I hate my massive nose. Will it keep growing for the rest of my life?

Sniff, sniff. Don’t despair, our noses do get bigger over time but those with bigger noses look more intelligent so it’s not all bad news.


Oh dear. Yes, your nose will keep getting larger, and your ears too. It’s not so much that they’re growing, but more sagging and becoming less elastic. In 2010, researchers at the University of Milan calculated that the total surface area of older people’s noses (65-80 years old) is typically 15 per cent larger than that of younger people’s (18-30 years old).

The cartilage that shapes the nostrils and the tip of the nose loses its structure as we age, and the cartilage along the bridge of the nose starts to sag, too. But you can take comfort from a 2017 study, which found that people with bigger noses tend to be perceived as more intelligent.

Read more:

Subscribe to BBC Science Focus Magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun facts.