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Why Does the Skin Thicken After Rhinoplasty Surgery?

asked 3 years ago by mssmith393 in Australia
Latest answer by Anil R. Shah, MD
Question viewed 10,170 times
Tags: thicken

I have had 3 rhinoplastys due to a couple of errors, and now the middle part (the skin) of my nose has thickened. It doesn't look natural because my tip is thin and the above part of my nose is thick.

My last operation I had the skin thinned, but it didn't really help. Why has this happened? And what are my options? Is cortisone therapy an option? Thank you for reading this. Please help!

8 answers to Why Does the Skin Thicken After Rhinoplasty Surgery?

The answer depends on your operation

Greetings, There are several reasons for the apparent thickening of your nose. One is that scar tissue has built up under the skin. In this case, steroid injections may be beneficial to decrease the amount of thickening. Another possible cause is tissue that was placed in your nose as part of the previous rhinoplasty procedures. In some cases, either a person's own cartilage or bone and in others artificial substances are placed under the skin to provide cosmetic changes in the nose.... more

D.J. Verret, MD
Dallas Facial Plastic Surgeon

Most likely scar tissue and skin type

Hi Ms Smith, Sorry to hear about your unsatisfactory rhinoplasty results. It is difficult to answer your question without before and after pictures of your nose. Thick, oily nasal skin is difficult to work with. With this type of skin, if too much cartilage and bone are removed, the nose may lose definition, and the skin may appear to thicken. In some patients there is scar tissue formation after nasal surgery that may take months to years to resolve. Steroid (Kenalog) injections may... more

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Thickened skin after rhinoplasty can occur from repeat operations

Thickened skin after rhinoplasty can occur from repeat operations; however, this is more common in the tip area of the nose. You may have developed some excess scar tissue in the middle third of the nose which can cause this problem. Alternatively, sometimes an underlying implant or cartilage graft may be the result of a thickend middle third of the nose. Kenalog injections in that area judiciously used can sometimes thin the underlying skin and soft tissues. Thick oily skin can also be the... more

Scott Trimas, MD
Jacksonville Facial Plastic Surgeon

Rhinoplasty and skin

Thickened skin after rhinoplasty is most likely due to swelling or scar tissue development. Actually, most commonly the skin thins regardless if the surgeon attempts to thin it or not.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Thicker skin is a common result of mutiple rhinoplasty surgeries

Skin thickening happens because each time you repeat rhinoplasty surgery, scar tissue builds up after each rhinoplasty surgery. Has it clearly been determined that it is excess skin and not too much or too little cartilage or bone? The appearance of “thicker skin” could be part of the cartilage or bone left. Steroids can help with swelling. Steroid treatments should be done with caution soon after surgery. Keep in mind that a common side effect of steroid treatment is... more

Usha Rajagopal, MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

Skin Thickening After A Rhinoplasty

Skin can seem thicker after a rhinoplasty procedure. Typically, it is the result of scar formation in the subcutaneous tissue. In some cases, skin can become noticeably thinner after a rhinoplasty, termed "shrink wrapping". Post rhinoplasty, if patients exhibit excessive swelling- which can lead to scar tissue formation, taping and kenalog injections can help decrease the formation of scar tissue. There are also skin care products which can help... more

Anil R. Shah, MD
Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon

Revision Rhinoplasty and skin thickening

It is most likely that the thickening of the skin on the nasal bridge and dorsum is due to deposition of collagen, or scar, along the nasal dorsum and cartilage. This may affect skin aesthetics and texture. Speak to your surgeon as they may be able to use a special injection to soften the scar tissue.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Thick Skin After Rhinoplasty

Eva Thickening of the skin above the tip can happen after rhinoplasty especially if you had thicker skin in this area before surgery, a large hump was removed and excessive scar tissue forms. The swelling in the morning is due to vascular congestion. Kenalog injections, if done properly, can help thin this area even after 5 years. It is important that these injections are not too concentrated and are not done too superficially. It is also possible that not enough cartilage or not enough... more

Daniel Reichner, MD
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon

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