Rhinoplasty and skin thickening: is it possible to treat thick skin on the nose before a rhinoplasty? (Photos)

Hello and thank you for your question.  Your skin can be "de-bulked" or thinned during surgery.  I would not suggest doing it pre-operatively as any such procedure may potentially compromise the vascularity of the skin and cause complications postoperatively...   It is difficult to tell from the oblique view of your nose, but if you do undergo a rhinoplasty, be sure your surgeon addresses all your aesthetic goals and concerns specifically, and discusses the surgery details including the position and size of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just digital animations), the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative course.  Also, be sure to see plenty of before-and-after pictures in women who have a similar nose appearance to yours, and preferably at different time frames (3 weeks out, 3 months out, etc) to more accurately predict your own surgical outcome.

After seeking out a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in aesthetic plastic surgery, I think the most important component of the consultation is to establish a good connection with your plastic surgeon.  It’s the connection that allows you to clearly define your desired nose outcome goals, the first step of this whole process. If you don’t feel you have a good connection with your plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may not be the best surgeon for you.

For more information on rhinoplasty, please refer to my link below.

Good luck.

Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS

Harvard-trained Board Certified Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

Hello.Thank you for your question. There is treatment for thick skin after operation . local cortisones injections after operation can be treatment for that. but in your picture it seems from that  that thickening is being caused by cartilage tissue underlying your skin. 

Hello and thank you for your question.  There is no need to try to reduce the thickness of this area prior to surgery.  Based on your photographs, you may benefit from a tip refining rhinoplasty which can be performed by trimming, suturing, and reshaping the cartilage in your lower nose.  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