The term Ethnic Rhinoplasty is much more than a cleverly conceived term used by surgeons to market to non-Caucasian patients. It also can be an important factor in narrowing down your choice of surgeon, if you are non-Caucasian. A board certified facial plastic surgeon with expertise in Ethnic Rhinoplasty should only be considered. If you are African American, Asian, Hispanic or Indian seeking a rhinoplasty it is wise to find a board certified facial plastic surgeon that specializes in Ethnic Rhinoplasty.
Isn’t there more than one ethnicity?
The umbrella “Ethnic Rhinoplasty” term can be slightly misleading as it rounds up all non-Caucasian ethnicities into one group. There are unique anatomies specific to all ethnicities and subsequently different approaches to rhinoplasty depending on where you and your ancestors are from. Even within large ethnic groupings such as “Asia” are subsets of specificity where proportion and dimension are dependent on the region and Country. For example, ancestry from Northern Asia – perhaps 15% need narrowing. The need for narrowing is more common in Southern Asians. A facial plastic surgeon who specializes in the particular needs of the African American patient may not be the perfect surgeon to perform a rhinoplasty on an Asian nose. African Americans seeking cosmetic rhinoplasty will have different concerns than Indian, Asian or Hispanic.
African American Rhinoplasty
For example, African Americans considering rhinoplasty will most commonly want to consider:
Width reduction of a wide nasal ala or nostrils.
Thinning and reshaping of a wide nasal tip, addressing the lower third of the nose and tip lobule and cartilage grafts are often used to add support, structure and definition.
Nasal Dorsum or bridge refinement. African American patients seeking rhinoplasty often complain about the “bridge” of the nose being to wide, low or both.
Asian Rhinoplasty
The goal of Asian patients seeking rhinoplasty is usually totally opposite than that of the Caucasian nose. The goal is often to make the nose larger. The tip of the Asian nose is naturally less defined with less projection than the Caucasian nose. It is important to have a surgeon who skilled in the unique needs of the Asian patient so as not to perform a “Caucasian rhinoplasty” on an Asian face. Surgeons unfamiliar with Asian rhinoplasty techniques may perform a Caucasian rhinoplasty on an Asian nose, removing tissue from the tip to narrow and sharpen it. In the Caucasian Rhinoplasty cartilage is often manipulated into the right shape. But this does not produce the best results in the Asian nose with weaker tip cartilage. The Asian nose requires very specific cartilage work to reinforce and buttress the underlying structures properly. A Caucasian nose job on an Asian face can also create and “Westernized” nose, where there is too much bridge build up in contrast to the natural Asian proportions. Ethic beatification means maintaining the proper proportions of the ethnicity and not trying to make it something it is not.
Dr. Honrado specializes in the unique requirements of an Ethnic Rhinoplasty. If you are interested in learning more about Ethnic Rhinoplasty book a consultation with Dr. Honrado today. 310.286.0043