Crow's Beak Nose Following a Failed Rhinoplasty
The bec de corbin gets its name from a halberd-like weapon with a rounded, drooping end. Corbin means “crow” in Old French, meaning something with a rounded, drooping tip.
What is a raven’s beak nose?
A crow’s beak nose appears after a botched rhinoplasty . The tip of the nose appears rounded and drooping. There is normally a break between the ridge and the tip of the nose. Here, we notice a bump on the upper part of the tip of the nose. This bump is not natural, unlike people born with an atypical nasal tip . In this case, the drooping nose is due to excess cartilage.
What causes Corbin’s nose?
A crow’s nose is caused by the tip of the nose drooping after nose surgery. This happens when the surgeon removes too much bone or cartilage during the primary rhinoplasty. The nose is shorter, but the amount of skin on the nose is still the same, so the skin will accumulate and swell the nose. Similarly, because the skin is less taut, the tip of the nose may tend to droop. Excess skin can also come from poor healing of the soft tissues after the first operation.
Generally, failed rhinoplasties that cause Corbin’s nose are:
- Surgery to remove a bump on the nose
- Nose length narrowing surgery
In both cases, the skin of the nose will relax because there will be less structure (bone/cartilage) underneath. This type of failed rhinoplasty therefore affects more people with thick skin.
Secondary rhinoplasty of the Corbin nose
This type of corrective rhinoplasty is not performed before 1 year after the first operation. Indeed, the results of the primary rhinoplasty will evolve over a year, so do not rush to correct a crow’s beak nose. You must be sure that the edema due to the first operation has completely subsided. The skin can correct itself naturally with healing, especially in young people. The surgeon will sometimes perform a cortisone injection (anti-inflammatory) to reduce the volume of soft tissue and the creation of a scar crow’s beak.
Goals
The goal of secondary rhinoplasty is to correct mistakes made during the initial operation. This may concern the aesthetic appearance of the nose or its functionality. Indeed, some patients experience difficulty breathing through their nose after a botched rhinoplasty. The surgery will therefore aim to restore respiratory function.
The crow’s beak is one of the most commonly performed secondary rhinoplasties. It can be used to repair a nose that was too hollow during the resection of a hump or a nose that was too far back in a person with thick skin. Most often, the surgeon will use the open rhinoplasty method. It involves a small visible scar and a longer recovery time, but it allows the surgeon to work with great precision.
Methods
If you opt for a secondary rhinoplasty , the surgeon will choose one of the following methods:
- Rework the structure of the nasal cartilage. By performing resections (when the surgeon has cut too much bone in relation to the cartilage) and/or sutures of the cartilage. This will allow the surgeon to raise the tip of the nose and create a small break between the crest (dorsum) and the tip of the nose (lobule).
- Thin the skin of the nose
Secondary rhinoplasty is more technical and meticulous and is generally more expensive than primary rhinoplasty.
The medical rhinoplasty solution
Medical rhinoplasty is a non-surgical method that involves injecting hyaluronic acid under the skin to plump up an area. Since a nose has excess skin, the swelling will tighten the skin and correct any drooping nasal tip. This method is temporary, as the effects will naturally resolve after a year.
Want to simulate surgery on your nose?
Upload your profile photo and tell us what kind of changes you would like to see on your nose. We will send you a modified photo to show you what it could look like. You can then show the photo to your surgeon to ask if the operation is technically feasible and at what cost.