Is Rhinoplasty Different for Different Ethnicities?

Most ethnic rhinoplasty nose surgery patients are looking to enhance their nose but still retain and preserve their ethnic identity. They typically do not want a completely westernized look, but they do want an improved nasal appearance that is in harmony with the rest of their facial features. Thus, rhinoplasty surgery cannot be approached in the same way with every patient. While each patient has their own unique characteristics, so too do different ethnicities, which makes a specialized approach a vital part of a successful outcome.

Often patients voice their concerns about losing their ethnic identity after nose reshaping surgery. For those patients, there is a direct conflict between achieving the nose they want and risking a final result that looks too generic. Rhinoplasty surgery must be tailored to the individual to appear natural and in harmony with the patient’s face and ethnicity. Our doctors discuss the patients' goals thoroughly and can provide the specialized approach that suits each patient's nasal features.


How is an Asian nose shaped?

Asian rhinoplasty techniques are different from Caucasian rhinoplasty techniques. The traditional Caucasian rhinoplasty techniques of reducing the size of the nose with cartilage reduction and reshaping does not necessarily produce a pleasing result in Asian rhinoplasty. The goal of Asian rhinoplasty is to create a refined and natural nose that is in harmony with the rest of the facial features. The goal is not to create a Caucasian nose. As compared to Caucasian rhinoplasty surgery, which often requires reduction and reshaping of the size of the nose, in Asian Rhinoplasty, the goal is often to increase the size of the bridge to better define the nose in the face. The goal is also often to narrow and augment a small under-projected nasal tip and narrow a wide nasal base. There are a number of surgical and sometimes non surgical options to achieve these goals. However, care must be taken to avoid over-correction common among nose reshaping surgeons who are not experienced in Asian rhinoplasty. This includes avoiding excessive narrowing of the nostrils, an overly punched tip or an over-augmented bridge. Our doctors, being based in Korea, are experts in Asian rhinoplasty, and are well versed in the best techniques for Asian noses.

Asian descent includes a large group of people from east to west Asia. The most typical individuals included in this group are from East Asia. East Asians are marked by their slim noses. They have the smallest noses in terms of surface area. However, south and southeast Asians often have a larger space between their nasal alare (wings of the nose).

Most Asian noses require not only a dorsal graft but also tip grafting to achieve tip definition and projection (distance from base of nose to front portion of tip). When performing Asian rhinoplasty a decision must be made whether to use synthetic medical grade implants (i.e. Solid Silicone implant) to build the bridge, or to use the patient's own cartilage from the nasal septum and/or ear. Silicone is a synthetic implant used in by many surgeons in Asia and North America. Most Asian patients do not have enough ear or septal cartilage to achieve a big enough improvement in the nasal bridge size. Your doctor will review your surgical options and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Together you will decide on the option that is best for you.

Typical Asian rhinoplasty patients exhibit these common nasal characteristics:
• Thick skin
• Significant fibrofatty tissue
• Set deep and lower in the face
• Short, wide, flat nasal bone
• Slight nasal bridge
• Acute nasolabial angle
• Flaring nostrils
• Short columella
• Wide/bulbous short nose
• Slight definition
• Weak cartilage
• Low nasal tip strength


How is a African nose shaped?

Most African rhinoplasty patients seek to improve the appearance of their nose without erasing their heritage and identity. Typically, this procedure involves lifting the bridge of the nose and narrowing the nostrils. Africans often have broader and somewhat flatter noses than individuals of European descent, and African nasal bones are comparatively short, requiring special care in ethnic rhinoplasty procedures. African skin is typically thicker, and this makes refining the nasal tip more challenging, requiring special expertise and surgical care.

Wide nostrils are a common concern among African patients, as well as a wide nasal tip and a wide nasal dorsum, or wide low hump, with West Africans typically having the widest nostrils. Moreover; the distance between the nasal alare are significantly larger in west Africans as compared to individuals with European ancestry. Each of this issues requires a unique approach to the surgery.

