The traditional rhinoplasty treatment has been around for a long time.
However, getting a satisfying outcome for people of color can be difficult because best practices were developed around the general facial shapes and aesthetic standards of Caucasians, who make up the majority of patient demographics. This requires cosmetic surgeons to use a different approach.
People of color seeking a rhinoplasty treatment require the assistance of a plastic surgery team that specializes in refining ethnic noses.
A large proportion of patients who undergo rhinoplasty, also known as a nose job, are white. A narrow, one-size-fits-all focus on the nose, on the other hand, fails to preserve patients’ ethnic identity and ignores today’s society’s rich diversity of facial shapes and characteristics.
Using Caucasian rhinoplasty guidelines on an African, Asian, Hispanic or Middle Eastern patient’s face may result in breathing problems and an increased risk of needing multiple or revision cosmetic surgeries.
The best ethnic rhinoplasty results are determined by a patient’s unique characteristics and goals. We can achieve a more harmonious appearance by adjusting the relationship of the forehead to the nose, the width of the nose, the shape of the eyes, cheeks, and mouth.
Let’s dive deep into the characteristics of an ethnic rhinoplasty and why you should choose an experienced ENT, if you are a person of color, seeking to augment your nose.
Because the nose is our most prominent facial feature, it’s only natural that people of all races scrutinize it whenever they look in the mirror.
The nose’s underlying structure is made up of cartilage and bone, which support the skin. A nose may appear narrow, wide, flat, bulbous, or even bumpy if those traits are not in harmony in size, symmetry and shape.
Patients will sometimes bring in photographs of celebrities or of themselves filtered with today’s virtual reality filters and say, “I want my nose to look like this.” Your face is unique, and basing your expectations on someone else’s facial characteristics is unrealistic. Furthermore, drastic changes frequently necessitate multiple procedures, which are both costly and carry a higher surgical risk.
(To read more about the types of rhinoplasty click here)
Your plastic surgeon may suggest one of the following procedures:
- Reduction rhinoplasty (removal of cartilage and bone from the underlying structures): This treatment typically involves reducing the physical size of the nose by removing cartilage and bone from the underlying structures. The goal is to make previously protruding features blend in with the rest of the face. This is more common in patients from the Middle East.
- Projection nose job (adding to): This approach is performed by increasing the physical size of the nose by grafting cartilage from the patient’s septum and/or ribs to the underlying structure in flatter areas of the nose. Projection causes the nose to stick out further from the face, creating the illusion of a narrower, more elegant, and more balanced appearance. This is more common in African, Asian, and Hispanic patients.
- Augmentation (rearranging/reshaping): All ethnicities use augmentation. These techniques help to balance and enhance the nose proportionality. We make subtle changes in the angles and definition of certain areas, rather than adding or subtracting from it. This is accomplished by rearranging cartilage, for example:
- To create the illusion of a narrower tip, draw more defined or softer lines around where the nostrils meet the bridge of the nose.
- To increase or decrease the distance between the nose and the lip, point the tip of the nose up (rotation) or down. This alters how far the nose appears to protrude from the face and can help to balance out a prominent bridge.
- Revision rhinoplasty: Some patients have functional concerns because of a previous reconstructive surgery gone wrong, or they may just require to benefit from revision rhinoplasty to correct or refine a previous procedure. Revision ethnic rhinoplasty is one of Global Medical Care’s surgeons’ specialties, and it necessitates a high level of expertise for the best possible outcome. Scar tissue is formed as a result of each procedure, increasing the complexity of rhinoplasty by a factor of ten.
There is a wide range of physical characteristics and facial shapes within each ethnic group. In addition, there are some common nose conditions or characteristics that lead patients to consider ethnic rhinoplasty.
- Breathing problems: Breathing difficulties can be caused by structural issues such as a deviated septum and/or a droopy tip.
- Wide/narrow or humped nose bridge: When the nose bridge is disproportionately large, narrow, or bumpy.
- Bulbous tip: The end of the nose is fleshy and large
- Flat or broad tip: The internal cartilages that give the tip its external appearance are stretched too far apart, resulting in a wide tip.
So, which characteristics do the nose of each ethnicity have and what kind of rhinoplasty should they consider? To answer this question, we have asked our surgeons their experiences and how most cases should be handled.
African Nose:
Weak internal structures combined with thick skin produce a less-defined tip of the nose that appears under-projected (broad and/or flat). Surgeons may prefer to use grafts during this operation, and augmentation and/or projection rhinoplasty can be advised. Because surgeons cannot change the thickness of the skin using this method, they compensate by increasing the projection of the rest of the nose and creating new angles and definitions to balance the overall shape. It’s a method that produces satisfactory results without significantly altering the sensitive tissue at the tip of the nose.
Middle Eastern Nose:
Thick skin; over-projected; bulbous tip of the nose that complicates breathing; often paired with deviated septum – commonly seen in individuals with Gulf Region Middle Eastern ancestry. The skin of the nose does not expand as quickly as the internal cartilages and bones do as a child grows into an adult, resulting in septum buckling (the middle wall of the nose). As a result, breathing becomes extremely difficult. If the nose is too small, our surgeons can project it to compensate. If the nose is large, with a prominent bridge and tip, we must reduce it by removing cartilage and/or bone, and then coordinate the proportions of all the features. However, the reduction must typically be conservative because excessive reduction can result in nose collapse and breathing difficulties. As a result, any skilled surgeon may recommend augmentation or reduction rhinoplasty.
Hispanic nose:
Hispanic patients, like Caucasians, have a variety of nasal characteristics. Skin can be thin (Castillian/Spanish) or thick (Castillian/Spanish) (especially in Mestizo patients with European and Native American lineage). Many have a wide bridge and a bulbous tip, giving them a flat, under-projected appearance. Building up the nose’s less projected areas and changing the angles/definition of the tip of the nose can result in a more balanced, proportional appearance.
Asian nose:
Thick skin combined with an under-projected bridge results in both the bridge and the tip appearing wide and flat. Many have defined angles and angles at the tip of the nose. Surgeons can create a more balanced look by increasing the projection of the nose, with a gentle slope from forehead to tip rather than a flat bridge and flat tip.
Your recovery time will be determined based on the extent of your procedure. Face bruising including swelling are common, and most patients are able to resume normal activities within one to three weeks.
Most patients will not notice a significant change in the total size of their nose when measured in actual distances, but the improvement in appearance is frequently dramatic. The nuances of ethnic rhinoplasty create different angles and proportions, de-emphasizing the areas of your nose that you disliked.
Our first and foremost goal as the Global Medical Care team is to ensure your safety as well as your satisfaction. So during your personalized consultation, before the ethnic rhinoplasty operation, we take the time to discuss your goals and set realistic expectations. We’ll help you in your decision to plan the right treatment with the right surgeon. We want you to be happy in your decision, and understanding what’s possible and what to expect is a big part of that. Your facial features are a reflection of your cultural heritage and background.
We understand it can be tough to find an expert who can help you accomplish your goals and to get a look that complements your cultures backgrounds. That’s why we reviewed 200 hospitals to find the right expert who possesses the knowledge to help you achieve a look that meets – or even exceeds – your expectations, but ultimately, we want you to be happy in your own skin.
