Myth Buster: Your Nose Never Stops Growing

Myth: Your ears and nose grow your entire life.

Facts: Around age 18, ears and noses stop growing and there is no new cellular development, says Joseph O’Brien, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at George Washington University Hospital in Washington.

That doesn’t mean the size of people’s ears and noses doesn’t continue to increase as they age, O’Brien says. These facial features increase in length because the cartilage and skin lose elasticity, causing them to appear droopy. And gravity pulls those loose fibers downward, adding to the saggy appearance, says Robert Kotler, M.D., a cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif.