My Nose is Flat and Wide, Would Laser Work? (photo)

Rhinoplasty involves reshaping the nose by changing the underlying structures such as bone and cartilage. Very little can be done to the thickness of skin. Lasers only have a role in special cases of disease process involving the nasal skin such as rhinophyma.Your pictures are very blurred but you do not appear to need laser treatments. Contact a board certified plastic surgeon in your area regarding limitations of rhinoplasty in cases of thick skin.

The way we make large fleshy noses appear smaller is the opposite of how we make noses with thin skin and strong cartilages smaller. For fleshy noses, the cartilages are usually thin and weak. Adding cartilage grafts (from your own nose) as well as removing some of the fat or fleshy tissue under the skin will make your nose look smaller.

Lasers only treat the surface of the skin and are great for winkles or pigment but won't shrink a nose.
 

Find a rhinoplasty specialist near you to discuss how to make your nose more shapely.

I read your concerns and reviewed your photos which are limited for evaluation.

You appear to have a wide nose, as you describe, but your oblique photos appear to show a bump which is not typical with a "flat" nose. Your thick skin may or may not be limiting, and an in-person consultation would be required. Given your olive skin color, I'm not sure what type of laser treatments your surgeon is recommending. If a prospective rhinoplasty patient has significant acne or inflammation involving their nose, I may suggest consultation with a dermatologist to control the acne and inflammation. I have not had the opportunity to refer any of my ethnic patients for laser treatments before nose job surgery.

You may want to check abfprs.org to find local certified rhinoplasty specialists for a fresh second opinion.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Joseph

Rhinoplasty with removal of excess fat below the skin is what you need not a laser. 

The major factors in nose surgery are the framework of the bones and the cartilage.  Thick skin and/or excess soft tissue or fat can affect the overall framework, but you need to address that first.  I would seek other opinions since you may be surprised by the answers or approaches to your problem.  I would have the surgery with the person you feel most comfortable with and listens to you carefully.

I suggest getting another opinion with a board-certified surgeon who has extensive experience with rhinoplasty.  You should be able to get a very nice result with a rhinoplasty, despite the thickness of your skin.  You may have slightly prolonged swelling, and the more subtle results with be less visible, but nonetheless a dramatic change could be achieved with surgery.  Lasers will not change the bone or cartilage.  Good luck, /nsn.

That just sounds bizarre.   Anything may be possible but you need to have several other consults.  

 

Chase Lay MD

All noses typically have bone and cartilage constituting the framework. Some individuals may have a thicker, fatty layer under their skin. However this does not stop them from getting great results with a Rhinoplasty, as long as their surgeon has prepared them for reasonable expectations. See several surgeons who have experience in Rhinoplasty before making any final decision. From what I can see a Rhinoplasty procedure would be expected to narrow the nose, better define and project the tip of the nose and to refine the nose in all dimensions. Best of Luck  Dr Harrell

Thank you for your question. Laser resurfacing can tighten skin but it will not change the shape of your nose.

A Rhinoplasty is needed to improve a flat wide nose. The structures underneath the skin that shape the nose must be modified.

 Laser affects the thickness of skin only and will have zero impact on wide nasal cartilages and bones.  These require Rhinoplasty to shape and refine their size and shape.  Hope this helps.