How to Make a Bulbous Nose Smaller Without Surgery, Infini Microneedle RF and Hyperdiluted Shincort
Written by Dr Gerard Ee, MBBS (UK), MRCS (Edinburgh), PGDip Practical Dermatology (Cardiff). Founder and Medical Director, The Clifford Clinic and The Clifford Surgery, Singapore. Last medically reviewed and updated September 2026.
Key points
- Many noses appear bulbous because of thick, oily soft tissue over the tip and sides, rather than the cartilage underneath.
- This soft tissue can be thinned without surgery.
- Infini microneedle radiofrequency (RF) shrinks the oil glands and tightens the skin.
- Hyperdiluted Shincort, a very dilute triamcinolone steroid, thins the soft tissue gradually at selected injection points.
- The change is gradual and builds over a course of 3 to 5 sessions.
- A nose that is wide because of bone or cartilage requires surgery, which I state at the consultation.
- Each session costs $1,800 before GST.
Why a nose looks bulbous
A nose can appear large, round or bulbous for one of two reasons, and each calls for a different treatment.
- Soft tissue. The skin over the tip, the supratip (the area just above the tip) and the sides of the nose is thick, oily and densely packed with large sebaceous (oil) glands. This heavy skin envelope conceals the shape of the cartilage beneath it, a pattern that is very common in Asian noses and in men.
- Structure. The tip cartilages are wide or the nasal bones are broad, so the framework itself is large.
Filler cannot correct either cause, as filler only adds volume. Surgery changes the structure. The treatment on this page targets the soft tissue, which is the more common cause of a bulbous nose in patients who ask how to make their nose smaller.
How hyperdiluted Shincort makes the nose smaller
Shincort is a brand of triamcinolone acetonide, a steroid long used by injection to soften raised scars and keloids. Injected triamcinolone reduces local inflammation and suppresses the fibroblasts that produce collagen, which thins the tissue at the injection site. Elsewhere in the face this thinning is an unwanted side effect, whereas in a thick-skinned nose it is the intended effect.
Triamcinolone injection has been used for decades to reduce soft-tissue fullness above the tip after rhinoplasty, a deformity known as a pollybeak. In a series of 173 rhinoplasty patients, 85% of those injected achieved an acceptable result with good supratip definition, and no complications from the injection were reported.
The hyperdiluted technique applies the same effect to a nose that has not had surgery. In a published protocol, triamcinolone was diluted to about 1.3 mg per ml and injected as 0.1 ml at ten points across the sides, supratip and alar lobules of the nose. Injections were repeated every three weeks for five sessions, giving a total of about 6.5 mg across the whole course. All 20 patients in that series reported improvement. Gradual, even thinning results from the high dilution and the division of the dose over many small points, as no single point receives enough steroid to create a dent.
How Infini microneedle RF makes the nose smaller
Infini delivers radiofrequency energy into the deeper skin through fine microneedles. The heat generated at the needle tips shrinks the sebaceous glands and contracts the collagen of the dermis, which tightens the skin. In a blinded trial, fractional microneedle radiofrequency reduced sebum production and the density and size of the sebaceous glands. The same technology has been used, in combination with fractional carbon dioxide laser, to reduce bulk in rhinophyma, the most severe form of an enlarged, oily nose. On a bulbous nose, Infini therefore reduces the oil and bulk within the skin, whereas the dilute Shincort acts on the soft tissue beneath it.
Infini and hyperdiluted Shincort treatment for a bulbous nose
At each session the nose is first numbed with an anaesthetic cream. Infini is passed over the tip, supratip and sides of the nose, and hyperdiluted Shincort is then placed as small injections at set points.
I recommend a course of 3 to 5 sessions, 6 weeks apart. The 6-week interval allows each round of thinning to settle before the next, which keeps the change gradual and even. The number of sessions depends on the starting thickness of the skin and the degree of change desired.
Who bulbous nose treatment suits
- Suits. A bulbous or round tip with thick, oily skin.
- Suits. Fullness above the tip, or thick, heavy alar lobules at the sides of the nostrils.
- Suits. Large pores and oiliness over the nose that make the tip appear wider.
- Does not suit. A nose that is wide because of the bones or tip cartilages, which requires surgical rhinoplasty.
- Does not suit. Thin nasal skin, which carries a risk of over-thinning and visible dents.
- Does not suit. Pregnancy, active infection on the nose, or poorly controlled diabetes, as steroid injection can raise blood sugar and slow healing.
