There are various factors to consider when it comes to African American rhinoplasty surgery. First of all, the African American has a different nasal structure and anatomy from Caucasians, Asians and Hispanics.

One of the most prominent features of the African American nasal anatomy is that base is typically wide and thick. The nostrils are wide and flare open. The skin around the nasal area is very thick and is abundant with fibrofatty tissue. The radix is deep and low. The nasal bridge is short while the dorsum is wide and flat.

For African Americans, the tip of the nose is most often bulbous and similarly thick skinned. There is also an abundance of soft tissue here, and the definition is very minimal. The nasolabial junction is retracted and the nasolabial angle is acute. The nasal spine is underdeveloped. Lastly, the maxilla is retrusive and hypo plastic.

Similar to the African American nasal anatomy is that of the Hispanics. The Hispanic nasal anatomy also features a wide nasal bridge and the tip of the nose is also bulbous, thick skinned and under projected. The nasolabial junction is similarly retracted and the nasolabial angle also acute. Flaring nostrils are also a feature that is shared by both kinds of anatomies.

However, the Hispanic nasal anatomy is marked by skin that has abundant sebaceous glands that may not be present in the African American anatomy. The Hispanic nasal anatomy also features a dorsum that is convex, making it look like there is a hump on the nose.

When comparing the African American nasal anatomy again with another kind of structure, that of the Asians, we will see a few similarities as well. The Asian nasal structure also features heavy and thick nasal skin. However, the skin most often features many sebaceous glands. The radix is similarly deep and flat. The nasal bridge is low while the dorsum is also wide and flat.

The tip of an Asian nose is similarly bulbous. But in contrast to the African American nose which is undefined, the Asian nose has minimal definition. The base of the Asian nasal anatomy is also wide and thick. The presence of flaring nostrils can also be seen in these noses. And just like the African American nasal anatomy, the nasolabial junction is retracted and the nasolabial angle is acute.

So what do we usually want to achieve when performing rhinoplasty procedures on African American, Asian and Hispanic noses? The most obvious would be to create a nose bridge that is thinner than the original wide and flat bridge. The dorsum must also be made higher, and the tip of the nose should be made more refined, with more definition. Instead of the flaring nostrils, the base will be made more akin to the triangular shape. Also, the nasolabial angle will be increased so as to make it more than a ninety-degree angle.

We must keep in mind however, that the goals of the patient should be as realistic as possible. The improvements on the nose should only be done to accentuate the patient’s natural features and not to completely alter his or her face.

miami nose job