A Guide to Nose Shapes (Plus What Yours Says About You)

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Find out how nose shapes form & how to change yours

Co-authored by Usha Rajagopal, MD and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: November 14, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Types of Nose Shapes: Overview
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• 12 Nose Types & Their Meanings
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• How Nose Shapes Develop
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• Changing Nose Shape with Rhinoplasty
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• Using Dermal Fillers
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• Video

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How well do you know your nose? Maybe not as well as you thought! There are at least a dozen different nose types, each with their own meanings and associations with specific character traits. Discover what your nose type is and what it means, plus find out how your nose shape came to be (and how you can change it – surgically and non-surgically).

Quick Guide to Common Nose Types

• Fleshy Nose: A nose with a prominent tip, wideset nostrils, & large nostril openings.
• Button Nose: A short, round nose with a slightly upturned tip.
• Roman Nose: A long, slightly curving nose with a prominent upper bridge.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Types of Nose Shapes: Overview

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   Nose shapes are determined by genetic and environmental factors. The human nose is composed of soft connective tissue called cartilage and skin, and it typically evolves into one of 12 common nose shapes. The shape of your nose is determined by factors such as the environment you live in, your ancestry, your physical health, and past injuries to your face. You can also easily change your nose's apperance with dermal fillers or rhinoplasty (nose surgery).
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Section 2 of 5:

12 Common Types of Noses & Their Meanings

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   Fleshy nose A fleshy nose is characterized by a wideset base, large nostrils, and a prominent protruding tip. Some people associate fleshy noses with warm, outgoing people who are open and honest in their conversations and dealings with others.

   • Popular historical figures and celebrities who had or have a fleshy nose include Albert Einstein, Prince Philip (the late Queen Elizabeth's husband), and Mark Ruffalo.
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   Button nose A button nose is a small, round nose upturned just slightly at the bridge. Its diminutive shape compels many people to associate it with the innocence and sweetness of childhood.

   • You'll notice a button nose shape on celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Jenna Ortega, as well as Princess Kate of Wales.
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   Roman nose A Roman nose (also known as a Patrician or aquiline nose) is long with a slight curve descending from a prominent bridge on top. People with Roman noses may carry themselves with a noble, leader-like air. The nose shape's association with nobility and leadership is likely because many ancient Roman leaders – including Julius Caesar – have been depicted in statuary and other art with this type of nose.

   • Actor Daniel Radcliffe and actresses Meryl Streep and Anjelica Huston all have great examples of Roman noses.
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   Greek nose A Greek nose, which is also called a straight nose, features a long straight bridge and a pointed tip. This type is associated with the Greeks because it appears often in sculptures and carvings from that ancient culture. In addition, the nose shape's elegant yet minimalistic aesthetic aligns with the Greeks' distinctive architectural style.

   • The most popular example of a celebrity with a Greek nose is Friends actress Jennifer Aniston.
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   Nubian nose A Nubian nose is characterized by a prominent bridge and a wideset base. It's most common in individuals with African ancestry and is associated with beauty, power, and confidence.

   • Black actress Zendaya and performer Beyoncé both have Nubian noses.
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   East Asian nose An East Asian nose is medium to large with a broad bridge and a flat appearance from the front. The nostril openings are also prominent in this nose shape. People with this nose shape typically have Chinese, Korean, or Japanese ancestry and may have down-to-earth, calm personalities.

   • Asian celebrities Lucy Liu and Awkwafina have typical East Asian nose shapes.
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   Hawk nose A hawk nose is similar to a Roman nose – in fact, one is often confused with the other! But there are a couple of features that distinguish it from the aquiline shape. The first is a narrower nose bridge and the second is a pointy nose tip. Overall, a hawk nose looks more beaklike than a Roman nose. People who have hawk noses tend to have a high degree of confidence (sometimes bordering on arrogance) and lots of ambition.

   • Model Diana Vreeland and actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Barbra Streisand have beautiful, elegant hawk noses.
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   Snub nose A snub nose is another example of a nose type that is often confused with another type – in this case, it tends to be interchanged with the button nose. While they look similar, a snub nose is rounder and stubbier. That doesn't make it any less cute, however, and people with snub noses often enhance that cuteness with their playful personalities.

   • Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor famously had a snub nose.
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   Flat nose A flat nose is a nose with a generally flat appearance. Neither the bridge nor the tip are prominent; even the nostrils tend to be small in this nose shape. People who have flat noses may be more grounded in reality than others and place a high value on financial and personal stability.

