What Is The Nasal Hump?

What Is The Hump on The Nose?

The area on the nose that many patients have concerns about is the “hump”.  The hump can detract from the face as it can draw attention away from the eyes.  I believe the eyes should be the centerpiece of the face because it can express up to 80% of non-verbal communication.  As a Charlotte rhinoplasty specialist, my goal is to create a nose that “fits” the face and allows people to focus on your eyes.  Sometimes a nasal hump needs to be reduced, removed, or hidden to create a harmonious nose.

There are common misconceptions about what creates the hump.  Is the hump made of bone, cartilage, or is there even a hump at all?  Medically, this is called a pseudohump.  To understand what creates a hump, a patient must understand the supporting structure of the nose.  The nose is composed of bone, cartilage, and skin.  The bone and cartilage create a strong foundation and the skin wraps around it.  The hump is commonly where the bone and cartilage meet on the dorsum. 

If a patient has a true hump, bone and cartilage both have to be removed to make the hump smaller or disappear.  Depending on the patient, the hump may be more bony or more cartilaginous.  In many ethnic patients, there is a desire to keep a small hump to preserve their natural beauty.

A pseudohump is when the starting point of the nose between the eyes is very deep and gives the appearance of a hump.  This hump is an illusion because the problem is the deep set starting point of the nose.   In this situation, if the hump was removed, it would create a short unnatural appearing nose.  In this situation, building up the deep the starting point will create the most naturally appearing nose during a rhinoplasty in Charlotte.