An Asian nose job is unique from other rhinoplasty procedures.
This procedure focuses on augmenting the bridge, nasal canal and tip of the nose to compliment the rest of the face. Asian rhinoplasty can improve the quality of life for those who have a deviated septum – correcting functional issues to enhance their breathing.
Asian rhinoplasty works for those with different needs. For those who have a flat nose, a nasal implant can be placed to accentuate the face while giving the nose more definition. For those who have a bulbous nose, this can be corrected by shaping the nose to compliment facial features. This may require removing cartilage to narrow the width of the original nostril size. For those who have a hooked nose, rhinoplasty augmentation may be beneficial for reshaping the nose and give it a straightened look. Dorsal deformity correction is a procedure that includes cartilage or silicone implants. The procedure will straighten the nasal bone and may include the removal of excess cartilage depending on the patient’s desires and needs.
Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty – Liquid Rhinoplasty
A non-invasive option for an Asian nose job is liquid rhinoplasty. Non-surgical nose jobs have become a popular option for those who prefer non-invasive cosmetic procedures. The liquid nose job caters to those seeking a temporary solution for a shapely nose, as well as to improve breathing for those seeking relief.
Liquid nose jobs will not decrease the size of one’s nose, but rather, the treatment will create a nose that will help accentuate the features of the face.
Liquid rhinoplasty can last between six to twelve months. The benefit of having a nose job without surgery is that it is temporary! Fillers eventually dissipate over time and the nose will revert to its previous form. If one truly does not like the outcome, the filler can be removed, allowing the nose to return back to normal.
Why would a patient receive a revision Asian rhinoplasty?
There are many reasons why a patient would receive a revision Asian rhinoplasty. One of the main reasons is that the nose is short. The typical sign of a short nose are the nostrils. In short noses, the nostrils are exposed and the tip of the nose is turned up – creating an appearance similar to a pig’s nose.
The other reason to have a revision Asian rhinoplasty is that the nose is crooked. The disbalance may be at the bridge, the dorsum, or at the nasal tip. Patients may undergo revision surgery because the disbalance was not fully corrected.
Many complications in Asian rhinoplasty or Asian nose surgery arise from the use of silicone implant. The silicone implant can cause capsular contracture and can shorten or distort the nose. The other material available for revision Asian rhinoplasty includes dermal-fat grafts. Dr. Kenneth Kim will evaluate the cause of the misshapen nose. He will then discuss the potential options for the revision Asian rhinoplasty surgery including the use of rib cartilage and ear cartilage grafts. By carefully examining the nose, Dr. Kenneth Kim can offer the most ideal option for the revision Asian rhinoplasty.
The Complication of Your Own Tissue in Asian Rhinoplasty
One of the main complications is that of resorption of the graft material. Resorption means that your body absorbs or gets rid of the grafted material in your nose. Even though the tissue is your own, when the graft is inserted into the bridge of the nose or along the columella to increase the nasal tip, the graft can partially or fully decrease in size. This resorption happens in Asian rhinoplasty because the grafted material does not have its own blood supply. Therefore, when the graft is inserted, the blood vessels need to grow in with an adequate amount of time.
There are three main graft materials that can be inserted into the nose in Asian rhinoplasty.
One is Cartilage. Cartilage is often removed from the ear or the rib. The other material is Dermis – or your skin. By removing the epidermis (the outermost skin layer), the dermis can be inserted into the nose to augment the nose in Asian rhinoplasty. The third material is Fat. Fat can be harvested from a syringe and injected back into the nose with a syringe or it can be taken with the dermis as a dermal fat graft.
Fat is the most likely to be resorbed in Asian rhinoplasty and a cartilage graft is least likely to be resorbed in Asian rhinoplasty.
Dr. Kenneth Kim, will go over the benefits and complications of various autologous grafts in Asian rhinoplasty. By carefully determining which material to use in the Asian rhinoplasty, a safe, long-lasting, and natural nose can be created.
What is the Ideal Dorsal Material in Asian Rhinoplasty / Asian Nose Surgery?
There are three fundamentally different dorsal implant materials that a plastic surgeon can use in Asian rhinoplasty to increase the height of the dorsum or the bridge of the nose.
One is an implant. The other is tissue from a cadaver of another human being. The third is your own tissue.
An implant has been used in the past because of the ease of use. An implant is typically made of silicone. Another type of implant is Gortex, but Gortex is not as commonly used in Asian rhinoplasty because it is difficult to remove once it has been placed.
