There are a few potential reasons why your nose may appear to be getting bigger as you age:
The nose continues to grow as you age
It’s true that the nose is made mostly of cartilage, which continues to grow and elongate as you get older. The cartilage in your nose contains connective tissues that contain collagen and elastin. As you age, cartilage growth slows and collagen and elastin levels start to diminish. This causes the cartilage in your nose to weaken over time, allowing the nose to droop and extend further away from your face. This makes your nose appear larger.
The nose skin becomes looser
As you age, your skin loses elasticity and collagen, causing it to become looser and thinner. The skin of your nose is no exception. Thinner, looser skin has less structural support, so your nose begins to droop and stretch. This exacerbates the apparent growth of your nose.
Facial fat pad atrophy
Facial fat pads help provide shape and structure to your mid-face. As you age, these fat pads atrophy and shrink, causing a loss of support to your nasal foundation. This allows your nose to protrude more, making it look larger.
Tooth loss
Your upper teeth and gums help support the structure of your mid-face too. When you lose teeth, your upper jaw shrinks back. This reduces support to your nose structure and allows your nose to look bigger.
Other factors
Some other reasons your nose may appear to get bigger with age include:
- Weight loss – Losing facial fat can reduce mid-face support
- Chronic nasal congestion – Can gradually elongate the nose
- Genetics – Structural features you inherit may become more pronounced
- Sun damage – Can cause skin laxity and collagen breakdown
Is my nose really getting bigger?
While your nose may look bigger as you get older, it’s not actually growing in size significantly. The apparent growth is an optical illusion caused by factors like loosening skin, loss of facial fat, and cartilage weakening. Your nose extends out further as structural support diminishes with age.
Can I stop my nose from getting bigger?
Unfortunately, your nose changing shape as you age is a natural process that can’t be completely prevented. However, some measures you can take to help maintain the structure and shape of your nose include:
- Moisturize skin – Hydrating nasal skin may minimize drooping
- Protect from sun – Prevent UV damage and collagen breakdown
- Quit smoking – Smoking accelerates aging effects on skin and cartilage
- Healthy diet – Proper nutrition maintains skin, cartilage, and bone strength
- Nasal strips – Can provide external support to lift a drooping nose tip
- Rhinoplasty – Surgery can reshape and reconstruct a drooping nose
When to see a doctor
Consult with your doctor or a plastic surgeon if your growing nose significantly bothers you aesthetically or functionally. An expert assessment can determine if cosmetic rhinoplasty or other options may help restore a more youthful nose contour.
Conclusion
As you get older, it’s common for your nose to appear larger due to weakening cartilage, loose skin, and loss of structural facial fat. While you can’t stop this process entirely, measures like skin care, sun protection, proper nutrition, and avoiding smoking can help maintain your nose shape. See a doctor if your nose growth is bothering you – options like rhinoplasty may be considered to restore a more youthful nose contour.