A ski slope nose is a nose shape where the bridge curves inward (concave) before the tip turns noticeably upward, creating a profile that resembles the downhill swoop of a ski slope. The defining features are a scooped-out middle section and an upturned tip, which together give the nose a wider, more rounded appearance from the front.
What a Ski Slope Nose Looks Like
Picture a nose from the side. Instead of a straight line or gentle curve from the area between the eyes down to the tip, a ski slope nose dips inward along the bridge and then kicks upward at the end. The degree varies widely. A mild version might just look like a slightly upturned, button-like nose. A more pronounced version, sometimes unflatteringly called a “Miss Piggy” nose, has a sharply upturned tip that makes the nostrils more visible from the front.
Some people are born with this shape naturally. Others develop it after rhinoplasty (a nose job) when too much cartilage or bone is removed from the middle section of the nose, leaving the bridge over-scooped. This is one of the more common cosmetic complaints among people seeking revision rhinoplasty.
The Angles That Shape Perception
The angle that matters most when talking about a ski slope nose is the nasolabial angle, which is the angle formed where the bottom of the nose meets the upper lip. Historically, the range considered most attractive falls between 90° and 120°. But more recent three-dimensional imaging research has narrowed that window. A 90° angle is generally preferred for men, while 80° to 90° is considered most attractive for women. Angles much above 90° are increasingly seen as less desirable in aesthetic assessments, which is relevant because a pronounced ski slope nose often pushes this angle well into obtuse territory.
This doesn’t mean there’s a single “correct” nose shape. Facial harmony depends on how the nose fits with the rest of your features, including your chin, forehead, and cheekbones. But these angle ranges help explain why a heavily scooped bridge with an upturned tip can look out of proportion on many faces.
Why It Happens After Surgery
When a ski slope nose results from a previous rhinoplasty, the cause is usually over-resection. The surgeon removed too much tissue, cartilage, or bone from the nasal bridge, and the remaining structure couldn’t maintain a smooth, supported profile. Over time, as swelling resolves and scar tissue contracts, the scooped appearance can become even more pronounced. The tip may also rotate further upward as supporting cartilage weakens.
This is why experienced rhinoplasty surgeons tend to be conservative with tissue removal. It’s far easier to take a little more later than to rebuild structure that’s already gone.
Surgical Correction
Fixing an over-scooped bridge requires adding material back to the nose to restore a straighter, more supported profile. This is called dorsal augmentation, and it typically involves cartilage grafts. Surgeons harvest cartilage from the nasal septum (if enough remains), the ear, or in more complex cases, a rib. The cartilage is often diced into small pieces, shaped, and secured along the bridge to fill in the concavity.
To create a smoother contour and prevent visible irregularities under the skin, surgeons sometimes wrap the graft material in a layer of fascia, a thin sheet of tissue harvested from areas like the temple or chest wall. Research comparing grafts with and without this fascia wrapping has found high satisfaction in both approaches, with no revisions needed in studied cases. Complications are uncommon but can include minor inflammation at the tip or, rarely, issues at the donor site where the cartilage was harvested.
Recovery from revision rhinoplasty is similar to a first-time procedure: expect swelling for several weeks, with final results taking up to a year to fully settle. Revision cases can be more technically demanding because the surgeon is working with scar tissue and reduced structural support.
Non-Surgical Options
If you want to smooth out a concave bridge without surgery, liquid rhinoplasty is an option. A provider injects dermal filler along the bridge to fill in the dip, creating the appearance of a straighter profile. The procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes with minimal downtime.
The trade-off is that results are temporary, typically lasting 12 months to two years before the body absorbs the filler. It also can’t address a severely upturned tip or make structural changes to the cartilage. For someone testing whether they’d like a different nasal profile before committing to surgery, or for someone with a mild concavity, fillers can be a practical starting point.