Nose tip surgery is the most challenging aspect of rhinoplasty. The cartilaginous skeleton (wing cartilage) supports the tip and gives it stability. Depending on the case, surgical remodeling may involve changes in the size, projection, and shape of the wing cartilages, their mutual relationship and the harmony with the surrounding structures. The soft covering tissues of the tip (skin and subcutaneous tissues), with their many individual variations, will have a significant influence on the final result. Thin cartilages and a thick, seborrheic, scarcely elastic skin will make it arduous to achieve a tiny and well-defined tip.
The experienced surgeon will have to find the best balance among the various anatomical elements of the tip, avoiding unsightly surgical stigmata (excessive rotation of the nose, lifting of the edge of the wings, pinching, and striking asymmetries of the tip).