   • Singer-songwriter Rihanna rocks her flat nose.
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    Bumpy nose A bumpy nose has bumps on the sides and may appear crooked when viewed head-on. These usually result from past incidents when the nose was broken and never reset. A person with a bumpy nose is likely highly active and always open to taking on new challenges.

    • One of actor Owen Wilson's most distinguishing features is his bumpy, crooked nose, which achieved that shape after he broke it on two separate occasions.
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    Bulbous nose A bulbous nose has a large, round or misshapen tip. The size of the tip makes the bulbous nose appear prominent on the face. It can develop naturally or as a result of a skin disorder called rhinophyma in which the nose becomes red and enlarged. Regardless of the reason, people with bulbous noses often embrace their nose shape and may be more cheerful and outgoing than others.

    • You'll see a bulbous nose on former US president Bill Clinton as well as the late famous actor Karl Malden.
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    Turned-up nose A turned-up nose is a nose type with a straight bridge and a tip that angles upward. Because of the upturned shape of the tip, the nostril openings tend to appear more prominently on the sides than normal. The turned-up nose can sometimes be associated with snootiness and arrogance, but it can also lend a person a charmingly mischievous appearance (Iike a fairy or a sprite).

    • Celebrities with sweet turned-up noses include Emma Stone and Florence Pugh.
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Section 3 of 5:

How Noses Get Their Shapes

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   Different nose types may have formed in different climates. One of the functions of the nose is to warm and moisturize the air it inhales. According to many scientific researchers, people who live in cold, dry climates need smaller nostrils to regulate the amount of air coming inside and give the nose enough time to do its job. Similarly, people who live primarily in warm, humid climates need larger noses with wider nostrils to take in more of the hospitable air.

   • Therefore, if your nose is small, it's possible your ancestors came from an area of the world with frequent cold, dry weather. A person with a large nose may have ancestors who lived in a warm place with lots of humidity.
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   Noses can also change shape for health reasons or because of injuries. People who notice changes in their nose shape may also be experiencing underlying health conditions like rhinophyma or pregnancy. Injuries can also break or shatter the soft cartilage in the nose and cause it to become misshapen or swollen.
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Section 4 of 5:

Rhinoplasty: A Surgical Way to Change Your Nose Shape

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   Rhinoplasty, or nose surgery, can permanently alter your nose shape. This can be a major or minor procedure depending on what type of rhinoplasty you're getting and how many incisions the surgeon makes. People who get rhinoplasty may do so because they simply don't like the shape of their nose. Others may have functional reasons behind the decision, like wanting to breathe better.

   • Below are the different types of rhinoplasty and what they change about your nose.
     • Reduction rhinoplasty: During this procedure, the surgeon reduces your nose size.
     • Augmentation rhinoplasty: A surgery in which the surgeon adds volume to your nose.
     • Revision rhinoplasty: A second, corrective rhinoplasty for patients who have trouble breathing after the initial procedure.
     • Refinement rhinoplasty: A procedure that reshapes the tip of the nose to make it look more defined or reduce its size.
     • Post-traumatic rhinoplasty: A type of rhinoplasty performed on people who suffered an injury to their nose area.
     • Reconstructive rhinoplasty: This surgery is performed on individuals with nose defects (like a deviated septum) to restore the nose to its proper function and appearance.
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   The recovery period for rhinoplasty is up to 1 year after surgery. After you undergo rhinoplasty, the main side effect you'll notice is that your nose is swollen. It stays swollen for the first 4–6 weeks and then slowly decreases in size over 3 months. It may take a full year for all the swelling to go away and for you to enjoy the results of your procedure.
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   Consider whether rhinoplasty is necessary for your health or appearance. Rhinoplasty is typically only recommended to people who need to correct a breathing problem or a major defect or abnormality in their appearance. If you want to change your nose shape purely for cosmetic reasons (i.e., because you want it to look slimmer), research less intensive, non-surgical methods like dermal fillers first before committing to rhinoplasty.
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Section 5 of 5:

Dermal Fillers: A Non-Surgical Alternative

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   Inject dermal fillers into your nose to change its shape non-surgically. If you want to change up your nose shape without surgery, dermal fillers are often a safe (if non-permanent) option. Dermal fillers are gel-like products that a dermatologist or a certified esthetician inject beneath your skin to add volume in specific areas. A little bit of dermal filler can lift up a flat nose or even out a misshapen bridge.
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   No downtime for recovery is required after injecting with dermal fillers. You may experience some slight redness, sensitivity, and swelling for the first day after the procedure, but that's normal. The procedure itself may take up to an hour, depending on how much filler the specialist is injecting, and the results will last for up to 6 months or longer.
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