What is ethnic rhinoplasty?

‘Nose job’ or rhinoplasty in patients that are not Caucasian (white) in origin. There are many different unique characteristics in the ethnic patients that make rhinoplasty in this patient population difficult. Differences between a Caucasian nose and a non-white nose include thicker skin over the nose, weak underlying cartilage structures, a wider nose (alar base), a very prominent bump on the nose, or too flat. All of these factors make rhinoplasty in this population difficult, and it is hard to achieve good, long-lasting results.  

Read more about the technical details and Dr. Boonipat’s unique approach to rhinoplasty, which ensures long-term stable results and minimizes the recovery period. 

What are the common complaints?

• My nose is too big, looks like a man’s nose, looks heavy 
• My tip has no definition 
• My nose doesn’t fit my face 
• My nose is crooked 
• My tip plunges when I smile 
• My nose is too wide 
• My nose is too flat 
• I cannot breathe

What is the process of getting a rhinoplasty? 

Dr. Boonipat will: 

• Discuss your goals and go over examples of your ideal nose. 
• He strives to create a natural-looking nose that is in harmony with the rest of your face. He avoids the ‘done’ look or artificial look.  
• Perform a physical exam (including looking inside your nose) and take a medical history.  
• He will take photographs of your nose in standard views.  
• Discuss how we can help you achieve your goal.  
• We need to make sure your goals are realistic and can be achieved.  
• We ensure that the result is both aesthetic (it will look good to you) and functional (you can breathe after the surgery).  
• In certain cases, in order to harmonize your face, Dr. Boonipat will suggest other facial surgery modifications. Having trained in bony contouring and soft tissue cosmetic aesthetics gives him a unique skill set to offer a comprehensive treatment plan that will lead to individualized natural harmony for you.   

What to expect during surgery? 

1. You will go to sleep completely under general anesthesia. 
2. The surgery is performed in a certified surgery center and lasts 1 to 5 hours, depending on our planning and your particular case. 
3. You will go home the same day with dressings on your nose. 
4. Dr. Boonipat will see you for regular follow-ups afterward. 

What to expect after your rhinoplasty? 

• Bruising is usually minimal but can extend laterally to the eyelids.  
• Dressing (splint) will be on and inside your nose for about 1 week.  
• We remove these at the first post-operative visit.  
• The swelling is worse during the first 2-3 days and usually gets better. Some degree of swelling can last up to a year after your rhinoplasty.  
• You will see the result immediately, but your nose will still be swollen. 
• The swelling will decrease dramatically over the next few weeks (most swelling is gone by 1 month, but you will have some swelling for up to a year). 
• Dr. Boonipat will teach you how to tape your nose to minimize swelling and speed up healing.  
• You should avoid nose-blowing, salty, and spicy food during the first month.  
• You should use a saline nasal spray.  
• Previous breathing issues usually improve over 6 months from your post-surgery date.  

Technical detail and Dr. Boonipat’s unique approach to rhinoplasty: 

Our philosophy:  

• Maximal preservation of your nose’s natural structures while addressing your concern. 
• The older, more outdated method focuses on separating all the structures of your nose and reducing the nasal structure. This can lead to difficulty breathing and cosmetic problems many years later. 
• In Asian or some ethnic populations where primarily an augmentation approach is needed, a hybrid method is utilized. We preserve what can be preserved while augmenting the native structures with frozen cartilages or your own cartilages (rib or ear cartilages).  
• We also utilize a new innovation in dorsal augmentation while avoiding the diced cartilage method, which can lead to irregularities and a -sausage-like augmented nasal dorsum. 
• This gives you a well-defined, long-lasting result, with improvement to your breathing.