How Ethnic Rhinoplasty Differs Surgically: Grafts for Support, Tip Refinement and Nostrils

A young man sits in a consultation room turning his phone over in his hands. The photos he has saved are not of celebrities. They are of himself, taken from the side, in the kind of light that makes the bridge of his nose look lower and the tip softer than he would like. He has one question he is almost afraid to ask: can this be changed without making him look like a different person?

That question sits at the center of ethnic rhinoplasty techniques. It is not a single operation and it is not defined by anyone’s background. It is a way of planning nose surgery around anatomy that the older textbooks, written mostly for thinner-skinned, higher-bridged noses, did not describe well.

This article walks through what surgeons actually do differently: why they add support rather than take it away, how they reshape a tip when the skin is thick, and how they narrow nostrils without leaving obvious scars.

What does "ethnic rhinoplasty" actually mean?

The phrase is imperfect, and most surgeons who use it will say so. Every patient has an ethnicity, so in the strictest sense every rhinoplasty is an ethnic rhinoplasty. In practice the term has come to describe surgery on noses whose anatomy differs from the pattern most surgical teaching was built around: a relatively high bridge, thin skin, strong cartilage and narrow nostrils.

Many people of African, East and Southeast Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Indigenous heritage have some combination of a lower or wider bridge, thicker skin with more sebaceous glands, softer or smaller tip cartilages, a shorter nasal bone, and a wider base to the nostrils. None of these is universal within any group, and plenty of people who identify with these backgrounds have none of them. The label describes a set of anatomical features, not a passport.

Why does that distinction matter for a patient? Because the traditional operation, sometimes called reduction rhinoplasty, was designed to make a large nose smaller. Removing a bump from the bridge, trimming tip cartilage and narrowing bone are its core moves. Apply those same moves to a nose that already has a low bridge and a soft tip, and the result can be a nose that collapses inward, looks pinched, and no longer matches the face around it.

The Cleveland Clinic describes rhinoplasty broadly as surgery that changes the shape of the nose to alter appearance, improve breathing, or both. The ethnic approach does not change that definition. It changes the sequence, the tools and the philosophy: preserve identity, add support where it is missing, and refine rather than reduce.

Ethnic rhinoplasty vs traditional rhinoplasty: how the techniques differ

The clearest way to understand ethnic rhinoplasty techniques is to compare the mental checklist a surgeon runs through. In a classic reduction case, the question is usually “what can I safely take away?” In many ethnic cases, the question flips to “what does this nose need in order to hold its new shape?”

Three differences come up again and again. First, the bridge. A traditional operation often lowers a dorsal hump, the bony and cartilage ridge that creates a bump in profile. An ethnic case more often raises a low bridge using a graft, a piece of the patient’s own cartilage placed under the skin to add height. Second, the tip. Thin-skinned noses reveal every small change to the cartilage underneath, so a surgeon can trim conservatively and see a sharper tip. Thick skin hides those changes, so the surgeon must instead build a firmer, more projected framework that pushes outward against the skin. Third, the nostrils. Narrowing a wide alar base, the point where the nostril meets the cheek, is a routine step in many ethnic cases and a rare one in traditional cases.

There is also a difference in what surgeons try to avoid. Over-narrowing the bridge, over-rotating the tip so the nostrils show from the front, and making the nose too small for the mid-face are the classic ways an operation erases someone’s heritage rather than refining their features. Mayo Clinic notes that rhinoplasty is planned around the proportions of the whole face, and that principle is what keeps the ethnic approach honest: the target is harmony with the eyes, cheeks and lips a person already has, not a borrowed template.

What actually happens during the operation, step by step

Most structural rhinoplasty, including the majority of ethnic cases, is done under general anesthesia and takes roughly one to three hours, according to Mayo Clinic. The patient is asleep; the operating team is working in a space only a few centimeters across.

The surgeon typically begins with an open approach: a small incision across the columella, the strip of skin between the nostrils, joined to incisions inside each nostril. Lifting the skin off the underlying bone and cartilage lets the team see the framework directly. A closed approach, with all incisions hidden inside the nose, is used in some simpler cases, but the grafting and tip work common to ethnic rhinoplasty usually benefit from the open view.

