31 Weird Nose Facts

By James Israelsen, Associate Writer

Published January 27, 2021

Repeated exposure to nickel, chromium, and various kinds of manufacturing chemicals have been found to increase the risk of nose cancer._[7]
Although Michael Jackson never acknowledged having cosmetic surgery, drastic changes to the shape of his nose over the course of his adult life indicate that he underwent multiple rhinoplasties._[4]
Nosebleeds occur when the wall of a blood vessel in the nose becomes too dry and cracks open._[8]
In rare cases, nosebleeds can actually result in so much blood loss that they are fatal._[8]
Over 200,000 Americans had a "nose job" in 2019, making it one of the top five most common cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States._[9]
After studying the faces of 1,793 people from around the world, Dr. Abraham Tamir concluded that there are essentially only 14 different types of human noses._[1]
Twenty-four percent of the population have noses similar to Albert Einstein's._[1]

The bulge at the end of the nose is a rare trait

The rarest shape for a human nose is the bulbous type, exemplified by former US President Bill Clinton._[1]
Steve Martin wrote the screenplay for, as well as starred in, the 1980s movie Roxanne, a romantic comedy about a man with an abnormally large nose._[10]
Dogs' extraordinary sense of smell is partially due to the number of olfactory receptors in their noses: they can have up to 300 million receptors, compared to a mere six million in a human nose._[14]
The four most common causes for a broken nose are contact sports, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and violent assaults._[6]
Thanks to airbags and increased seat belt use, the number of noses broken by hitting the dashboard during a car crash is significantly smaller than it was 30 years ago._[6]
Twenty-five percent of all people snore almost every night. Another 45% snore either off and on or during a given period of their life._[11]
Men's noses tend to be larger than women's._[5]
At 3.46 inches long (8.78 cm), Mehmet Ozyurek's nose makes him the current Guinness World Record for the largest._[5]
Another word for "nostrils" is "napes."_[5]
The human nose is capable of smelling over one trillion different scents._[5]

Bündchen's success silenced early critics

Early in her career, model Gisele Bündchen was told she would never succeed without cosmetic surgery to decrease the size of her nose. She refused and later became one of the most highly paid models ever._[12]
Cilia, the fine hairs lining the inside of a human nose, and snot, the mucus made by the sinuses, work together to protect the body from dust and bacteria._[5]
A biochemist in Canada has suggested that boogers taste sweet because nature wants us to pick our nose and eat them, as a way of boosting the immune system._[5]
Olfactory referral is a process in which the nose helps our sense of taste by sending the mouth information about how the food we are eating smells._[5]
In addition to smell and taste, the nose also aids our ability to hear by equalizing the air pressure in the inner ear._[5]
Viral infections are the most common causes for temporary loss of the ability to smell; other causes include sinus infections, nasal polyps, and aging._[5]
Among mandrills—a species of monkey with large, bright red noses—the males who sport the brightest colors tend to have more offspring, due to their greater desirability._[5]
The upper part of the human nose is formed by bones, while the lower part is made purely of cartilage._[2]

The bump in the ridge of Ceasar Augustus' nose is the signature feature of the "Roman" nose

In early European culture, a hooked "Roman" nose was seen as an indication of beauty and nobility._[2]
Neanderthals and other archaic relatives of Homo sapiens had nose shapes that were similar but not quite the same as those of modern humans, indicating that the human nose has evolved over time._[2]
The four genes known to play a role in determining the shape of a person's nose are the RUNX2, GLI3, PAX1, and DCHS2 genes._[2]
In early modern Europe, "saddle nose"—a symptom of syphilis in which the bridge of the nose caves in—was thought to be a marker of sinful indiscretions._[13]
One early rhinoplasty procedure, developed by Gaspare Taglicozzi, involved using skin from the patient's arm to fashion a new nose. However, the skin had to be grafted to the nose while it was still on the arm and couldn't be separated for a period of three weeks._[13]
Nose piercing became a tradition for young women in India in the 16th century; it was done to signal marriageability._[3]