How Well Do Skin Grafts Match From Inner Ear to Nose?

Skin grafts and flaps are commonly done for reconstruction of nostrils. A graft is never a perfect match but doesn't change the surrounding anatomy as a flap from neighboring skin can do. Even if a patch of skin were taken from the other nostril (no one would do this), skin grafts change color and texture because they grow a new blood supply.with makeup skin grafts can look very good, and the conchal bowl of the ear provides a good match for many nostril defects provided that the hole is not too deep as the skin in the bowl of the ear is thin but its oil glands give a more similar texture than other grafts.

Full-thickness skin grafts can be a great option for reconstruction of nasal Mohs defects. They often require dermabrasion ("sanding" of the skin graft and surrounding skin) to help them blend in optimally.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Many different criteria are taken into consideration by the Mohs surgeon in determining the best donor site for a skin graft.  These include:  color, texture, pore size, thickness, and presence of lesions or hair.  The skin in the inner ear (known as the conchal bowl) is a very good match to the skin of the nostril.  They have similar color, texture, and pore size which make for an excellent match.