FAQs About African-American Rhinoplasty

Dr. Guyuron Answers Questions from Real Patients

Q: I am a black woman that would like to have a nose job. Are my goals reasonable?

A:

African-American noses can often be improved to look more refined and aesthetically pleasing. The best way to ensure that your goals are realistic is to have a consultation with a plastic surgeon who has sufficient experience performing rhinoplasty on African-American noses, you express your concerns and let the surgeon tell you what he/she could do for you. Many surgeons, like myself, offer Skype or FaceTime consultations, and we can demonstrate the surgical goals on your pictures to make sure that the goals match.

 

Q: How can I feel confident in scheduling a rhinoplasty consultation when no one has pics of African-American clients?

A:

Many plastic surgeons do a number of ethnic rhinoplasties and lecture about it.  However, when it comes to posting pictures on our respective websites, we do not have patient consent to do so. If you do not see African-American noses online it does not mean that the surgeons have never done this type of rhinoplasty. It is important that you consult someone who understands your concern. In your consultation, the surgeon should outline his/her view of the flaws that are making your nose suboptimal, ensure you two are seeing the same flaws, clearly describe and demonstrate through pictures their plans for the correction through an in-person or virtual consultation. Additionally, some plastic surgeons may not have patients’ consent to post patient images online, but they may have consent for the office album samples that you can view on a personal visit.

Q: I have very porous skin on my nose. Am I still a candidate for a rhinoplasty? 

A:

Porous or thick skin is not a rhinoplasty prohibitive factor as long as the patient and the surgeon understand the nuances. First, the patient has to understand that the definition may not be as ideal as one would hope and adjust their expectations. They will need to accept that it may take as long as 2-3 years to see the definition and be prepared to tape the nose in the evenings and on the weekends for a while. However, there will be some improvement soon after the bandages are removed.

The surgeon has to have experience, as they will need to remove some of the extra fat from the deeper layers, create a firmer nose frame for a better definition, and eliminate and dead-space between the skin and the frame. On rare occasion, it may be necessary to inject some cortisone in the nose or to ask the dermatologist to prescribe medications to reduce the pores.

Q: Is my tip too bulbous to be refined enough to look similar to my favorite celebrities?

A:

Every nose tip can be narrowed and yes, your tip can be made smaller like your favored actress’s tip. You may consider consulting a surgeon with sufficient experience in rhinoplasty specifically.

ABOUT THE SURGEON – DR. BAHMAN GUYURON

Dr. Guyuron is a world-renown board-certified plastic surgeon located in Cleveland, Ohio. He has more than 40 years of experience in facial surgery and is one of the country’s top 2 rhinoplasty surgeons according to Newsweek’s America’s Best Plastic Surgeons 2021. Dr. Guyuron takes great care to consult with each patient to understand the patient’s expectations and goals.

To learn more about Dr. Guyuron, call 440-461-7999 to schedule a personal consultation.