Rhinoplasty is said to be an art because it involves the sculpting of the nose to the desired look of the patient. However, there are many factors that come into play when re-constructing the perfect nose. One such factor is the racial background of the patient. Many plastic surgeons will only improve the patient’s existing nose and try to keep the improvements within what is realistically possible for that patient’s racial background, so as not to make the nose look too artificial.

There are different kinds of nasal anatomies. There is the Caucasian, African American, Hispanic and the Asian. Let us focus on the Asian nose. Despite the differences in structure among various Asian nationalities, they have some common traits that are prominent in Asian noses.

The first thing that you may notice is that the Asian nose has skin that is heavy, thick and sebaceous (i.e. oily). It also has a radix that is deep and flat, while it’s nasal bridge is low. The dorsum meanwhile is wide and flat. The tip of the Asian nose is bulbous, with the presence of a lot of thick skin. As a whole the tip is under-projected, while there is the presence of an abundance of Fibrofatty tissue. The Asian nose is also characterized by broad domes that have minimal definition. The columella is short and retracted. Meanwhile, it also has a base that is wide and thick and the nostrils flare outwardly. The nasolabial junction is retracted and at an acute angle. The maxilla meanwhile is retrustive.

Although some people with Asian nasal anatomies will want to have their noses fixed so as to achieve a very sharp and Caucasian nose, most doctors will advise against such. A good plastic surgeon will actually want the patient to keep his or her oriental nose, while improving some parts of it so as to make it look better.

Take the example the following case. In this instance, a female patient had a typical Asian nose, which is characterized by a wide dorsum that is at the same time flat. Instead of changing her entire nose to look like that of a Caucasian’s, the plastic surgeon who worked on her case opted to narrow down the patient’s nose but in such a way that it was still compatible with the structure of her face and the rest of her facial features. The plastic surgeon who also worked on her nose reduced the bones of the nose, as well as the cartilages, apart from reducing the width of the nostrils.

Additionally, most specialists will say that the best kind of nasal surgery should look natural, without making it obvious that any work was done on the nose. Therefore, any plastic surgery that stands out as artificial or looks like there was a lot of work done on it, is actually not a good job. The best way to work with an Asian nose, such as the one that is described in this case, is to perform an open rhinoplasty, wherein the nose is refined so as to complement the rest of the patient’s features.