Roman Nose: What It Is, and Roman vs Greek vs Aquiline

A Roman nose is a nose with a prominent bridge and a convex profile. Seen from the side, the bridge curves outwards in a visible bump, known as a dorsal hump, while the tip stays roughly level rather than drooping. The name is usually said to come from the profiles on ancient Roman busts and coins.

If you have noticed a bump in a side-on photograph and want to know what it is called and whether it is normal, the short answer is that a Roman nose shape is a normal variation. A bump that seems to appear later in life is a slightly different matter: it can be caused by the tip dropping with age rather than the bridge growing, as our guide to whether your nose keeps growing explains.

This guide explains what defines a Roman nose, how it differs from a Greek, aquiline or hooked nose, what causes it and, for people who would like it softened, how rhinoplasty and filler compare.

What Is a Roman Nose?

A Roman nose, also described as a convex nose or an arched nose, has three features that show most clearly in side profile rather than from the front:

• A convex bridge: the line of the bridge curves outwards instead of running straight, creating a visible dorsal hump.
• A tip that stays level: the tip does not turn sharply downwards, which is what separates it from a hooked nose.
• A prominent bridge overall: the bridge stands out in profile, and from the front it may also look slightly wider.

A Roman nose is a normal anatomical variant, not a deformity, and it does not cause breathing problems by itself. Our guide to nose shapes and how to identify yours shows where it sits among the other profiles, and nose bridge shapes covers the bridge in more detail.

What Is the Bump on a Roman Nose Made Of?

The bridge of the nose (the nasal dorsum) is part bone and part cartilage. The upper part is formed by the paired nasal bones, and the lower part by the upper lateral cartilages and the upper edge of the septum, the wall that divides the inside of the nose. Bone and cartilage overlap at a junction that surgeons call the keystone area^[1].

A study that dissected 15 adult cadavers and examined 9 people during rhinoplasty found that, before any reduction, the profile line of the nose is determined by the cartilaginous part of the bridge, and that lowering the bridge in routine rhinoplasty generally means removing cartilage from the upper edge of the septum^[1].

Roman Nose vs Greek Nose vs Aquiline Nose: What Is the Difference?

The names Roman, Greek, aquiline and hooked are used loosely, and sometimes as if they meant the same thing. They are not medical terms, but they do describe different profiles. The clearest way to tell them apart is to look at the bridge first and then at the tip:

• Roman nose: a convex bridge with a bump; the tip stays roughly level.
• Greek nose: a straight bridge from brow to tip with no bump, running almost in line with the forehead.
• Aquiline nose: from the Latin for eagle. More curved than a Roman nose, with the tip beginning to turn down.
• Hooked nose: the most curved of the four, with a tip that points clearly downwards.

If your bridge is convex but your tip sits level, you have a Roman nose shape. If the tip has started to drop, you are closer to aquiline, and if it points clearly downwards, hooked.

What Is a Greek Nose?

A Greek nose has a straight bridge with no hump and very little dip between the eyes, so the line of the nose continues almost straight on from the forehead. In measurement terms, the angle where the bridge meets the forehead (the nasofrontal angle) is very open. The name comes from classical Greek sculpture.

The idea that the Greek profile is an ideal comes from art rather than from measurements of real people. The authors of a study of 100 Caucasian volunteers in Curitiba, Brazil, point out that the aesthetic standards used in nose surgery blend artistic ideals with measurements traced from models and celebrities, and vary from one period to another. When they measured their volunteers, every measurement they compared except one (the nasolabial angle, between the base of the nose and the upper lip) differed from those published ideals^[2].

What Is an Aquiline Nose?

Aquiline comes from the Latin aquilinus, meaning “eagle-like”. An aquiline nose has a prominent, curved bridge like a Roman nose, but the curve is more pronounced and the tip has begun to turn downwards. In everyday use the two names overlap, and you will see “Roman nose” and “aquiline nose” used interchangeably.

