Details on Asian Rhinoplasty

A successful rhinoplasty or nose job is determined by a result that looks harmonious with the overall face.  And for ethnic patients, this means their nose should complement their unique racial traits.

With more understanding and respect with racial traits, plastic surgeons have started using ethnic rhinoplasty when treating the Asian nose.  With this technique, the result will be compatible and harmonious with the Asian face.

Unlike in Caucasian nose surgery in which the usual aim is to make it smaller, Asian rhinoplasty often involves making it larger or at least “more defined.”

Most Asians asking for rhinoplasty want to achieve a more defined nasal bridge as they typically lack this feature.  To correct this aesthetic problem, doctors will likely use synthetic implants such as the silicone plastic which can provide great results as long as the patients have a thick skin that prevents implant visibility.

Aside from silicone plastic, surgeons may also use Gore-Tex which was first used for Caucasian patients.  But because of its lower risk of rejection and ability to provide a very natural result, manufacturers have decided to make a thicker version of this implant to accommodate the Asian nose.

However, some doctors advocate using a patient’s own tissue to build a nose bridge.  But unlike Caucasians, most Asians lack enough amount of septal tissue (the one that separates the left and right nostrils), making this technique impossible.  Fortunately, the ear can serve as a donor site.

Grafting tissue behind the ear does not result to visible scar and does not affect the hearing of patients.

Other potential donor sites include the hips, ribs, and skull.  However, many patients are not willing to undergo another surgery just to graft tissue from their body that is why most prefer synthetic nasal implants like the silicone plastic and Gore-Tex.

Compared to other ethnic groups, Asians have a nose that tolerates slightly less projection and definition, although a small alteration is often enough to create a dramatic improvement.

When treating the tip of the Asian nose, most doctors prefer using a patient’s own tissue because introducing synthetic implants in this area can result to implant rejection, visibility, protrusion, and other related complications.  However, this is not the case when treating the nasal bridge because it has enough coverage (because of the thicker skin).

To avoid destroying the ethnic features, plastic surgeons rarely narrow the nostrils.  This is because increasing the projection of the nose is often enough to create a narrowing effect.