# Why do many elderly men's noses get this way? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534 "2007-04-03T07:21:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/1 "2007-04-03T07:21:24Z")
Sorry I don’t have a picture or anything because I’m not sure if there is a name for it. Anyway when I observe many men above the age of 55 I notice a lot whose noses almost look deformed and have several traits in common. 1. The nose is ususally very red which suggests at least part of the reason may have something to do with sun damage. 2. The nose is often cratered looking. 3. The nose is swollen to the point that it looks like some grotesque meatball about at the point of exploding. Some of the men I’ve seen have noses that look severely swollen and deformed almost to the point of disfigurement by whatever is causing the condition. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/2 "2007-04-03T07:28:40Z")
That’s classic [rosacea](http://www.rosacea.org/index.php). Athough many men suffer from the obvious manifestations, women develop rosacea too. There are many causes (read the link). Rosacea is more often seen in those with pale skin. Treatment can include laser therapy and topical Vitamin C. W.C Fields is said to have suffered from rosacea. Also, Bill Clinton. [This page](http://www.rosacea.org/patients/faces.php) has some photos. Rosacea is not caused by heavy alcoholic drinking, but can be exacerbated by it. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/3 "2007-04-03T07:30:57Z")
Yeah you nailed it. I though maybe it was Rosacea but I had thought it only caused the red coloring and didn’t know about the swelling. Learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/4 "2007-04-03T07:32:45Z")
Thx. I only know because I suffer from it and have had many laser treatments. It’s often worse for men because they tend to get the misshapen nose problems. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/5 "2007-04-03T07:33:52Z")
From NinetyWt’s link > [@](#): > > While the list of potential rosacea triggers in various individuals may be endless, a survey of 1,066 rosacea patients found that the most common factors included the following: > > ``` > Factors - Percent Affected > > Sun exposure 81% > Emotional stress 79% > Hot weather 75% > Wind 57% > Heavy exercise 56% > Alcohol consumption 52% > Hot baths 51% > Cold weather 46% > Spicy foods 45% > Humidity 44% > Indoor heat 41% > Certain skin-care products 41% > Heated beverages 36% > Certain cosmetics 27% > Medications 15% > Medical conditions 15% > Certain fruits 13% > Marinated meats 10% > Certain vegetables 9% > Dairy products 8% > Other factors 24% > > ``` In other words,. pretty much everything causes it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/6 "2007-04-03T07:36:11Z")
For anyone else interested, an excellent book is [Beating Rosacea](http://www.drnase.com/) by a Dr. Nase. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/7 "2007-04-03T08:17:50Z")
I’ve heard it said that ears and noses continue to grow, slowly, throughout our entire lifetimes, but I have also found a number of references flatly stating that this is untrue. What’s the Straight Dope on this one? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/8 "2007-04-03T08:22:56Z")
I believe the straight dope is that everything aside from noses and ears shrink with age. But I’m not convinced, it certainly looks like _enlarged_ ears and noses to me, as they often seem to be distorted along with it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/9 "2007-04-03T12:45:14Z")
I almost posted this in a thread last week asking what caused a deformity, but figured people would take it the wrong way. I saw an old man with a nose that looked like one of those old crone witch or goblin noses. It was normal width and such, but it was at leeast 2 inches extended out and down from the tip, so it was hanging about even with the man’s lips. He looked like a Grimms faerie tale goblin. Maybe this is what he had. I looked up the longest nose on a living man on Guinness World Records and I’m sure he beat the man in the picture. I thought the picture may have a reason the nose was so long. It’s too bad people in this country have to live with stuff like this man. You can’t fix everybody’s problems, but taking two inches off the end would have made his life so much better even with the pock marks and redness still present. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/10 "2007-04-03T15:27:52Z")
Are you sure you’re not looking for the more specific condition affecting the nose called [rhinophyma](http://dermis.multimedica.de/bilder/CD046/550px/img0029.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-elderly-mens-noses-get-this-way/398534/11 "2007-04-03T18:20:44Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] For anyone else interested, an excellent book is [Beating Rosacea](http://www.drnase.com/) by a Dr. Nase. [/QUOTE] If Dr. Nase is German it would just be too much. _Nase_ is German for nose.