Roman Nose vs Hooked Nose vs Crooked Nose

A hooked nose has a more pronounced curve than a Roman nose and a tip that points clearly downwards; see our guide to hooked noses. A crooked nose is something different again. It describes a nose that bends or leans to one side when seen from the front, sometimes after an injury, rather than a bump seen in profile. A Roman nose can be straight from the front or crooked as well, and whether a crooked nose can be fixed with rhinoplasty covers that question.

Is a Roman Nose More Common Than a Greek Nose?

There are no reliable figures. Roman and Greek are descriptive labels without agreed medical definitions, so clinical studies measure the profile rather than naming it. The Curitiba study, for example, recorded the nasofrontal angle, the nasolabial angle and how far the tip projects, all from photographs^[2]. Percentages you may see online for each named nose shape should be read with that in mind.

What Causes a Roman Nose?

Nose shape is largely inherited, which is why a Roman profile can run in families. In a 2016 twin study of 1,380 women in the UK, genetic factors explained more than 70% of the variation in nose width, prominence and height^[3].

A 2022 study in Nature Genetics, which analysed three-dimensional facial images of people of East Asian ancestry, identified 244 genetic variants linked to normal variation in face shape. Its evolutionary analysis suggested that the average difference in nose shape between European and East Asian populations arose through directional selection, a form of natural selection, mainly reflecting local adaptation in Europeans^[4]. Neither study looked at the Roman nose as a named shape, but both show that genes have a strong influence on nose shape.

The nose grows through childhood and the teenage years, so a Roman profile can become more noticeable during adolescence rather than appearing suddenly in adult life.

Two other things can create or exaggerate a bump. A nose broken in the past can heal with a residual bump, and a Roman profile that is also crooked may have an old injury behind it; see broken nose. The nose also changes with age: a 2021 systematic review of nine studies of rhinoplasty in people over 55 listed tip ptosis (a drooping tip), a worsening dorsal hump, thinning soft tissue and changes in the nasal bones among the features of the ageing nose^[5]. A tip that has dropped with age, rather than always having been that way, is covered in what causes a droopy nose.

Roman Nose in Men and Women

A Roman nose is the same shape in men and women: a convex bridge with a level tip. Noses do differ between the sexes on average. In the Curitiba study, men had a sharper nasofrontal angle (a deeper dip where the bridge meets the forehead) and more tip projection than women^[2]. These are averages across groups, and they say nothing about whether a particular nose suits a particular face. Surgeons take these differences into account when planning surgery; see male rhinoplasty.

Is a Roman Nose Attractive?

There is no single answer, because attractiveness is personal. A Roman nose gives a strong, defined profile, and if you like yours, there is nothing to fix.

There is no fixed ideal either. As the Curitiba authors note, the aesthetic standards used in nose surgery have varied from one period to another^[2].

Keeping a Roman Nose That Runs in the Family

For some people, a Roman nose is a family feature and part of their heritage. Removing the hump entirely can leave a nose that no longer matches the rest of the face, or the family resemblance. A completely straight profile is not the right goal for every face, and it is reasonable to ask any surgeon why they are recommending a particular amount of reduction.

Before considering surgery, it is also worth reading about what makes a balanced side profile: the chin and the rest of the face affect how prominent the nose looks.

If you like your nose, this page is simply an explanation of it. Nothing here needs acting on.

Can You Get Rid of a Roman Nose? Surgery and Filler Options

A Roman nose can be changed in two ways: permanently, by reducing the hump as part of rhinoplasty, or temporarily, by using filler to disguise a small hump through non-surgical rhinoplasty. Which suits you depends on the size of the hump, what it is made of and what you want to change, and that needs an in-person examination rather than a photograph.

Our dorsal hump guide covers both options in more detail. It also explains how to tell a lifelong hump from a new lump on the nose; a lump that appears for the first time in adult life, without an injury, should be checked by your GP.

Dorsal Hump Reduction and Preservation Rhinoplasty

There are two broad ways to lower a hump. Conventional (structural) hump reduction removes the excess bone and cartilage and then rebuilds the bridge. Preservation rhinoplasty keeps the natural bridge intact and lowers it as a unit instead of removing its upper surface.