As mentioned, a silicone implant is by far the most commonly used implant material. The ease of use and relatively cheap cost is what makes silicone implants so popular. Silicone comes in various shapes and it can be simply placed on the dorsum with some minor adjustments to fit the patient’s dorsal profile. In Asia, including South Korea, an overwhelming majority of the plastic surgeons use the silicone implant to augment the nose.
The other material is cadaver tissue. The tissue is irradiated to get rid of transmissible viruses and bacteria. Irradiation refers to the process of shooting the tissue with X-ray beams.
The material of a cadaver tissue can be cartilage or dermis (skin). These materials can be placed in the dorsum or the bridge of the nose or the nasal tip to increase height in Asian rhinoplasty or Asian nose surgery. The ideal tissue is your own cartilage.
The last material a plastic surgeon can use to augment the dorsal profile or the bridge of the nose is your own tissue. However, you can also use a dermal fat graft as well. There are many advantages of using your tissue to perform Asian rhinoplasty or Asian nose surgery. As one can see, there are many options when it comes to which materials to use in Asian rhinoplasty. Dr. Kim will go over the advantages and disadvantages of these materials and which material would be the most ideal for the patient during the consultation.
The Problem of Using Cadaver Tissue in Asian Nose Surgery/ Asian Rhinoplasty
Cadaver tissue is sometimes used in Asian rhinoplasty as a material to augment or increase the size of the nose in Asian nose surgery. The cadaver tissue is either cartilage or a dermal graft.
Cadaver tissues are used for two main reasons in Asian rhinoplasty:
The primary reason is whether there has been past problems with a silicone implant. In revision rhinoplasty, where the prior silicone implant has created a complication such as an infection or shortening of the nose, a cadaver tissue can be used.
Another reason for using a cadaver tissue, such as dermis, is to add padding to the silicone at the tip of the nose. Sometimes in Asian nose surgery, the tip can be subjected to a significant amount of pressure during augmentation.
However, the main problem of these cadaver tissues is that they are unpredictable when it comes to resorption. During Asian rhinoplasty, if this cadaver cartilage (irradiated cartilage) or dermis (Alloderm) is used, then a few years after surgery, there will be a change in shape. In Korean rhinoplasty, many Korean plastic surgeons use cadaver dermis (Alloderm) on the nasal tip.
It is quite common for Korean plastic surgeons to apply cadaver skin on the nasal tip. But once your body absorbs them, the tip will thin out and you can feel the silicone implant on the nasal tip.
Nasal tip projection decreases because one’s own body will try to get rid of irradiated cartilage from a cadaver. Cadaver tissue’s durability is low.
During the consultation, Dr. Kenneth Kim will go over whether one has received cadaver tissue and how stable the cadaver cartilage or skin is. Dr. Kim does not use cadaver dermis (Alloderm) in Asian rhinoplasty or Asian nose surgery. Dr. Kenneth Kim will remove them and use your own tissue to perform revision Asian rhinoplasty / revision Asian nose surgery.
The Problem of Silicone Implants in Asian Rhinoplasty / Asian Nose Surgery
Asian rhinoplasty or Asian nose surgery is one of the most commonly performed procedures in Asia. And silicone is the most commonly used material.
Rather than only discussing the benefits of silicone implants in Asian nose surgery, it is important to discuss the problems or complications that can arise.
One of the problems is migration or movement of the silicone implant in the nose. The silicone implant can shift from side to side when one touches the implant on the bridge of the nose. This happens because the silicone implant does not firmly adhere or does not firmly attach to the bridge of the nose.
Another issue that can arise in Asian rhinoplasty is the silicone implant can be positioned to the side. Therefore, rather than being in the midline, the silicone implant slides to one side, resulting in the implant becoming mal-positioned.
Eventually, the silicone can even extrude or come through the skin of the Asian nose. Another issue of using silicone in Asian nose surgery is that the silicone implant can migrate down and put pressure on the tip of the nose.
The resulting symptom may be intermittent redness on the tip. However, as the pressure on the nasal tip progresses, the silicone implant can thin the skin of the nasal tip.
Lastly, the silicone implant can develop capsular contracture and cause shortening of the nose in Asians. This shortening is due to significant scar tissue that forms around the silicone implant in the nose of Asians.
If the capsular contracture of the silicone implant on the nose is significant, then the nose will become a short nose.
Dr. Kenneth Kim, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, California will discuss with the patient the use of silicone in Asian noses and discuss the pros and cons of the silicone in Asian rhinoplasty during the pre-surgical consultation. You will get a chance to see the beautiful results he achieves with silicone implants, thanks to his years of experience.
If you are interested in learning more about Asian nose surgery, you are invited to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Kim to learn what rhinoplasty method will be right for you.
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