Aging of the Nose: A Quantitative Analysis of Nasal Soft Tissue and Bone on Computed Tomography

Morphologic and anatomical changes of the aging nose affect the surgical strategy of rhinoplasty in older patients, but age-related changes in noses have yet to be fully characterized. This study aimed to determine the evolution of nasal soft tissue and bone in aging noses using computed tomography.

Computed tomographic images of 200 Asian patients were included. The study population was divided into two groups according to age and sex: a younger group (20 to 35 years of age) and an older group (65 to 80 years of age). Measurements of nasal soft tissue and bone on computed tomography were performed using Osirix 9.0 software.

With regard to soft-tissue changes, the nasal skin and soft-tissue envelope thickness at rhinion, supratip, and nasal tip increased significantly with aging in both sexes. Increase of nasal depth and decrease of nasolabial angle were significant in both sexes. Nasal length and nasofrontal angle showed significant age-related increases in men; decrease of nasal tip angle and increase of pyramidal angle were significant in women. With regard to nasal bone changes, the bone length decreased significantly in women and the bone thickness decreased significantly in both sexes. Nasofrontal angle in men and pyramidal angle in women increased significantly.

These results suggest that the aging process leads to drooping of the nasal tip, thickened nasal skin and soft tissue, and resorption of the nasal bone, providing a reference for rhinoplasty in older patients.