Can Rhinoplasty Fix a Crooked Nose?

Dr. Nicholas Lahar

Jun 12, 2026

Crooked noses may be an issue from birth, or they can be caused by an accident or injury. No matter the cause of your crooked nose, rhinoplasty — also called nose surgery — could be the solution you’ve been looking for.

A longitudinal outcomes study published in PMC/PubMed found that approximately 90% of patients who underwent rhinoplasty to correct a crooked nose reported achieving a good or excellent postoperative result. Average patient satisfaction scores rose from 24.6 before surgery to 76.1 after surgery. It’s a statistically significant improvement that demonstrates the meaningful quality-of-life impact of this procedure.

Contents

1 How can Rhinoplasty fix a crooked nose?
2 What causes a crooked nose?
3 How can a deviated septum cause a crooked nose?
4 The challenge of Rhinoplasty for men and women with crooked noses
5 What to expect from Rhinoplasty surgery
6 What else can Rhinoplasty achieve?
7 FAQ
8 Schedule your Rhinoplasty consultation today
9 References

How can Rhinoplasty fix a crooked nose?

When a patient has a crooked nose, several different areas may be affected. Whether your crooked nose is due to an asymmetry in the bone near the upper part of the nose, unevenness of the upper or lower cartilage at the base or tip, or issues in multiple areas, rhinoplasty can almost certainly ameliorate the problem.

Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure that involves adjusting the underlying structure of the nose through the use of manual manipulation, cartilage grafting, and other techniques. The surgery requires general anesthesia and several weeks or more of recovery.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), rhinoplasty consistently ranks among the top facial cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the United States. Addressing nasal asymmetry and crookedness is one of the most common functional and aesthetic indications for the surgery.

Like tummy tucks and liposuction, the procedure itself is extremely common in the United States today. You may even know someone who has already had rhinoplasty, though they may not readily reveal the fact.

What causes a crooked nose?

Various situations may cause a person’s nose to appear crooked. These include:

A birth defect
Congenital condition
Past rhinoplasty
An injury or accident that caused a broken nose
A deviated septum

How can a deviated septum cause a crooked nose?

In some cases, a deviated septum may be causing your crooked or asymmetrical nose. This can happen when the septum, which is a thin wall of cartilage that divides the nasal cavity, becomes displaced.

However, septoplasty alone — when used to fix a deviated septum — will not entirely fix the aesthetics of a crooked nose. If both a person’s breathing and the improvement of their nose’s appearance are to be fixed, a septorhinoplasty (combination of septoplasty and rhinoplasty) should be performed.

A prospective study of 306 patients published in PubMed found that open-technique septorhinoplasty significantly improved both functional and aesthetic patient-reported outcomes across all validated questionnaire scales. It confirms that addressing both the functional and cosmetic components together leads to higher satisfaction than treating either component alone.

Septal deviation is one of the first things I assess during a crooked nose consultation, because it affects both the appearance and the function of the nose. Treating the aesthetics without addressing a deviated septum, or vice versa, leaves patients with an incomplete result. The combined approach is almost always the right one.

– Dr. Lahar

The challenge of Rhinoplasty for men and women with crooked noses

Rhinoplasty alone is often considered one of the most challenging forms of plastic surgery. And fixing a crooked nose can be exceedingly difficult.

One of the reasons for this is that crookedness of the nose may be isolated to the bones and cartilage in the nose, but it may also be a symptom of something structural in the face. If the face itself is not symmetrical, then the nose will indeed appear to drift to one side.

At your consultation appointment, Dr. Lahar will give you a brief physical examination to determine what exactly is causing your nose’s crookedness. The goal of your surgery will be to create a midline in your face that is in the true center.

Another challenge that. Dr. Lahar will be looking for the nose to drift back into a crooked position after surgery.

A surgical algorithm review of post-traumatic crooked nose cases published in PMC/PubMed notes that trauma-related nasal asymmetry may require more complex surgical techniques than non-traumatic crookedness. While satisfaction remains high when function and symmetry are restored, patients should be counseled about the potentially higher risk of revision surgery in complicated cases.

