What Is a ‘Pig Nose’? Causes, Correction Methods, and Our Recommended Treatments

Many people are probably concerned about a “pig nose” — where the nostrils are noticeable like a pig’s nose. While cosmetic surgery is the most reliable way to improve a pig nose, what actually causes it in the first place? This article details the causes of a pig nose, common correction methods, and our recommended treatments.

What Is a “Pig Nose”?

A “pig nose” refers to a nose shape where the tip turns upward, making the nostrils noticeable when viewed from the front. As the name suggests, it’s called this because it resembles a pig’s nose. Because it’s a feature at the center of the face, even a small difference in shape can stand out, and many people feel it’s a complexity.

A pig nose tends to occur when the cartilage at the nose tip is small, or the part called the nasal septum is short. Actually, this bone-structure trait is commonly seen in Asians, including Japanese people, so not a few people have a pig nose.

There are also similar nose concerns, like a bulbous nose, a garlic-shaped nose, and a hooked nose, but each differs in shape and cause.

What Causes a Pig Nose?

Causes of a pig nose can include genetics, cosmetic surgery, and sleeping posture. Let’s introduce the specific causes in detail.

Genetics

One cause of a pig nose is genetics. Nose shape is a feature often inherited from family members like parents and grandparents. If your parents or siblings have a pig nose, there’s a good chance you’ll have a similar nose shape too. Visual traits, like constitution, are often inherited from blood relatives.

Also, cases like “my parents have tall, straight noses, but only I have a pig nose…” aren’t strange either, since it can be a trait inherited from grandparents through skipped-generation inheritance.

Furthermore, Asians, including Japanese people, tend to have smaller nasal cartilage and a shorter nasal septum compared to Westerners, which can also lead to a pig-nose shape. In other words, many people have a bone-structure trait that makes them “prone” to it.

Influence of Cosmetic Surgery

Sometimes, after receiving cosmetic surgery, a nose shape unintentionally resembling a pig nose results. What especially needs caution are prosthesis insertion to raise the nose bridge and surgery to adjust the nose-tip cartilage. If the nose tip turns unnaturally upward, or left-right balance is disrupted, emphasizing the nostrils, it can unintentionally give a pig-nose impression.

For those with naturally thin nasal skin, or depending on the shape of the bone and cartilage, the desired shape may not result after surgery. Also, since the shape can gradually change during the process of swelling going down, careful follow-up observation is important.

Cosmetic surgery is one means of resolving complexes, but to get closer to your ideal shape, proceeding while consulting with a trustworthy doctor is essential. Valuing a natural finish is also a point that leads to satisfaction.

Pressure from Sleeping Posture

Your usual sleeping posture may actually be affecting your nose shape. Those habitually sleeping face-down especially need to be cautious. Sleeping face-down presses your face into the pillow, placing prolonged pressure on your nose. Since the nose is made of cartilage and nasal bone, with some soft parts, continued strong pressure can change its shape.

Children in their growth period, and young people whose bone structure isn’t yet firmly set, are said to be especially prone to this influence. The nose tip can turn upward, resulting in what looks like a pig nose.

If you notice “my nose is a bit red when I wake up in the morning, or feels off,” that can be a sign that pressure was applied while sleeping. Try being mindful of sleeping on your back or side starting today.

Fat on the Nose

One reason a nose can look like a pig nose is fat accumulating around the nose. The area around the nostrils is especially prone to fat accumulation. Continued weight gain or a fat-heavy diet can make the area around the nose fuller along with the overall facial impression.

When fat accumulates around the nose, the nose tip can look rounder or wider, which is one factor making it look like a pig nose. Furthermore, since this makes the nostrils more noticeable, many people find it even more concerning.

Of course, constitution also plays a role, but reviewing your diet and providing care can offer some potential for improvement. If you eat a lot of snacks or sweets, reducing them slightly, or being mindful of a balanced diet, is also recommended.

Can a Pig Nose Be Improved Through Cosmetic Surgery?

Among those troubled by a pig nose, many probably feel “I want to make it less noticeable somehow” or “I want to refine the shape even a little.” For these concerns, modern cosmetic surgery offers various improvement methods. Among them, the three representative ones are nasal septum extension, ear cartilage transplantation, and dermal fat transplantation.
Each surgery is characterized by aiming for a more natural finish by utilizing your own tissue. Each method has its benefits and suitable indications, so it’s important to choose based on your ideal and constitution.