Next comes harvesting. If the plan calls for grafts, cartilage is taken from the septum, the wall that divides the two sides of the nose, or from the ear or a rib. The septum is the usual first choice because it is already in the surgical field.

With the framework exposed, the surgeon shapes it. A low bridge may receive a carved graft laid along its length. The tip cartilages are sutured to reposition and strengthen them, and small grafts are placed to add projection or definition. If the nostrils are to be narrowed, wedges of tissue are removed at the alar base and the edges brought together with fine sutures.

Finally the skin is redraped, incisions are closed, and an external splint is applied. Internal splints or soft packing may support the septum if it was reshaped. Most people go home the same day, though MedlinePlus notes that some stay overnight depending on the complexity of the surgery and how they recover from anesthesia.

Why grafts for support are the heart of ethnic rhinoplasty

Picture a tent with poles that are slightly too short and canvas that is heavy. Tightening the canvas will not make the tent taller; it will make it sag. Adding longer poles will. That is the logic of structural grafting, and it explains why ethnic rhinoplasty so often involves adding cartilage rather than removing it.

A graft is a piece of the patient’s own tissue moved from one place to another. In rhinoplasty the tissue is almost always cartilage, because it is firm, holds a carved shape, and carries a low risk of rejection since it comes from the same body. Surgeons describe several standard graft types by where they sit and what they do. A dorsal onlay graft lies along the bridge to raise it. A columellar strut sits between the tip cartilages like a tent pole to support projection. Spreader grafts run alongside the upper septum to keep the middle of the nose from pinching inward and to protect breathing. Tip grafts add definition where the skin is too thick to show the natural cartilage edges.

The choice matters for the long term as well as the first year. Cartilage that is trimmed away cannot be put back, and thick skin over a weakened framework tends to scar down and contract over time, which is one reason some noses look acceptable at six months and pinched at five years. Grafts resist that contraction.

Grafts have their own trade-offs. They can shift, become visible under thin areas of skin, or warp if the cartilage was under stress when placed. Johns Hopkins Medicine lists the need for revision surgery among the recognized risks of rhinoplasty generally, and grafted noses are not exempt. The surgeon’s job is to place each graft so that it does its job invisibly.

Rib cartilage graft rhinoplasty: when the septum is not enough

The septum is a limited resource. A nose with a low bridge often also has a small septum, and if the person has had a previous operation there may be little left. When the plan calls for more cartilage than the septum can provide, surgeons turn to the ear or the rib.

Ear cartilage is curved and springy. It works well for small tip grafts and for adding volume, but it is difficult to carve into a long straight piece for the bridge. Rib cartilage is the opposite: plentiful, straight and strong, which makes it the usual choice when a bridge needs to be raised significantly or when a badly weakened framework needs to be rebuilt.

Rib cartilage graft rhinoplasty adds a second surgical site. A short incision is made over the lower ribs, most often on the right side and, in women, usually placed along the fold beneath the breast so the scar sits in a natural crease. A segment of cartilage, not bone, is removed; the rib itself is not taken. The surgeon then carves the piece to size, sometimes layering it or wrapping it in a thin sheet of the body’s own connective tissue to soften edges under the skin.

Two specific concerns come with rib grafts. The first is warping: fresh cartilage has internal tension and can bend slowly over weeks after it is shaped. Surgeons counter this by carving from the central portion, letting the piece rest before final shaping, and sometimes placing a fine internal support. The second is donor-site discomfort, which is typically more noticeable than the nose itself in the first days. Rarely, the lining around the lung beneath the rib can be irritated, which is why teams check breathing carefully before discharge.

Some surgeons use donated, processed cartilage from a tissue bank as an alternative. The long-term evidence on how it behaves compared with a patient’s own rib is still developing, and this is a decision to make with the treating team.

Tip refinement when the skin is thick

The nasal tip is where ethnic rhinoplasty most tests a surgeon’s judgment. Underneath the skin sit two small curved cartilages called the lower lateral cartilages. Their shape, strength and angle decide whether the tip looks defined or rounded, projected or flat.

In a thin-skinned nose, the skin acts like a fitted sheet. Suture the cartilages closer together and the tip visibly narrows. In a thick-skinned nose, the skin acts more like a quilt. It has more fat and more sebaceous glands, and small changes underneath simply disappear. Trimming cartilage in that situation makes things worse: less support under a heavy drape produces a tip that looks even softer and, over years, droops.

