Background: The popularity of rhinoplasty is a combination of the prominence of the nose on the face and the successful outcomes possible from the procedure. It is hard to know the exact gender distribution that undergoes this type of facial surgery but it seems like more females than males have the surgery.
While the nose shapes in women are highly variable, there are common features of the nose that they wish to change. Almost first and foremost is that of the nasal hump or bump. At the least women prefer a straight dorsal line and some even prefer more of a saddle nose or swoop their dorsal profile. The second feature is that of the nasal tip. A wide or drooping nasal tip is not a flattering nasal shape in a female.
Recovery from rhinoplasty its highly influenced by the thickness of the nasal skin. The thinner the skin is, the less swelling of the nose after surgery that will occur…and the sooner the final result is realized. The percentage of female noses that have thinner skin than men is not precisely known but it seems that it is so. The young thin Caucasian female that comes in for a rhinoplasty often has thinner nasal skin.
Case Study: This young female in her mid-20s presented for rhinoplasty. Her two basic nasal dislikes were the small hump and the wideness of the nasal tip. She had fairly thin nasal skin.
Under general anesthesia, she had an open rhinoplasty in which the nasal hump was reduced to a straight dorsal line and osteotomies done to make a less nasal base beneath the hump. In addition, the nasal tip was narrowed by a cephalic trim and transdomal sutures.
Her 3 month results show a smooth dorsal line and a more narrow tip. The nasal bridge still remains sensitive as expected as bony healing takes much longer for complete healing.
Highlights:
- Many women seek nose reshaping changes that are for refinement of small disproportionate features.
- Small hump reductions and nasal tip narrowing are two common nasal reshaping requests.
- Females with thin skinned noses respond quickly to nasal reshaping surgery that only takes a few months to see the final result.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana