Nose Shape Concerns in Singapore: Low Bridge, Dorsal Hump, Flat Tip and Curved Nose
Four nose shapes account for almost every nose I am asked about in Singapore: a low or flat bridge, a dorsal hump, a tip that sits flat against the face, and a nose that curves to one side. Each is a different problem, each is corrected differently, and not every one of them is a filler problem.
This page describes the four shapes, what nose filler can do for each, whether a hyaluronic acid (HA) filler or a calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) filler such as Radiesse is used, and when the honest answer is surgery. The treatment itself, its price and what happens on the day are on the nose fillers in Singapore page.
Which nose shapes filler can change
Filler can only add. That single fact decides what it can and cannot do for the nose. A shape that is missing height, projection or symmetry can be built up. A shape that is too large, too wide or too long cannot be reduced, because there is nothing to add that makes a nose smaller.
So a low bridge, a flat tip, a hump that breaks the profile and a curve that shows from the front are all filler shapes, because each is corrected by adding material in the right place. A bulbous tip, a wide nose or a long nose are surgical shapes, and I say so at the consultation rather than sell a syringe that will not deliver.
The four shapes below are set out in the order I see them, most common first.
Low or flat nose bridge
A low bridge is the most common reason for nose filler in Singapore. The dorsum sits flat between the eyes, the nose looks short from the front, the eyes can look further apart than they are, and spectacles slide down. It is a matter of height, not size.
Filler raises the bridge by building height along the dorsum, from the radix between the eyes down to the supratip, placed deep on the bone in the midline. Mild asymmetry along the bridge is balanced at the same time by filling the shallower side until it matches the fuller one.
Filler used: an HA filler from the firmer end of the range by default, because it holds height without spreading sideways and can be dissolved. A CaHA filler such as Radiesse is the longer-lasting alternative for the bridge, and the bridge is where I most often use it, since the radix and upper dorsum sit on bone and hold a firmer product well.
Dorsal hump on the nose bridge
A dorsal hump is a bump along the bridge, usually bone at the top and cartilage below, that breaks the straight line of the profile. It is more visible from the side than from the front, and it often makes a nose read as larger than it is.
The hump is not removed, because filler can only add. Volume is placed above and below it, at the radix between the eyes and along the dorsum toward the tip, so the profile reads straight even though the bump itself is still there. On a small to moderate hump this is a convincing correction. On a large hump, filling around it raises the whole bridge and the nose ends up bigger, which is the point at which surgical hump reduction is the right answer.
Filler used: an HA filler by default. A CaHA filler such as Radiesse where a longer-lasting result is wanted, since the radix and the upper dorsum sit on bone and hold a firmer product well.
Poor nasal tip projection (flat nose tip)
A tip with poor projection sits flat against the face rather than standing forward from it. The nose looks blunt from the side and wide from the front, and the nostrils show more than they should. It is common in Singapore and it is often the part of the nose a patient dislikes most, even when they come in asking about the bridge.
A small amount of filler at the tip and the columella projects the tip forward and gives the profile more definition. The tip is the most cautious area of the nose to inject, and it is treated with small volumes, a slow technique and low injection pressure. Threads do a different job at the tip, lifting and rotating it rather than projecting it, so the two are chosen by what the tip actually needs.
Filler used: an HA filler only. The tip has the least room for error, and a product that can be dissolved with hyaluronidase is the only one I place there. CaHA is not used at the tip.
Curved or crooked nose
A curved nose is one where the bridge does not run straight from the radix to the tip. It bows to one side, or it has a C-shape or S-shape along its length, and the two sides of the nose look different from the front. Some are from an old injury, some are simply how the nose grew.
Filler does not straighten the septum or move the bones. It fills the concave side of the curve so the line of the bridge reads straight from the front, and the deviation is camouflaged rather than corrected. A curve that comes from a deviated septum with a blocked nose or breathing difficulty is a surgical question, and I will say so at the consultation.
Filler used: an HA filler, so the camouflage can be adjusted or dissolved. A CaHA filler such as Radiesse for a patient who has had the HA result, is happy with it and wants it to last longer.
Nose filler or surgery: what each shape needs
The table sets out the four shapes side by side, what filler does for each, which filler is used and when the answer is surgery instead.
| Nose shape | What nose filler does | Filler used | When it is a surgical question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low or flat bridge | Builds height along the dorsum from radix to supratip | HA by default; CaHA (Radiesse) for longer duration | Rarely; a very low bridge with a wide base may need an implant |
| Dorsal hump | Fills above and below the hump so the profile reads straight | HA by default; CaHA (Radiesse) where longer-lasting | A large hump, where filling around it makes the nose bigger |
| Poor tip projection | Projects the tip forward at the tip and columella | HA only | A bulbous or wide tip, which filler cannot narrow |
| Curved or crooked nose | Fills the concave side so the bridge reads straight from the front | HA; CaHA (Radiesse) after a successful HA result | A deviated septum with a blocked nose or breathing difficulty |
Whatever the shape, filler makes a nose taller, straighter or more defined. It never makes a nose smaller, because it works by adding material rather than removing it. If your concern is overall size, that is surgery, and I would rather tell you at the consultation than after a syringe.
HA filler or CaHA filler for the nose
Hyaluronic acid is the default for every one of the four shapes. A firm HA filler holds height along the bridge, it behaves predictably from one syringe to the next, and it can be dissolved with hyaluronidase in an afternoon if the result is not what you wanted or if filler ever enters a blood vessel. It is $1,200 per syringe before GST.
Calcium hydroxylapatite, the class Radiesse belongs to, is the longer-lasting option. It is microspheres in a gel carrier that give immediate volume and stimulate your own collagen, so part of the result is your own tissue. It cannot be dissolved, which is why I use it on the bone at the bridge and the radix, never at the tip, and why I treat it as a considered choice rather than an upgrade. It is $1,400 per syringe before GST.
How the two behave in the nose, what the published safety data shows and how long each lasts is set out in my guide to how nose filler works.
Common questions
Can nose filler make my nose smaller?
No. Filler adds material, so it can make a nose taller, straighter or more defined, but never smaller. A wide nose, a bulbous tip or a long nose is a surgical question.
Which nose shape gets the best result from filler?
The low bridge. Height is exactly what filler adds, the bridge sits on bone, and the change is visible from the front and the side. A small dorsal hump is the next most reliable.
Can a crooked nose be fixed with filler?
It can be camouflaged. Filler on the concave side makes the bridge read straight from the front, but the bones and septum stay where they are. A crooked nose that also blocks breathing needs an ENT or a rhinoplasty surgeon, not a syringe.
Is Radiesse used for nose filler in Singapore?
Yes, as the longer-lasting alternative for the bridge and radix, where it sits on bone. I do not use it at the tip, because it cannot be dissolved and the tip is where reversibility matters most.
Do I need one treatment or several?
Usually one. The four shapes are each treated in a single session of about 20 minutes, with a review appointment included. A second syringe is occasionally needed for a very low bridge, and that is decided at the review rather than on the day.
Book a consultation with Dr Gerard Ee at The Clifford Clinic
Dr Gerard Ee consults and performs nose filler treatment at The Clifford Clinic, 50 Raffles Place, Singapore. Consultations are by appointment. Message the clinic on WhatsApp, or call 6532 2048.
This page is written from published research and from clinical experience in Singapore since 2012. It is for general education, not medical advice. Whether a treatment suits you, what it may achieve and what it may risk can only be established at a consultation. Dr Gerard Ee is the Medical Director of The Clifford Clinic, a private clinic in Singapore, and treatments discussed on this site are provided commercially.
