Is my Skin Too Thin for Revision Rhinoplasty? (photo)

Question

I had my rhinoplasty in 2007 for a deviated septum and he also reduced the tip and projection. The tip of my nose is quite thin and i have been told by my surgeon here that the skin is too thin to have a revision. He said that any kind of graft etc will show through. He also mentioned that even if the results are good initally over time the grafts will show through and long term i will regret my decision. Could you please advise if this is the case. Also what would you recommend to fix my nose.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Thin skin may expose more subtleties of a tip graft.  However, there are means of buffering the cartilage grafts to make them less noticeable. I use fascial wraps to hide some of these subtle features.

Thomas A. Mustoe, MD, FACS · Answer

Unless the skin is heavily scarred, with careful attention to surgical technique, it should not be a problem with revision rhinoplasty.  From the appearance of the photograph, it should not be a significant problem.  The surgeon should be very familiar with rhinoplasty.  It can be difficult to tell from photos, but from the photograph it would appear that you would benefit.  Cartilage grafts, and fascial grafts can often be very useful, but sometimes, careful removal of scar tissue is the major manuever needed.

Behrooz Torkian, MD · Answer

Hello Zahra,  While in some cases thin skin may be a deterrent to revisional procedures on the nose, your pictures certainly do not show this.  While in some cases fascia grafts can be used to camouflage grafts, in others a properly shaped and placed graft should not be visible through medium thickness skin.  The pictures you have posted show notching of the alae (nostrils) and fullness in the lateral supratip area (alar groove).  This type of deformity can be corrected in many cases by simply repositioning cartilage of the lateral portion of the tip cartilage and may not require grafts at all.  I would suggest you seek other opinions in person by qualified rhinoplasty surgeons in your area.

Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS · Answer

Thin skin alone does not preclude you from being a candidate for revision rhinoplasty.  Your surgeon is certainly correct to say the chance of grafts and other irregularities being visible in your tip is higher with thin skin, but there are techniques to camouflage them.  One of these techniques is to use fascia (thin covering around your scalp) to camouflage these grafts.

Moneer Jaibaji, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question and the photos. Thining of the skin can happen after rhinoplasty, but usually revision can be performed with no problems.  The only problem here is its difficult to comment on your nose just by looking at the photos. You need to see another plastic surgeon who has interest in revision nasal surgery. I hope this is helpful

Is my Skin Too Thin for Revision Rhinoplasty? (photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: Techniques to camouflage grafts in patients with thin skin during rhinoplasty

Answer: Techniques to camouflage grafts in patients with thin skin during rhinoplasty

Answer: Skin too thin for revision rhinoplasty

Answer: Skin too thin for revision rhinoplasty

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Is my Skin Too Thin for Revision Rhinoplasty? (photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: Techniques to camouflage grafts in patients with thin skin during rhinoplasty

Answer: Techniques to camouflage grafts in patients with thin skin during rhinoplasty

Answer: Skin too thin for revision rhinoplasty

Answer: Skin too thin for revision rhinoplasty

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Revision Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.