Anatomy of the African American Rhinoplasty: Tip
Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

Requested Change: Nasal Tip
Most often patients request that their tip be "less flat and with smaller nostrils.”

The tip of the African American nose is characterized by a soft, round, and broad shape. The tip has little of no cartilage support. The projection of the tip of the nose is low or flat and the tip often blends in height with the dorsum. The nostrils are often wide or flared. Additionally, the alar rims also flare at the cheeks creating greater curvature. Finally, the skin is thick and full of soft fatty tissue which obscures the underlying structure of the nose and contributes to the soft round appearance of the tip.

Because of the lack of structural support and the condition of the skin, contouring the tip of the African American nose is complicated. The procedure requires that the surgeon be skilled in anatomy of the nasal tip and understand the differences in the black nose as well as how to achieve the desired change. In order to contour the tip of the nose and narrow or reduce the nostrils (nares), Dr. Slupchynskyj must remove soft tissue and fullness from the tip and add cartilage structure. Dr. Slupchynskyj can use the patient’s own cartilage from the outer ear to repair a defect in the septum of the nose or to create a new tip graft, or he can even use cartilage from to septum to create a tip graft.