A New York magazine article making the rounds this summer asks, “Is Race Plastic?” The author ventures into what a headline calls the “minefield” of ethnic plastic surgery and, despite that charged description, emerges with a fairly nuanced view of the practice.

In Dr. Batniji’s long experience with ethnic rhinoplasty, most non-Caucasian patients aren’t looking for a stereotypically “Caucasian” nose.

That’s because there is ample beauty and refinement to be found in noses of every background. Secondly, what patients want is to improve their overall appearance and/or their nasal functioning while retaining their ethnic identity.

What is true — and what accounts for plastic surgeons assigning this procedure its “ethnic” classification —  is that certain nasal features tend to be characteristic of particular ethnic groups.

Look across the spectrum of Anglo, African, Asian, Hispanic and Middle Eastern faces, and you see the variations. One ethnicity’s signature is a nose that is broad, flat, pointed or pinched in comparison to others. Nasal skin is often thicker and more sebaceous in one group than another — a consequence of evolution’s adaptive responses to different local climates.

A skilled and experienced rhinoplasty specialist has to account for these differences, in addition to the unique properties of every single nose, whatever its skin tone.

Dr. Batniji is a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon located in Newport Beach, California, who has extensive experience in creating beautiful, natural ethnic noses. He advises ethnic rhinoplasty candidates on their options, and offers candid guidance on what the procedure can and cannot reasonably achieve.

Dr. Batnjii is affiliated with several accredited outpatient surgery centers and hospitals throughout Southern California including Newport Beach Surgery Center. To learn more about surgery, recovery time, and what to expect from a fully healed nose, schedule a consultation by calling (949) 650-8882 or (310) 467-2180, or contact the doctor online.