Can my nose be slimmed down without breaking my nose?

The architecture of the nose is devised into thirds. The upper third is bone and the lower two thirds is cartilage. Inorder to thin your nose, bone thinning or osteotomies are usually done, but augmentation of your bridge and tip can be performed with implants and therefore you can get away with not bringing in the bones.

The short answer is...yes. Often African American rhinoplasty, which i perform on a routine basis, includes raising or augmenting the dorsum/bridge of the nose to raise the height and have a more narrow appearance. Breaking the nasal bones (osteotomies) is not always required, however an appropriate in person consultation is always best to determine the most appropriate procedure for you. The remainder of the procedure generally entails reshaping the cartilage of the tip, as well as adding additional cartilage for refinement, projection and definition. Lasty, reducing the flare of the nostrils, in appropriate candidates, will further narrow the appearance of the nose.  At times, it helps our patients conceptualize the described procedure with computer imaging. You must first start with a consultation by a board certified plastic surgeon who has much experience in ethnic rhinoplasty. Best of Luck. Dr Sam Gershenbaum

Narrowing of nasal bones is required in certain cases of African American Rhinoplasty  for best results..  In some situations Dorsal augmentation with a dorsal graft without nasal bone narrowing can provide a nice result. See an expert in rhinoplasty and see if they think you can achieve the result you are looking for without nasal bone fracturing.  

Hello. A photo would help with determining your needs, however, in general an infracture is needed to reduce your width. Some would advocate using a rib graft to give the illusion of narrowing but the results, at times, may look unnatural resulting in a bigger nose. Good luck
Best regards 
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Hi. A flat wide nose does not need to be broken usually.  To "slim it down" you have to elevate the bridge.  That can easily be done non-surgical using Restylane or surgical using cartilage.  The elevation of the bridge is what creates the definition and slimming effect.  The tip and nostrils are a whole different issue but we are discussing the bridge here.  I would have to see your pictures to be able to be more specific.  Occasionally the nasal bones do need to be broken in a Black patient but its rare.  Breaking of the bones is not a big deal compared to all the other maneuvers and risks in a rhinoplasty.  

We commonly see patients who are African American and essentially want a smaller nose but not a white or Caucasian nose.  Only in about 20% of our patients do we break the nasal bones.  This is done for patients for whom the middle portion or "middle vault part" of their nose is very wide.Also as your tip sharpens it will give the appearance of a narrower nose somewhat like when you look at the keel or front of a boat and the sides do not look as wide compared to looking at the back part of the boat.

Ordinarily plastic surgeons carefully fracture and reposition the nasal bones to narrow the nose. However, in some patients who have a flat, non-projecting nose, just increasing the projection of the nasal dorsum will make the nose appear narrower. This can be accomplished with cartilage grafts that can be harvested from the patient’s nasal septum, ear or ribs, or sometimes with placement of a silicone rubber implant. An experienced plastic surgeon should evaluate you to determine the best approach in your specific case.

So, I would not get hung up on the word 'broken'. It is critical to move the bones and that requires a chisel to free the bone up and move it toward the center. Breaking the nose implies a violent assault. The surgical procedure is far from that. There are precise bone separations made to move things, and you are asleep. Anybody who tells you they can give you a good result without moving the bones is dead wrong.Best,Talmage Raine MD

Hi,The short answer is yes. I don’t think you will need to break any bones. A dorsal augmentation with either cartilage or silicone can do the trick. In addition, defatting the tip and restructuring the cartilage reduce bulbosity if it is needed in your case. African American Rhinoplasty is by far the most challenging cosmetic operation in cosmetic surgery. This because the anatomy and skin thickness requires special techniques to achieve desired results. Do your research online and try to choose a surgeon that can deliver results that you seek. Surgeons before and afters will help you with that. You can also send me your photos for computer imaging.See weblink for in depth review of my techniques.Best,Dr. S

African-American noses that are flat and wide require what we call an augmentation rhinoplasty in order to make them look slimmer. I prefer to use cartilage for this, often rib if there is not enough septal cartilage. Your body always prefers your own tissue over any foreign material. You should seek a consultation(s) with an experienced nasal surgeon that is comfortable with this technique.