal cleft 
• In-utero pressure 
• Pressure during birth 

According to the study published in the Egyptian Journal of Ear, Nose, Throat and Allied Sciences, nasal septal deformities can affect as many as 1.25% to 23% of babies. 

Deviated Septum

The nasal septum refers to the wall of bone and cartilage that separates the two nostrils. The deviation of the septum also commonly leaves the nose crooked.

According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, a deviated septum is one of the most common nasal deformities that affects as many as 70% to 80% of people. 

There are different reasons why this can develop. You may be born with it or have it after an injury. Moreover, a connective tissue disease can also cause a deviated septum. 

A deviated septum won’t just make the nose crooked. It can also cause many functional problems like that with breathing, sleeping, etc. 

Drug Abuse 

The snorting of different drugs, like cocaine, can also cause structural damage to the nose. Other than affecting the mucous membrane, drugs also reduce the flow of blood to the nose. 

As a result, you can end up with a perforation of the nasal septum. Eventually, it can lead to the collapse of the entire nose, which can leave it deformed. 

Others 

There are some other things as well that can bend your nose. It could be due to: 

• Tumour 
• Infections 
• Immune disorders

Nose surgery also carries the risk of leaving a nose crooked. For instance, sometimes, the nasal structure simply forces the nose to become slightly deviated even after a rhinoplasty.

Sometimes, it can happen due to negligence in aftercare. Like if you wear heavy glasses after your rhinoplasty, the pressure from their frame can also damage the new results. 

Other than that, some people worry that sleeping on the side of the face can make it crooked. However, it’s unlikely to do that. 

The nose becomes crooked when its structure and anatomy are affected. 

Myths About Fixing A Crooked Nose

There are some DIY devices and facial exercises that claim to straighten the nose. However, they’re unlikely to help you. 

Myth #1: Exercise Helps Make Your Nose Straighter

There are many web tutorials for straightening a crooked nose through simple facial exercises. 

It is believed that they can actually help because working out the muscles in the nose can change the shape. 

Now, while there are muscles in the nose, “exercising” them by pulling, pushing, or stretching them is unlikely to help. There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that it helps. 

Nasal deformities can result from problems in the bone and cartilage inside your nose. And any kind of “exercises” are not going to fix the problem. 

Myth #2: Nose Shapers Can Straighten The Nose 

Nose shapers are devices that are clipped onto the nose to make the “slimmer” and “straighter.”  

You just need to clip these on your nose for 10-30 minutes while you’re relaxing. Meanwhile, the forces from the pads of the nose shaper will get your nose in line (literally).

For one, these devices don’t have any scientific backing. Secondly, the way they’re supposed to work doesn’t work. 

Some people even warn against using these devices, saying they can damage the nose instead.

What Surgery Is Available To Straighten A Crooked Nose?

If you’re wondering how to fix a crooked nose permanently, you can consider undergoing rhinoplasty and/or septoplasty. 

Rhinoplasty

Surgical rhinoplasty is a popular crooked nose surgery. It can remove and/or reshape the bone and cartilage inside the nose to change how it looks. Grafts may also be used for this.

While there are two different surgical techniques (open and closed), the surgeon will decide which you need depending on the affected area. 

Septolasty

Septoplasty is the surgery to fix a deviated septum (and the crookedness resulting from it). In this too, the bones and cartilage of the nose are readjusted so that the septum can be straightened. This surgery can address your breathing problems.

Keep in mind that it is possible for you to combine septoplasty with rhinoplasty. It is known as septorhinoplasty. 

Can A Crooked Nose Be Fixed Without Surgery? 

It’s possible to fix a crooked nose without surgery as well. For that, you can consider the following: 

Non-Surgical Nose Job 

If you’re looking for a more short-term solution for a crooked nose, you can also consider getting a non-surgical nose job. 

Also known as liquid rhinoplasty, it uses dermal fillers to reshape the nose. Injected in the right places, it can even make a crooked nose look straighter.

The results are immediately noticeable, and they can last anywhere from 6 to 12 months.  

Contouring 

Makeup can temporarily camouflage your crooked nose as well. While there are countless tutorials by makeup artists, you essentially have to draw two straight lines on the sides of the nose bridge (using a dark shade). 

You have to be careful about making them very straight, as that will create the right effect. After that, you highlight the central bridge of the nose. Blend, and you’ll have a relatively straighter-looking nose. 

Straighten Your Crooked Nose With Longevita

Longevita offers surgical and non-surgical nose jobs in both Istanbul and London.

Our licensed specialists have years of experience in performing these procedures, so you can rely on them to get the best results. They also operate in state-of-the-art facilities where you’ll get the highest quality of patient care. 

If you have any questions or would like a free customised treatment plan from our specialists, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts.

Reviewed and Approved by Prof Dr Fuat Yuksel

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