Can my Type of "African American" Nose Be Fixed

African-American rhinoplasty can be performed with a high success rate.  All your areas of concern can be addressed.  No matter whether a surgeon performs an ethnic or non-ethnic rhinoplasty there are limitations to corrections.

Good Luck.

 

Dr. ES

The loaded part of your question is "will my nose be fixed the way you want it?"Communication is very important to make sure that you do wind up with the nose you want. Computer imaging is a great tool that allows you to see several changes and feel comfortable that you both are on the same page. By building up your bridge the nose will look narrower. The tip can be refined as well. The degree of refinement is something you will have to share with the doctor.Yes, a lot of options exist to help make your nose more refined and smaller.

Yes, all the issues you addressed can be done and with a natural nose. You should see live patients that the surgeon has done and he should do a large number of them. We have our patients meet with patients we have in other parts of the country.

African American rhinoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure that reshapes the nose to improve its appearance and function while preserving the patient's ethnic features. It's also known as an ethnic rhinoplasty, a term used by many plastic surgeons to describe nose surgeries for non-European patients. The goal of African American rhinoplasty is to achieve a natural-looking result that complements the patient's other facial features. It can address a variety of concerns, such as:A wide nasal bridgeFlared nostrilsA deviated septumThe size, shape, or function of the nose The type of technique used depends on the patient's goals and specific characteristics. Some common techniques include:Alarplasty: Narrows the nostrils by removing soft tissueDorsum surgery: Narrows the cartilage and bone that runs down the nasal bridgeTip rhinoplasty: Reshapes, refines, or lifts the nasal tip Patients who are good candidates for African American rhinoplasty are usually in good health, non-smokers, and have realistic expectations.

Without a proper consultation, it’s difficult to determine what type of rhinoplasty technique will provide you with the results you’d like. For a more accurate analysis, photos would be necessary to determine what techniques would be required. While all rhinoplasty techniques are designed to address the appearance of the nose, some lend themselves better to the unique anatomical structures of the African American nose.  Ethnic rhinoplasty poses its own challenges because skin, bone, and cartilage structure all differ among ethnic groups. For this very reason, Southern Plastic Surgery does not charge for consultations. We offer experience and comfort with the unique African American nasal structure and its specific needs. We encourage you to visit and ask all the questions you have regarding your aesthetic goals. It is important to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced with both traditional and ethnic rhinoplasty to help guide you in achieving aesthetically-pleasing results.

Basically, everything that you want done seems reasonable to me. The question is why you haven't found someone who has earned your trust or who seems to be able to present a reasonable plan to you. First, start with someone who has the interest and the experience with nasal surgery - all the better if he's done a lot of African American noses. Even a specialist cannot change everything about every nose, but he will deliver the result that's closest to your expectations. Nasal bridge augmentation, narrowing of the bridge, nostrils and shaping/refinement of the tip are all possible with your nose. It is a more involved Rhinoplasty than many of course but definitely worth pursuing if you yourself have reasonable expectations and are deemed a good candidate by your surgeon. Best of Luck  Dr Harrell

It is very important to have realistic expectations for ethnic rhinoplasty prior to undergoing surgery. Look for a surgeon who has performed thousands of rhinoplasty surgeries. During the rhinoplasty procedure, the tip can be narrowed with suture techniques to the lower lateral cartilages and the bridge can  be narrowed with medial and lateral osteotomies and an alarplasty can be performed to reduce wide nostrils. For many examples, please see the link below to our rhinoplasty photo  gallery  

African American rhinoplasty is common and typically addresses the round full wide low tip and the low and wide upper part of the nose.  All the things that you are looking for are usually part of an African American rhinoplasty procedure.  You just haven't found the right plastic surgeon yet.  Good luck!

Dr. Parham Ganchi

I agree with Dr. Naderi in that some who performs a number of rhinoplasties as well as complicated secondary and tertiary rhinoplasties will be more than capable of providing you with an appropriate surgical result.

You have common concerns that are treated with dorsal augmentation and columella struts and probably weir excisions ot narrow the base.