Nasal Septum Extension

Nasal septum extension is surgery that adds your own cartilage to the cartilage at the center of the nose, extending the nose tip downward. Since the nostrils become less noticeable and the impression when viewed from the front changes significantly, this method is often chosen by those concerned about a pig nose.

Since the transplanted cartilage is harvested from your own body, like the ear or rib, there’s low risk from foreign material, and a natural, safe finish can be expected. Also, since the nose bridge looks like it straightens more clearly, there’s the benefit of improving overall facial balance.

After surgery, swelling and puffiness can occur for about 1 to 2 weeks, but pain can be controlled with pain medication. Scars are also not very noticeable, and after time passes, they become concealable with makeup. Though there’s downtime, this is a surgery where the satisfaction gained exceeds it.

Ear Cartilage Transplantation

Ear cartilage transplantation is a method of extracting part of the ear’s cartilage and transplanting it to the nose tip. By giving the nose tip height and dimension, the nostrils become less noticeable, and the profile line (E-line) is also beautifully refined. This treatment suits those who want to ease the impression of a pig nose.

The appeal of this surgery is that using your own tissue reduces the risk of infection and deformation. The ear’s cartilage has just the right softness and elasticity, resulting in a nose tip with a natural roundness. Not having a foreign-body sensation like an artificial material is also a reassuring point.

Also, since the shape, amount, and even the angle of the cartilage can be finely adjusted to match the patient’s facial features and wishes, you can get closer to your ideal with a custom-made feel. The small scar left behind the ear is also hardly noticeable, as it’s hidden by hair.

Dermal Fat Transplantation

Dermal fat transplantation is surgery that harvests the dermis and fat together from beneath the skin and transplants it to the nose. It’s characterized by allowing fine adjustments, like adding height or adding a plump roundness, letting you aim for your ideal nose shape.

Compared to methods using only fat, transplanting the dermis along with it has the benefit of easier blood flow retention, making the transplanted tissue easier to settle in place. Furthermore, it can also be combined as a role that reduces the risk of thin skin during ear cartilage transplantation.

The harvest site is chosen from areas with sufficient fat, like the belly or thighs. Swelling and internal bleeding lasting about 1 to 2 weeks can be seen after surgery, but it’s said to rarely cause major disruption to daily life.

This is a perfect surgery for those who want a natural nose-tip refinement, or those who want to minimize the burden on their skin.

Before and After Pig-Nose Correction, KADOMORI’s Treatments Are Recommended!

A pig nose can be improved through cosmetic surgery, but if you’re actually considering surgery, please also consider KADOMORI’s treatments before and after. Receiving our salon’s treatment before and after cosmetic surgery is said to make it easier to achieve a more natural beauty. Here we introduce our recommended treatments.

Facial Correction Before and After Cosmetic Surgery

For those considering pig-nose surgery, or those who’ve already had the surgery and want to achieve an ideal finish, care before and after is very important. At KADOMORI, we propose facial correction and maintenance tailored to each individual’s face, from building the foundation before surgery to downtime support after surgery.

To draw out the effects of cosmetic surgery more naturally, adjusting the balance of the bone structure and muscles is also key. We value close, supportive care so you can receive cosmetic surgery with more peace of mind.

Post-Cosmetic-Surgery Maintenance

Before receiving cosmetic surgery, adjusting left-right facial differences and muscular habits is very important. Even after cosmetic surgery, if the foundation is distorted, it can affect the result. KADOMORI’s Facial Correction helps you get closer to your ideal finish by gently adjusting the balance of the facial bone structure.

It can also address concerns like “somehow my facial impression differs left to right…” Being in a regulated state before surgery lets the effects of cosmetic surgery stand out even more naturally and beautifully.

Troubled by a Pig Nose? Consult KADOMORI!

This article has detailed the causes of a pig nose, improvement methods through cosmetic surgery, and our recommended treatments. If you’re currently troubled by a pig nose, please consult KADOMORI. A pig nose can be significantly changed through cosmetic surgery, but when you receive cosmetic surgery, please also consider our salon’s treatments.