Bulbous nose treatment results and what to expect
The reduction is gradual rather than sudden. Over the course, the tip becomes more defined and less round, the sides of the nose slimmer and the skin less oily. The published series reported a modest improvement in every patient. The treatment refines the soft tissue and does not change the underlying shape of the nose. Photographs taken at each visit are compared to judge the change, as a gradual reduction is difficult to perceive in the mirror.
Side effects of Infini and hyperdiluted Shincort
- Redness and small needle marks from Infini, which settle over a few days.
- Bruising at the injection points, which fades within about a week.
- Over-thinning. Too much steroid in one place can cause a dent, a pale patch or visible small vessels. Hyperdilution, small volumes and well-spaced sessions are designed to prevent this, and the 6-week interval between my sessions serves the same purpose.
- Very low total steroid dose. The total dose across a whole course, about 6.5 mg in the published protocol, is far below the doses that affect the rest of the body.
Can nose filler make a bulbous nose smaller?
Nose filler cannot make a bulbous nose smaller, as filler adds volume and enlarges a bulbous tip further. Filler can make a nose appear narrower from the front by raising a low bridge, because a higher bridge casts shadows along the sides of the nose that make it look slimmer, but it cannot reduce a heavy tip. The difference between these concerns is explained on nose shape concerns. Where the tip also drops when smiling, the cause is a muscle, and the treatment is described on Botox nose tip lift.
How to make your nose smaller, the options compared
| Option | What it changes | Downtime |
|---|---|---|
| Infini microneedle RF and hyperdiluted Shincort | Thins thick soft tissue and oily skin | A few days of redness |
| Nose filler | Adds height to a low bridge, which can make the nose appear narrower | A few days of swelling |
| Surgical rhinoplasty | Reshapes bone and cartilage | Weeks, with residual swelling for up to a year |
| Contouring make-up and nose exercises | Make-up changes appearance temporarily. Exercises do not change nose size | None |
Bulbous nose treatment cost in Singapore
Each session of Infini and hyperdiluted Shincort costs $1,800 before GST, and a full course of 3 to 5 sessions therefore costs $5,400 to $9,000 before GST.
How to make a bulbous nose smaller, frequently asked questions
Can you make your nose smaller without surgery?
A nose that is bulbous because of thick, oily soft tissue can be made smaller without surgery by thinning that tissue with Infini and hyperdiluted Shincort. A nose that is large because of bone or cartilage requires surgery.
What is Shincort?
Shincort is a brand of triamcinolone acetonide, a steroid given by injection. At a very high dilution, it thins soft tissue gradually.
Is steroid injection in the nose safe?
Steroid injection in the nose is generally safe at a very low dose spread across many points. The main risk is excessive thinning at one spot, and the dose is diluted and divided across many small points to prevent it.
Can nose exercises make my nose smaller?
Nose exercises cannot make the nose smaller, as they do not change the bone, cartilage or skin of the nose.
How long do the results last?
Thinned soft tissue and shrunken oil glands do not recover quickly, so the result is usually long-lasting. The oil glands can gradually become active again over time, and some patients therefore have a maintenance session later.
Book a consultation with Dr Gerard Ee
Dr Gerard Ee consults and performs bulbous nose treatment with Infini and hyperdiluted Shincort at his practice at 50 Raffles Place, Singapore. Consultations are by appointment. Message the clinic on WhatsApp, or call 6532 2048.
Selected References
- Yi KH, Lee S, Song JK, et al. Hyperdiluted triamcinolone injections for nasal and alar contouring. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2026. PMID 42033164.
- Hanasono MM, Kridel RW, Pastorek NJ, et al. Correction of the soft tissue pollybeak using triamcinolone injection. Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2002. PMID 11843673.
- Sirithanabadeekul P, Leetrakulwanna V, Suwanchinda A. A novel technique in reducing sebum production and improving atrophic acne scars. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022. PMID 35642576.
- Kurmuş GI, Koç E. Combined fractional carbon dioxide laser and fractional microneedle radiofrequency treatment for rhinophyma, a case report. Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2025. PMID 40415536.
Dr Gerard Ee consults and performs bulbous nose treatment with Infini and hyperdiluted Shincort at 50 Raffles Place, Singapore.
This page is written from published research and clinical experience in Singapore since 2012. It is for general education, not medical advice. Suitability, results, downtime and cost vary from person to person. Please arrange a consultation for advice specific to your nose.
