Doctor said skin was too thick to get the results I wanted. Does that sound probable? (Photos)

It is possible to make it much smaller than it is now . However, as your surgeon mentioned that it takes longer for patients with thick skin to heal . Also, it’s not possible to expect unrealistic results such as a small nose when you have thick skin. With that said, I believe good outcome will happen after your rhinoplasty procedure. Best of luck to you

Hello! Thank you for your question.
As far as I can see from your photos your skin structure seems quite thick, but this is not an obstacle for rhinoplasty, the healing time may take longer than normal and thin skin. Even if the nose shape you want is not suitable for your skin structure, it is possible to get a more natural nose that is compatible with your face. I recommend you rhinoplasty surgery.
It would be better face to face consultation.
Best Regards!

That said, if you are looking to achieve tip lifting, and hump removal on profile, this may be considered depending on your examination. Perhaps the surgeon you consulted with is not comfortable operating on patients with oily skin types. Getting a second opinion from another reputable rhinoplasty specialist may be helpful for you. Thank you so much for this question. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

Thank you for your question. You should be able to have an excellent result with rhinoplasty. I would also plan for laser resurfacing of your nose 3 to 4 months after rhinoplasty to get rid of the thicker nasal tip skin. There is no reason that you should be able to have a rhinoplasty and have an excellent result. Best wishes to you.

Your skin appears to be quite thick. However, you would benefit from a rhinoplasty to create a more normal angle to the nose as well as refine the tip and take down the dorsal hump. If the skin thickness bothers you then it can be dermabraided to make it thinner.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Your surgeon has a good point but you could still get some improvement with rhinoplasty. As long as you realize the limitations I would have no problem performing a rhinoplasty on you

While it's true that super-thick skin can put a limit on the changes that are possible, it's really the relationship between the thickness of the skin and the strength of the underlying cartilages that's important and determining. For example, the bump just above the tip: is it hard, like cartilage, or soft and squishy, like thick skin? I personally would have to examine your nose in person in order to be able to give you an idea of how much improvement is possible with a rhinoplasty.

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your photograph, you may benefit from a tip refining rhinoplasty. Your surgeon can accomplish this by trimming, suturing, and reshaping the cartilage in your lower nose. Cartilage grafts may also be used to help improve tip refinement. You do have thick skin, but with good surgical technique, you could have an outstanding result. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified rhinoplasty surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Your pictures do reveal thick skin, but this can be a good feature, in some ways, after rhinoplasty, because thick skin can camouflage minor irregularities or imperfections.

Thick skin does make modifications more challenging as well as somewhat less likely to afford dramatic change.

You'll likely need strong underlying structural support to lift the nose, and this may require cartilage grafts (nasal septum, rib, or cadaver). Once the shape of the nose is improved, you can then reassess the skin itself. I would start with the framework on the nose, and the consider skin resurfacing a year or so later, if desired at that point.

Rhinoplasty surgery can be fairly complex.
For this procedure it’s best to seek the advice of plastic surgeons who either specialize exclusively in rhinoplasty surgery or those who have this as one of their main procedures of their practice.
Look for plastic surgeons who are members of the rhinoplasties society.
Bring pictures of yourself to use as reference during each consultation.
Plan on consulting with a number of providers before choosing a surgeon.
The more consultations you consult with the more likely, you are to find the right provider for your needs.
Getting an improved contour of your nose should be possible, but may be somewhat involved and probably will require some Cartlidge grafts.
You do have fake skin and this might inhibit getting very high definition of the tip of your nose, but I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for.
I think you should be able to get a nice improvement, but finding the right provider may take some looking around.
During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before and after pictures of previous patients who had similar nasal characteristics.
The more consultations you schedule the more likely you are to find the right provider for your needs.
Most plastic surgeons are average.
To get an exceptional outcome, you need an exceptional provider.
A sufficiently experienced provider should have done lots of cases in the past of other patients who had similar nasal characteristics.
Your surgeon probably did you a favor by not trying to do an operation he or she wasn’t comfortable with.
Perhaps they thought the skin was an issue and it may be, but you should still be able to get some nice improvements.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD