ABSTRACT
The plunging nasal tip is a challenging condition because, although it is predominantly a dynamic deformity which occurs during smiling, it also indicates a structural problem. When a person smiles, the paired depressor septi nasi muscles pull the tip caudally at the same time as the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscles pull the alar base and lateral lip cephalically. This movement causes straightening of the alar rim. Even though surgical rhinoplasty is the gold standard to restore nasal appearance, the procedure may fail to treat the dynamic cause of the drooping tip. This article outlines the anatomical concepts that lead to a drooping tip and presents a technique that can treat both the dynamic and structural causes of the drooping tip using hyaluronic acid filler. Cases are also presented that illustrate these concepts. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