So the approach reverses. Rather than removing cartilage, the surgeon strengthens and reshapes what is there. A columellar strut or a septal extension graft, a piece of cartilage fixed to the end of the septum, gives the tip a firm anchor and lets the surgeon set its projection and rotation precisely. Suture techniques narrow the domes, the highest points of the tip cartilages, without weakening them. If the tip still lacks definition, a shield-shaped graft can be placed over the domes to create a crisper point that the skin can drape over.

Skin thickness itself is sometimes addressed. Careful thinning of the deep fatty layer from the underside of the skin can help, though it must be conservative because the blood supply to the tip skin runs through that same layer. Some surgeons combine surgery with a later, short course of a prescribed steroid injection into the tip to limit swelling and scar thickening; that is a decision and a schedule for the treating surgeon, not a standard step.

Thick tip skin also means a longer wait for the final result. Mayo Clinic notes that subtle changes in nasal shape can continue for up to a year, and tip swelling in thick skin often sits at the slower end of that range.

Alar base reduction: narrowing nostrils without erasing them

The alar base is the point where the curved outer wall of each nostril meets the cheek and upper lip. A wide alar base is one of the most common reasons people seek ethnic rhinoplasty, and it is also one of the easiest features to over-correct.

Alar base reduction, sometimes called alarplasty, removes a small wedge of tissue from the base of the nostril so that the nostril walls sit closer together. Surgeons describe two main patterns. An alar wedge excision removes tissue from the outer wall and is used when the nostrils flare outward. A sill excision removes tissue from the floor of the nostril, the sill, and is used when the nostrils are wide at their base but do not flare. Many cases combine both in small amounts.

Millimeters decide the result. The scar is placed in the natural crease where the nostril meets the face, and a competent closure usually makes it hard to find once healed. Take too much, however, and the nostrils become narrow slits that look unnatural from the front and can restrict airflow. Remove tissue unevenly and the nostrils sit at different heights, a problem that is difficult to correct later.

Timing within the operation matters too. Because raising the bridge and projecting the tip both change how the nostrils appear, most surgeons perform alar base work last, after the rest of the nose has been set, and some deliberately reduce less than the patient initially wanted, knowing that the new tip position already makes the base look narrower.

The realistic goal is proportion, not a particular width. A nostril base that lines up roughly with the inner corners of the eyes is a common guide, but faces vary, and a surgeon who treats that guide as a rule rather than a starting point risks producing a nose that no longer fits the person wearing it.

How anatomy changes the surgical plan: a comparison

The table below summarizes how a particular feature tends to shift the plan. It is a simplification. Real noses mix and match, and the treating surgeon’s examination, not a table, decides what is done.

Feature examined	Common finding in traditional reduction cases	Common finding in ethnic cases	Typical surgical response in ethnic cases
Bridge height	High, often with a hump	Low or flat	Dorsal onlay graft (septum, ear or rib) to add height
Bridge width	Narrow to average	Wide, with shorter nasal bones	Controlled bone narrowing; spreader grafts to protect breathing
Skin thickness	Thin to medium	Thick, more sebaceous	Build stronger framework; conservative deep-fat thinning; longer swelling timeline
Tip cartilage	Strong, well-defined	Soft, small or splayed	Columellar strut or septal extension graft; dome sutures; tip grafts
Tip projection	Often excessive	Often under-projected	Add projection with structural grafts rather than trimming
Alar base	Average width	Wide or flared	Alar wedge and/or sill excision, performed last
Cartilage available	Usually adequate septum	Small septum, may be depleted	Ear or rib harvest planned in advance

Two patterns stand out. Almost every line in the ethnic column points toward adding structure, and almost every line carries a longer timeline for the final result. Both follow from the same fact: thick skin over a low framework needs strong support to hold a refined shape, and strong support takes longer to settle.

What the table cannot show is the judgment involved in deciding how far to go. Two people with identical measurements may want, and suit, quite different outcomes. That conversation belongs in the consultation, with photographs and, increasingly, three-dimensional imaging to help both sides understand what is being proposed.

