Rhinoplasty for the African American Patient

Over the years, we have found that many patients that come from different ethnic backgrounds want a rhinoplasty because their nose is oversized or has a distinct shape that does not match their face. However, there is often some confusion when we explain that augmentation rhinoplasty is often needed in order to make their nose look smaller.

While we recognize that there is tremendous variability in every parameter of the African American noses: including nostril shape and flare, nasal length, skin thickness, columella length, nasal projection, and bridge height; numerous studies have shown that African American patients, on average, tend to have:

1. Weak, Short Tip Cartilages– results in tip looking short and droopy

2. Wider, Bulbous Nasal Tips

3. Wider Variability in Nostril Shape

4. Greater Nostril Flare (bigger nostril curvature)- makes tip look wide

5. Acute Nasolabial Angle– again can make tip look droopy

6. Thin, Weak Septal Cartilage– harder to support and refine nose

7. Wider, Lower Nasal Bridges– makes nose look wide and washed out

8. Thicker Skin– makes it more difficult to add tip definition and refinement

9. Excess Tissue in the Nasal Tip– resulting in poor tip definition

With all of this being said, over the years we have found that the most challenging part in African American rhinoplasty is correcting the deficiency in tip projection in the face of a bulbous, amorphic tip with thick skin. In other words, the nose is at once short and wide.

As a result, in this type of nose it is important to build up and add to the tip structure in order to not only provide adequate support but also to give lasting tip definition and refinement. And at the same tip we must recognize that most of our patients are seeking a thinner, more refined nasal tip that is not built up too much. So as you can see in our example below a balance must be created between appropriate refinement without excessive projection.

This professional African American presented after noticing that over time his nose had started to droop and widen. You will note that even 3 months after surgery the improvement in tip definition and refinement is significant.

A bulbous nasal tip is one of the most common reasons for patients to seek rhinoplasty. A bulbous tip, often called a boxy tip, refers to a tip that is too wide and prominent in proportion to the rest of the nose and other facial features. The key focus in our approach to bulbous tips is in emphasizing creation of a sense of tip refinement and definition rather than excessive narrowing.

To accomplish this, we rely heavily on suture techniques that draw the tip cartilages into exactly the shape we want rather than relying too much on older techniques that involve removal of strips of cartilage from the tip in order to make it smaller. The advantage of our approach is an extraordinary degree of reliability and predictability that can do away with potential problems like pinching of the tip, loss of tip support, and breathing issues.

One other consideration in evaluating bulbous tips is the need to address any other contributing factors. Many bulbous tips are not just wide — they are too prominent in all dimensions including being overprojected, or pointing out too far away from the face. Often, and especially in ethnic patients, the fatty tissue overlying the tip cartilage is also thick and needs to be dealt with if we hope to get the best possible result. The open technique is by far the superior approach for dealing with both of these issues because the cartilage and fatty tissue can be addressed directly as opposed to using indirect methods to deproject the tip that potentially weaken tip support. This allows us to create a tip that is symmetrical, smooth, and strong enough to hold up for a lifetime.

The patient below is shown before and 1 year after open rhinoplasty for refinement of a bulbous tip. Note how the boxy appearance has been transformed into a more triangular contour while remaining smooth and without looking pinched.

Many rhinoplasty patients are interested in narrowing their wide nostrils at the base of their nose but many are afraid of obvious scars or of having a distorted or pinched look. There is the potential for these sorts of problems if nostril narrowing is not planned and done properly but, with care and appropriate technique, this can be a really nice finishing touch to a great rhinoplasty.

There are a few different techniques for narrowing wide nostrils, known as alar base reduction. The 2 most popular techniques are shown below followed by the technique that we use. We’ll illustrate for you how it is done and the effect that each technique has on the nostril shape.

The photos above show the most popular technique for nostril reduction, called Weir incisions. This involves removing a wedge of tissue from the edge of the nostril where it meets the cheek (shaded in blue). The arrow indicates the direction in which the edge of the nostril is then pulled down and re-sewn. While the scar is well hidden here, it has a tendency to flatten the nostril by removing its natural curvature. When done over-aggressively, the tip can take on a very unnaturally pinched triangular shape as seen on the right. When too much skin is removed, the skin closure is under tension and can result in a poor scar that will need further treatment to get it looking acceptable.

The photos above show another common technique for nostril narrowing, called Joseph incisions. This involves removal of a wedge of skin from the base of the nose in an area known as the nasal sill (the blue shaded area). The edges of skin are then pulled together in the direction of the arrows under some tension. Again, over-reliance on this technique can cause scars that are widened and nostrils that appear abnormally notched as shown in the photo on the right.

The final set of photos above demonstrate our modified alar base narrowing technique. This is the method we use for Beverly Hills nostril reduction in our patients. Our method involves removal of a crescent-shaped wedge of skin from the sill followed by incision just above the nostril crease. The entire nostril is then moved inwards in the direction of the arrow to recreate a normal nostril contour.

The benefits of this technique are numerous. With this procedure, the scars typically heal invisibly within a week or two because they are concealed. Furthermore, the scars are not under any tension, resulting in fast healing even in ethnic patients or cases where the patient has thicker skin. The natural curve of the nostril, as well as the crease between the nostril and cheek, are both preserved. A major advantage is that this procedure can be customized to each patient’s specific needs, which means that we can address elements like the width, flare, and internal shape of the nostril. The simulation on the right shows how this technique can achieve a beautifully-proportioned natural nostril narrowing. Check out our dedicated rhinoplasty site or our online rhinoplasty textbook for more details.

Another potential pitfall occurs when a thick-skinned nose must be reduced significantly in size. Thick skin tends not to contract as much or as quickly as we might like after surgery. If the nasal tip or bridge is reduced too much, the space in between the reduced nasal skeleton and the skin can fill in with scar tissue over time. The result can be a nose that may be somewhat smaller, but is amorphous in shape and poorly supported. It tends to look a little ‘blobby’ once healed and patients often end up unhappy because they wanted a small, refined nose instead of a small, unrefined one. To avoid this outcome, we will usually recommend reducing your nose a little more conservatively in this situation. Thick skin requires more support, so leaving a strong nasal framework is an especially good idea in this setting. A very nice and dramatic result can still be had and a moderately smaller, but refined, nose will tend to look much better for you. Sometimes we can push along the skin shrinkage with steroid injection and having you tape your skin at night for an extended period after surgery to achieve the optimal result. It’s important to keep in mind also that thicker-skinned patients will usually take longer to see the degree of refinement they want, sometimes up to 2 years or more after surgery.