Fast facts

Rhinoplasty


What it is: A plastic surgery procedure to improve the appearance, proportions and structural functionality of the nose.  Rhinoplasty, commonly called a nose job, can enhance facial symmetry and harmony to improve the patient's self-confidence.  Breathing can also be improved as a result.


What it addresses: Specific aspects of the nose, such as:

- Nose size
- Nose width
- Asymmetry
- Nostrils


MORE INFORMATION

Question

How is rhinoplasty in Hispanic patients different than in other patients?

I've read in other places on this site that rhinoplasty surgery is different for certain ethnicities so I'm wondering, is rhinoplasty surgery different for Hispanic patients too?


Asked by: Anonymous

Answers (5)

Sort by: Most recent | Most helpful
1
July 12, 2008

Hispanic rhinoplasty

Manish H. Shah, MD
Manish H. Shah, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

In general, my Hispanic patients tend to have thicker, oilier skin. Also, their noses tend to be flatter and broader.

If the bridge of the nose needs building up, then grafting material (cartilage, bone, silicone, medpore) is used. Tip grafts are usually necessary to provide tip definition. Finally, the base of the nostrils is often narrowed to balance off the other features of the nose.

With all this said, it is important to refine the nose without losing one's ethnicity.

2
June 22, 2008
Steven Wallach, MD
Steven Wallach, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty is different for every individual I treat. In general, My hispanic patients tend to have thicker tissues, and sometimes flatter and wider noses than some of my caucasian patients. Sometimes I have to add a graft onto the bridge of their nose to give them a better projection of the dorsum or profile.  Work on the tip itself can be difficult to appreciate if the tissues are thick.  They may prevent the fine detail of work that is done on the tip that would be more evident in a thinner skinned person. 

3
June 20, 2008
William A. Portuese, MD
William A. Portuese, MD
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon

Individuals of Hispanic background exhibit skin that is oily, thick, and olive in color.  These traits slow the healing process when compared to non-Hispanic patients. As a result, it takes longer for the final results of the surgery to emerge.  Hispanic Rhinoplasty sometimes requires structural cartilage grafting, which prolongs swelling in the area above the tip of the nose.  These patients require sometimes require cortisone shots in the tip of the nose during the post-operative healing phase to bring down the swelling.

 

4
May 5, 2008

Hispanic Rhinoplasty

Richard W. Westreich, MD
Richard W. Westreich, MD
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty is an operation that seeks to refine and improve upon the balance between a patient's nose and face. Certain aspects of the operation can be individualized based upon a patient's desires and what would look best on the person. Hispanic Rhinoplasty is no exception.

Rhinoplasty in Hispanic patients is as diverse as it is in the rest of the world's populations. A significant reason for this is that most Latin populations are very multicultural. Historically, many different groups have become integrated into Hispanic populations. Consequently, a typical Latin nose from Central America is not likely to be typical in South America, Europe, or the Carribean islands. A nose typical for a specific geographic region can also be difficult to define.

However, most Hispanic patients seeking Rhinoplasty are looking for the same things that non-Hispanic patients want:

  • Narrower nose
  • Straighter profile
  • Narrower nostrils

While achieving these outcomes may require more steps than the typical non-Hispanic Rhinoplasty patient, the techniques used are ones that are commonly needed in other ethnicities.

Many Hispanic patients will require nasal tip narrowing and limited grafting to provide more strength to a droopy tip. A more refined tip can be achieved using additional tip grafts, which are especially important in women with thicker skin types and thin, long faces. This graft is typically not used in men, patients with thin skin, or those with rounder faces.

Nostril narrowing can be achieved with different techniques, depending on how much narrowing is appropriate for a given patient.

Some patients with flatter noses will benefit from a small graft to add height to the bridge of the nose. This helps to create the appearance of narrowing in patients with shallow nasal bones. These grafts can be taken from the nasal septum, especially if nasal obstruction is being corrected.

Turbinate surgery is often also required if comprehensive airway correction is needed.

5
April 9, 2008

Your rhinoplasty surgery should focus on your personal nasal features

Jason Litner, MD
Jason Litner, MD
Board Certified
Facial Plastic Surgeon

As would be expected with any ethnic population, we have found that there is a continuum of nasal features in our Hispanic population, rather than distinct types. Rather than trying to categorize various subgroups, here at Profiles we focus on your individual characteristics and your goals.

In general, we have found that our Hispanic patients’ facial and nasal characteristics can be differentiated from our Caucasian patients in the following ways:

  1. Broader faces, commonly with prominent cheek bones and a relatively small nose
  2. A slightly small chin
  3. A nasal hump
  4. Wider nostrils 
  5. Wider and lower nasal bridge
  6. Moderately thick, sebaceous skin

So what does this mean to you? It means that it is important for you to work with surgeons who will take the time to understand what you are trying to achieve and who are comfortable in dealing with different ethnic populations. We take these differences in anatomic and structural components into consideration in planning your surgery and in explaining to you, what can be accomplished with your surgery.

During your consultation we will work together to define what your goals are using computer imaging. Based on your desires and your individual anatomy, we will then devise a surgical plan which is best suited to achieve your individual goals.

Write a comment

(required, shown publicly)
(required, kept private)
  • Allowed HTML tags: <p> <br> <em> <strong> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <div>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • You may link to webpages through the weblinks registry

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
Enter the numbers in the image below (no spaces)
Image CAPTCHA

Comments for unregistered users are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines

Check out more Q+A about Rhinoplasty

Have a question? Ask it

IMPORTANT: As noted in our Terms of Service, the information found on RealSelf.com, including that provided by professionals in the Questions & Answers area, is a general educational aid. The Questions and Answers contain opinions and views created by community members. RealSelf.com is not responsible for the accuracy of any information posted by community members. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical or healthcare advice, or for diagnosis or treatment purposes.
  •     Cancel