Is it possible to thin out thick nasal skin?

Question

I've consulted two doctors concerning rhinoplasty. Both of them agree that my nose has thick nasal skin. However, one of them assured me that the fat in my nose can be removed, while the other said that it is not possible. Can thick nasal skin be fixed? Should I go with the first doctor, or is the second being more realistic? Thanks.

Roger Tsai, MD · Answer

Great question!  Although the skin itself cannot be thinned out, the tissue under it, such as the fatty tissue can be removed to decrease the thickness of the skin envelope overall.  Understand that thick skinned patient tend to see less results, especially at the tip of the nose.Best of luck and hope this information helps!
- Dr. Roger Tsai  @DrRogerTsai
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Suleyman Tas, MD, FEBOPRAS · Answer

Hello,
Thank you for your question. The answer is yes. The patients with thick skin are more likely to own a thick and oily nose. Usually this type of skin is genetic. The skin on the nose is more noticeable. The healing process after rhinoplasty takes more time. The thick skin is like a thick blanket that covers the shape of the nose. Thick skinned patients can also have a rhinoplasty but the process needs more control and may require extra treatment before and after the surgery. The aim is to make the skin thinner. Thanks to these treatments positive and satisfying results can be achieved after a rhinoplasty by the right surgeon. Depending on realistic expectations a beautiful and natural looking nose, that suits your face can be achieved by the help of the Closed and Atraumatic Rhinoplasty, which minimizes swelling and bruises, maximizes healing and prevents tissue damage. To find out more please click on the attached link.  
Best Regards

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

While nasal skin cannot be thinned, if the problem is tissue underneath the surface, that can be altered. Keep in mind that thicker skin limits how much correction you can achieve through rhinoplasty, although it doesn’t rule out the surgery altogether. Make sure you select a board-certified plastic surgeon with ample experience in ethnic rhinoplasty, as these surgeries often involve working with thicker skin on the nasal tip to achieve aesthetically-pleasing results. Good luck to you!

Luis A. Mejia, MD · Answer

hello thank you for your question and provided information as well;..based in your question if you apply yes but  its difficulted evaulate your case if the question dont have a picture, its recommended to get a consultation in personal with a plastic surgeon.

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

Many people with thick and oily nasal tip skin have an "intradomal fat pad" that lives between the right and left tip cartilages. In select people, this fibrofatty tissue may be removed to allow improved nasal tip definition. Hope this helps! Dr Joseph

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

Thick nasal skin and thinning it.  The actual skin of the nose cannot be thin but the muscle and fat and fascia can be removed to appear thinner and still achieve a great deal of improvement with a rhinoplasty. See a very experienced rhinoplasty surgeon for this.

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

I don't think there's any way to thin out nasal skin. There's no fat in the nose, so there's none to remove. If you try to carve skin thinner, you'll create scarring, and it'd be awful. So that might help your decision.
But of course you need to see both doctors' before and afters. For example, if the doctor who  suggested thinning the skin has gorgeous before and afters, then maybe there was some communication glitch. 
Remember that rhinoplasty is an exquisitely difficult operation to get right, and you should only have surgery if you are able to make yourself very confident in your surgeon's skills.  For most noses, it's much better to not have surgery than to have inexpertly-performed surgery. Read my essay on how to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon.

Justin C. Cohen, MD, FACS · Answer

Thick nasal skin can certainly be a limiting factor when it comes to refining the nose. Conservative thinning is possible; it's typically done in the area called the "supratip" which is the region just on top of the nasal tip.  Aggressive removal of subcutaneous tissues is not recommended as this can disrupt the blood supply and lead to skin necrosis.  To answer your question, yes it's possible, but it should be limited and done with care and caution.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  The best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  It would also be helpful to view pictures of your nose.  Thick nasal skin can be thinned by debulking of soft tissue in the nasal tip.   Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and not just a computer animation system.  You should be able to view numerous pictures of actual patients with noses similar to yours performed by your surgeon.  If you cannot find enough real before and after pictures, then consider continuing your search for a surgeon. 
 
 Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D. FACS

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

William Portuese, MD · Answer

you know, it is not possible to then out the nasal skin.  Narrow the nasal tip cartilages requires suture techniques and conservative cartilage removal.  Some of the fascia the excess in the nasal tip can be thinned down which will help give the appearance of a slimmer nasal tip.  Patients who have thick skin in the nasal tip will require a series of  monthly steroid shots to reduce the significant swelling that occurs in patients with thick skin.  The follow-up appointments with your surgeon are just as important as the surgery itself

Is it possible to thin out thick nasal skin?

Answers (15)

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