Who ethnic rhinoplasty techniques are usually for, and who is usually asked to wait

The ideal candidate is not defined by ancestry but by a clear, specific and self-directed goal. People who do well typically describe a feature they have thought about for years, can point to it in a photograph, and want it refined rather than transformed. They are in good general health, do not smoke or are prepared to stop well before surgery, and understand that the result will take months to settle.

Breathing matters as much as appearance. Many people seeking cosmetic change also have a deviated septum or narrow internal valves, and a structural operation can address both at once. The NHS notes that nose reshaping is sometimes carried out alongside surgery to improve breathing, and a surgeon who examines the inside of the nose as carefully as the outside is doing the job properly.

Several groups are usually asked to wait or reconsider. Teenagers whose facial growth is not complete are typically deferred; the NHS and Mayo Clinic both note that facial growth needs to have finished, which for many people means the mid to late teens. Anyone who has had nasal surgery in the past year is often asked to wait until swelling has fully resolved before revision is planned. People with active nasal or skin infections, uncontrolled bleeding disorders, or health conditions that make anesthesia riskier need those issues managed first.

Surgeons also listen closely for expectations that surgery cannot meet. Someone who hopes a new nose will repair a relationship or a career, who wants to look like a specific other person, or whose distress about their appearance seems out of proportion to what others see may be gently steered toward a conversation with a mental health professional before any operation is scheduled. That is not a rejection; it is part of safe care.

The decision, in every case, rests with the treating team after a full examination.

Ethnic rhinoplasty recovery time: what the days and weeks usually look like

Recovery follows the same broad arc as any structural rhinoplasty, with one honest caveat: thick skin and grafts tend to push the timeline toward the longer end of every range below. All figures are typical ranges from the cited sources, not promises.

The first week is the splint week. An external splint protects the reshaped bridge and, according to Mayo Clinic, usually stays on for about one week. Bruising around the eyes and swelling peak in the first two to three days and then begin to fade. Breathing through the nose is limited by swelling and any internal splints. Sleeping with the head raised and avoiding bending or lifting help limit swelling and bleeding. Mild oozing of blood-tinged mucus is expected in the early days.

Weeks two to four are the return-to-life phase. Most visible bruising has faded by around two weeks, which is when many people feel comfortable returning to work or school, per NHS guidance. The nose still looks swollen, particularly at the tip, and photographs from this period are not a fair judge of anything. Strenuous exercise, contact sports, swimming and anything that risks a knock to the nose are generally avoided for several weeks; the NHS suggests avoiding strenuous activity for around four to six weeks. Glasses may need to be kept off the bridge, or taped to the forehead, for a similar period so they do not press on healing bone.

Months two to twelve are the settling phase. Bridge swelling resolves faster than tip swelling, so for a while the tip can look larger relative to the rest of the nose. Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic both describe the final shape as emerging over roughly a year, and in thick-skinned noses the tip can continue to refine toward the end of that window. Numbness at the tip is common early and usually fades. Rib donor sites ache for a few weeks and the scar continues to mature for many months.

Risks, complications and what revision actually means

Rhinoplasty is a safe operation for most healthy people, but it is real surgery with real risks, and the structural techniques used in ethnic cases carry a few additional considerations.

The risks shared with all rhinoplasty, as listed by Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine, include bleeding, infection, an adverse reaction to anesthesia, difficulty breathing through the nose, persistent numbness, an uneven appearance, scarring, a hole in the septum (a septal perforation), and the possibility of needing further surgery. Skin discoloration and prolonged swelling are also recognized.

Grafts add their own list. A graft can shift from where it was placed, become visible as a ridge or bump under the skin as swelling fades, or resorb, meaning the body gradually breaks part of it down so that a raised bridge loses some height over years. Rib grafts can warp. Ear and rib donor sites can develop their own problems: numbness, visible scarring, or, at the ear, a change in its shape.

Skin-related complications deserve mention because thick, sebaceous skin behaves differently. Prolonged tip swelling, small firm lumps of scar tissue under the skin, and, in some people, a tendency toward thickened or raised scars at the alar base or columella are more common than in thin-skinned noses. People with a personal or family history of keloid scarring should raise it before surgery so the team can plan incisions and aftercare accordingly.