Some noses have weak cartilages and are short with thick skin. A tip graft using the patients' own cartilage grafts either from their septum or ears, or a synthetic medical grade implant, can be used to achieve tip definition and support. Sometimes a dorsal graft may be called for to elongate a very short nose to make it look thinner. Your doctor will custom sculpts the implant to fit your nose during your procedure, it is not a one-size-fit-all implant.

Your doctor will review your surgical options and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Together you will decide on the option that is best for you.

Typical characteristics of African noses:
• Surrounded by thick, oily skin
• Thin/loose cartilage
• Low nasal bridge
• Cartilage covered by fibrofatty tissue
• Wide appearance
• Outward flaring, egg shaped nostrils
• Short columella
• Broad, flat nasal bone
• Large and bulbous
• Vague definition
• Thin cartilage in the tip of the nose


How is a Hispanic nose shaped?

With more than 52 million Latinos in the USA, it's no surprise that there is a high and growing demand for Hispanic nose jobs, which is growing faster than almost any other cosmetic procedure. The Latino community has a wide range of diversity, and even slight differences in characteristics and nasal features, which means that rhinoplasties for such patients can be broken down into even smaller ethnic groups.

Hispanic patients often share several common nasal characteristics, including:
• Surrounded by thick, oily skin
• Weak/unsupported cartilage
• Short nasal bone
• Wide, undefined appearance
• Short-average columella
• Average-acute nasolabial angle
• A large bridge (Spanish heritage)
• Wide, flat nostrils (Caribbean heritage)
• Flatter nasal tips and bridges (Central and South American heritage)


How is a Middle Eastern nose shaped?

Nasal surgery cannot be approached in the same way with every patient and still yield great results. Among the many factors that must be taken into consideration is the patient's ethnicity, as different ethnic groups have their own unique features and characteristics that require different techniques during rhinoplasty surgery. This is especially true of Middle Eastern patients. Typical Middle Eastern “nose job” patients may share some of these common nasal characteristics:

• Surrounded with moderately thick, oily skin
• Undefined lower third
• Full supratip
• Low, hanging nasal tip
• Obtuse nasolabial angle
• Strong nasal cartilage
• Flared nostrils
• Overprojected nasal bone
• Curvature of the nasal bridge
• Higher fixed nose
• Very wide nasal bones


How is a Caucasian nose shaped?

Rhinoplasty is one of the most complex cosmetic surgical procedure, and it requires a unique approach to each patient, even for the common Caucasian nose surgery. Caucasians typically have a nose with a narrow bridge. People from northern Europe have wide-base noses and protruded tips, while natives to northwest Europe have pointing-up noses. In general, Caucasians have slightly wider and longer noses compared to other ethnic groups in the world.

Typical Caucasian noses have the following characteristics:
• Surrounded by thin skin
• Long nasal bone
• Strong cartilage
• Narrow trapezoid shape
• Oval shaped nostrils
• Long columella separating nostrils on base of the nose
• Obtuse nasolabial angle in the crease under the nose
• Very defined


Knowledgeable Surgeons Make All the Difference

The differences shown between the noses of each ethnicity, make clumping of ethnic groups into one group invalid when addressing the concerns and overall success of rhinoplasty in various ethnic groups. Even the groupings within this article are quite general. Within these groups, there are also important differences. The race of the patient must be kept in mind to ensure cultural aesthetics, facial harmony, and the overall success of the procedure. Surgeons who are knowledgeable in rhinoplasty of various ethnicities understand what looks natural on an individual of that ethnicity and knows the average anatomy of noses of that ethnicity. This knowledge increases the chances of achieving a natural looking nose after surgery for all individuals. Regardless of ethnicity, every rhinoplasty should be specific to the patient. Korea Rhinoplasty Center is committed to taking the time to develop a personalized treatment plan for each patient that combines preservation with change for the best possible surgical results. Contact us now to find out how rhinoplasty can give you the look and self confidence that you've been waiting for.