Crooked nose rhinoplasty is one of the procedures where I spend the most time in preoperative planning. The cartilage in a previously injured nose behaves differently than native cartilage, and accounting for scar tissue and the structural memory of the nose is part of getting a result that holds.

– Dr. Lahar

What to expect from Rhinoplasty surgery

Depending on what exactly you would like to treat with rhinoplasty surgery, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Most rhinoplastiesare performed on an outpatient basis, so you’ll go home on the same day as your procedure. General anesthesia is typically used.
There are two main types of rhinoplasty: open and closed. Open rhinoplasty requires a small incision to be made on the outside of the nose — on the columella (the small piece of skin that divides the nostrils. Closed rhinoplasty only requires incisions that are hidden inside the nose.

The Mayo Clinic advises that the choice between open and closed rhinoplasty depends on the extent of the changes needed, with open rhinoplasty generally preferred when significant structural modification is required. It provides the surgeon with complete access to the nasal framework.

Be prepared for the before and after rhinoplasty. This procedure requires a considerable amount of downtime during recovery. You need to take at least several weeks off from school or work, so plan accordingly.
A considerable amount of swelling will occur on and around the nose and sometimes on other parts of the face, such as under the eyes. You will need to wear bandages and a rhinoplasty splint after your procedure. Follow the recovery instructions from Dr. Lahar to minimize swelling and start seeing your results as soon as possible.

Cleveland Clinic notes that while most swelling resolves within a few weeks, subtle residual swelling can take up to one year to fully clear before the final shape of the nose is visible.

What else can Rhinoplasty achieve?

While crooked nose rhinoplasty is certainly the go-to surgery when someone’s nose is asymmetrical, the procedure can also fix many other aesthetic and functional issues related to the nose.

For example, those who would like to make their noses bigger, smaller, straighter, or thinner can usually turn to rhinoplasty to achieve these goals. Fixing a bump in the nose is commonly done with rhinoplasty as well. And lastly, another common feature that patients may want to fix is an overly bulbous nasal tip.

For patients experiencing difficult or uncomfortable breathing, a deviated septum is the most common culprit. Breathing issues can commonly be fixed with septoplasty, which is a type of rhinoplasty.

University of Michigan Health confirms that functional rhinoplasty to correct breathing impairment may be eligible for partial or full insurance coverage. This is provided the functional impairment is properly documented by a physician.

FAQ

What can fix a crooked nose?

Rhinoplasty is the ideal surgery for fixing a crooked nose. If the asymmetry is minimal, liquid rhinoplasty or non-surgical rhinoplasty may work to fix the issue as well. Keep in mind, however, that non-surgical rhinoplasty is not permanent.

Where can I find liquid rhinoplasty near me?

Dr. Nicholas Lahar performs liquid rhinoplasty in the Beverly Hills, CA area. To learn more about this procedure, as well as surgical rhinoplasty, book a consultation appointment with him today.

What if I have a crooked nose after rhinoplasty?

If you notice a crooked nose after rhinoplasty, this could be caused by asymmetrical healing. Be sure to avoid sleeping or lying on your side after rhinoplasty, as this can be a main cause of crooked healing. If you have any questions about a crooked nose after rhinoplasty, be sure to contact Dr. Lahar as soon as possible.

Does insurance cover rhinoplasty?

Most rhinoplasty surgeries are considered elective, and in this way, they are not eligible for health insurance coverage. On the other hand, if you are getting rhinoplasty because of a breathing issue, it is possible that your health insurance will cover all or some of the procedure.

Schedule your Rhinoplasty consultation today

Correcting a crooked or otherwise misshapen nose can alter your life for the better in a myriad of ways — strengthening your confidence and boosting your self-esteem. Just take a look at our rhinoplasty before and after gallery to get an idea of what this procedure can accomplish.

Interested in learning more about rhinoplasty to fix a crooked nose? Contact our office today to book a consultation appointment with Dr. Lahar.