I’m African American and I’ve heard that skin thickness will factor into the result of my rhinoplasty. How is this so?

Thickness of the nasal skin plays an important part in rhinoplasty. I understand you have thick nasal skin. In your case, it is challenging to achieve definition of the nasal tip because the thick nasal skin will obscure the underlying cartilage of the nasal tip. It is this cartilage that provides the nasal tip definition. Therefore, I would consider using cartilage from your septum to help achieve more refinement of the nasal tip. Another issue with thick nasal skin is postoperative swelling. A lot of nasal tip swelling will resolve within the first month of surgery. However, there will still be some persistent nasal tip swelling in your case due to the thick nasal skin. As such, it will take approximately 6-12 months for the nasal tip swelling to fully resolve and for the nasal tip refinement to be fully appreciated.

Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.