Can a Plastic Surgeon Remove Skin During Rhinoplasty?

Question

Can a plastic surgeon remove skin during rhinoplasty to make it narrow? If yes, does it look abnormal? Are there are any risks?

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

If you mean can skin be removed from the bridge of the nose--No. It will leave a scar. The base can be narrowed with skin removal.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The rhinoplasty procedure is not a skin procedure, but a sculpting of cartilage and bone, the skin just re-drapes over the new cartilaginous and bony framework. Any excision of skin would make a visible scar along the dorsal aesthetic lines of the nose and would be cosmetically unacceptable.

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD · Answer

Skin can be removed during rhinoplasty using alar base reductions to remove wedges of skin from the nostril area. This would help narrow the base of the nose. This can be done safely and where the nose looks natural afterward.

	Other than that it isn't typical to remove skin from the nose. Even in cases where the nose is made smaller, the skin will shrink wrap down to the new size. There are limits to how much shrink wrapping can be done; this is where we must assess the nasal anatomy to make sure we don't overdo making the nasal reduction.

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

The skin removed during rhinoplasty is limited to the base of the nose and if needed columella for open rhinoplasty. The skin over the bridge of the nose will shrink to fit the new nasal shape and form and need not be removed.
	Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com

Jason Litner, MD · Answer

Hi Sono,

	You've asked a good question. Skin excision is not typically done in the majority of rhinoplasties. However, when significant deprojection is desired and accomplished, it is possible to remove some excess skin from the open rhinoplasty incision. In fact, this is another specific advantage of the open technique.

	Skin is also removed as part of an alar base reduction procedure to narrow the nostrils.

	All the best,

Jacob Freiman, MD, FACS · Answer

An interesting question. Skin excision during rhinoplasty is NOT a common part of the procedure. It would be important to know where your surgeon plans to excise the skin from to comment. Your preoperative photos and an internal and external examination are necessary.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

The skin, of the nose, will shrink to fit the smaller nose after a Rhinoplasty and does not need to be removed. Be sure your Rhinoplasty Surgeon understands and follows the proper aesthetics of facial (and nasal) beauty for the creation of a naturally, more attractive nose.

Can a Plastic Surgeon Remove Skin During Rhinoplasty?

Answers (7)

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