What is a thick-skinned nose?
The thicker, oily, and porous nasal skin naturally found in some people is called thick nasal skin.
The shape of the nose is determined by the bone and cartilage structures that make up the nasal skeleton. Therefore, in rhinoplasty procedures, these structures are reshaped to give the nose the desired look.
The connective and fat tissues and skin on the nose are the parts located above the skeleton. How clearly the shape of the nose emerges depends on how well these structures interact with one another. It is easier for the shape of the nose to emerge in patients with thinner nasal skin, while rhinoplasty patients with thicker skin may have various disadvantages in this respect.
The disadvantages of a thick-skinned nose
The part of the nose that can be changed the least is the skin. In other words, it is not possible to give the nose the desired size and shape and just cut off the excess skin. Therefore, the nasal skeleton is shaped to fit the existing skin.
Thick skin has relatively less elasticity, which may lead to problems regarding how well the skin adapts to the changes made in the skeleton. Since the new shape of the nose will be covered by thick skin, a coarser appearance may occur; the tip of the nose may appear more bulbous, or a complication called tip drop may occur over time.
In patients with thick skin, the nasal skin takes longer to heal, and there may be more swelling on the tip due to the excess sebaceous glands in this area.
Special considerations in thick-skin rhinoplasty
For the reasons mentioned above, thick-skin rhinoplasty is an area that requires special expertise and experience. Different approaches are needed for the care of the thick-skinned patient both before and after surgery.
In most cases of thick-skin rhinoplasty, the patient's own cartilage is not strong enough, which is why it may be necessary to support it with grafts taken from the nose, ear, or rib cartilage.
The following steps are of great importance in order to get the best result in thick-skinned rhinoplasty patients:
- Weight control prior to surgery
- Skincare prior to surgery
- Medical treatment prior to surgery
- Removal of the excess fatty tissue under the skin of the tip of the nose and supporting the nose with cartilage grafts during the surgery
- Post-op dietary changes and weight control
- Post-op medical treatment and skin care
The success of the surgery also depends on how closely patients follow pre- and post-operative care recommendations and how realistic their expectations are.