A 2024 systematic review of 25 studies with 1,706 patients found high satisfaction with both approaches, ranging from 84% to 100% across studies, and about two in every 100 patients went on to have revision surgery^[6]. A 2025 meta-analysis of 10 studies (1,339 patients) found that preservation techniques were associated with fewer irregularities along the bridge but a higher rate of the hump remaining or returning than conventional reduction, with no significant difference in revision surgery^[7]. Which approach suits you depends on the size and make-up of your hump.

Taking down too much can leave a scooped, over-operated look, and correcting that means further surgery; see nose job gone wrong.

What Are the Risks of Roman Nose Surgery?

Rhinoplasty is a significant operation. Swelling and bruising are expected afterwards and, as with any operation, there is a risk of bleeding and infection. Risks more specific to hump reduction include irregularities along the bridge and the hump remaining or coming back^[7]. Other possible problems include changes in breathing, asymmetry and a result you are not happy with, which may need revision surgery. Our guide to rhinoplasty risks explains how likely each one is, and rhinoplasty recovery covers what to expect in the weeks after surgery.

Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty With Filler

For a small hump, filler injected above and below it can make the profile line look straighter. It works by adding volume, so the nose becomes slightly larger rather than smaller, the effect is temporary, and it is less suitable for larger humps.

Filler also carries real risks. A 2024 systematic review of 30 studies with 9,657 patients found that complications were reported in 39% of patients, mostly mild redness and swelling, and that 0.27% had a serious complication caused by filler blocking an artery, which can lead to skin necrosis (loss of skin), blindness or stroke^[8].

Roman Nose Surgery at Centre for Surgery

• We will tell you if we think you should keep it. A Roman nose is a normal feature, and not every profile needs changing.
• Softening rather than erasing: the aim is a nose that still looks like yours.
• GMC-registered surgeons perform all rhinoplasty at Centre for Surgery.
• CQC-regulated private hospital at 95-97 Baker Street, rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission.
• TIVA anaesthesia (total intravenous anaesthesia) with a consultant anaesthetist.
• Time to decide: we recommend a two-week cooling-off period before surgery, and finance is available through Chrysalis Finance, subject to status.

The cost depends on the technique and whether work on the septum is included. Our rhinoplasty cost guide sets out current prices, and your exact quote is confirmed in writing after consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. Palhazi P, Daniel RK, Kosins AM. The osseocartilaginous vault of the nose: anatomy and surgical observations. Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2015;35(3):242–251. doi:10.1093/asj/sju079
2. Ballin AC, Carvalho B, Dolci JEL, et al. Anthropometric study of the caucasian nose in the city of Curitiba: relevance of population evaluation. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2017;84(4):486–493. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.06.004
3. Djordjevic J, Zhurov AI, Richmond S, et al. Genetic and environmental contributions to facial morphological variation: a 3D population-based twin study. PLoS One 2016;11(9):e0162250. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162250
4. Zhang M, Wu S, Du S, et al. Genetic variants underlying differences in facial morphology in East Asian and European populations. Nature Genetics 2022;54(4):403–411. doi:10.1038/s41588-022-01038-7
5. Khetpal S, Gowda AU, Parsaei Y, et al. Rhinoplasty in the older adult. Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2021;41(11):1231–1241. doi:10.1093/asj/sjab140
6. Foppiani JA, Joy N, Hernandez Alvarez A, et al. Dorsal preservation versus component dorsal hump reduction rhinoplasty: an assessment of patient-reported outcomes. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 2024;12(8):e6103. doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000006103
7. Ribeiro LFS, De Freitas LR, Udoma-Udofa OC, et al. Dorsal preservation versus dorsal reduction rhinoplasty techniques for aesthetic and functional outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 2025;107:101–118. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2025.05.044
8. Song D, Wang X, Yu Z. Nonsurgical rhinoplasty: an updated systematic review of technique, outcomes, complications, and its treatments. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2024;48(23):4902–4915. doi:10.1007/s00266-024-04161-4