Asian rhinoplasty introduction

Asian rhinoplasty is unique in that it is about making the nose larger. Therefore, it can be considered augmentation rhinoplasty. There are several key points to Asian rhinoplasty and in this series of articles, we will discuss them in detail.

First, we will discuss the facial proportion and the ideal nose size and shape. Asians tend to have larger faces compared to their noses. Therefore, their noses need to be proportionally enlarged. Often Asians have short and flat noses relative to their faces or to Caucasians. By making the noses longer, it makes their faces relatively smaller, more three dimensional (projecting), and balanced.

Some patients think that a filler can correct their short nose. A filler can be placed along the dorsum (bridge of the nose). But a filler should not be placed on the nasal tip as it can cause tip skin necrosis. Tip skin necrosis is a devastating complication and this can happen when a filler is accidentally injected into a blood vessel. Because filler is placed from the skin, there is a potential to enter into a small blood vessel. Aesthetically, a filler placed at the dorsum without projecting the tip will not look ideal. A beautiful nose is when a tip is elongated in proportional to the dorsum. Therefore, the indication for filler on the nose is limited and it should be performed on only selected patients that require dorsal augmentation and very minimal tip elevation.

In the next article, we will discuss how Asian rhinoplasty was performed using silicone and Gortex implants. We will discuss the limitation of using silicone or other implant materials only to augment the nose.