Revision surgery means a second operation to correct or refine the result of the first. It is not a sign that something went wrong in a blameworthy sense; even carefully performed rhinoplasty has an inherent revision rate, because healing is not fully predictable. Revisions are usually deferred until at least a year after the original operation so that swelling has settled and the true result can be judged. They are often more complex than the first surgery because scar tissue has formed and cartilage may have been used, which is one reason rib grafts appear so often in revision cases.

What people often get wrong about ethnic rhinoplasty

“Ethnic rhinoplasty means making the nose smaller and more Western.” This is the myth that does the most harm. The modern approach is explicitly about preserving the features that connect a face to its heritage while refining the ones a person finds bothersome. In most cases it adds height and structure rather than removing tissue.

“An ‘Aztec nose’ is a medical diagnosis.” The phrase, sometimes used online to describe a prominent, convex profile with a strong bridge similar to those seen in Mesoamerican sculpture, is a colloquial description, not a clinical term. Surgeons assess bridge height, nasal bone length and tip support individually; a strong profile can be refined slightly or left alone entirely depending on what the person wants and how it fits the rest of the face.

“One country or one surgeon does the best nose jobs.” There is no ranking that holds up to scrutiny. What can be checked is board certification in plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery, hospital privileges, a practice with substantial experience in structural and revision rhinoplasty, and before-and-after photographs of people whose starting anatomy resembles your own. Traveling far from home for surgery also complicates the follow-up visits that a grafted nose needs.

“The result you see at three months is the final result.” In thick-skinned noses the tip can continue to refine for a year or more, according to Mayo Clinic’s general guidance on rhinoplasty healing.

“Fillers can do the same thing without surgery.” Injectable fillers can temporarily raise a low bridge or smooth a small irregularity, but they cannot narrow nostrils, add tip projection or improve breathing, and they carry their own vascular risks in the nose. They are a different tool for a narrower problem.

“Narrowing the nostrils is simple.” Alar base reduction is technically straightforward but unforgiving. Over-resection cannot be undone easily, which is why experienced surgeons remove less than they think they can.

Questions to ask your care team before ethnic rhinoplasty

A good consultation should leave you with fewer questions than you walked in with, not more. The list below is a starting point; write down the answers so you can compare them later, and be wary of any answer that promises a specific outcome.

• How many structural rhinoplasties involving grafts do you perform in a typical year, and how many of those were on noses with anatomy similar to mine?
• Looking at my nose, what would you add, what would you remove, and what would you deliberately leave alone?
• Where do you expect to take cartilage from, and what would change that plan during surgery?
• If rib cartilage is needed, where will the incision be and what should I expect from that site during recovery?
• How thick is my skin, and how does that affect the tip refinement you think is realistic?
• Do you plan to narrow my nostrils, by roughly how much, and where will the incisions sit?
• Have you examined the inside of my nose, and do you see anything that affects breathing that should be addressed at the same time?
• Can I see photographs of previous patients with a similar starting point, at least a year after surgery?
• What is your policy if I need a revision, and how long would you want to wait before considering one?
• What is the follow-up schedule, and who do I contact outside office hours if something worries me?
• Are there medications, supplements or habits I should stop before surgery, and when? (Follow the specific instructions your team gives you rather than general lists.)

Notice that none of these questions asks the surgeon to rate themselves. Experience, honesty about limits and a clear plan for follow-up tell you more than any adjective. If the answers to the anatomy questions feel generic rather than specific to your face, that is worth noticing too.

When to call your doctor after rhinoplasty

Most of what people notice in the first weeks is normal healing: swelling, bruising, a blocked feeling, mild oozing, numbness at the tip and a nose that looks larger than expected. A short list of signs, drawn from Mayo Clinic, MedlinePlus and NHS aftercare guidance, should prompt a same-day call to the surgical team or a visit to urgent care.

• Bleeding that is heavy, that soaks through dressings repeatedly, or that does not slow after the first few days.
• A fever, or increasing redness, warmth, foul-smelling discharge or worsening pain around the incisions, the inside of the nose, or a rib or ear donor site, any of which can signal infection.
• Pain that escalates rather than settles, or pain not controlled by the plan your team gave you.
• Sudden new swelling on one side, a visible shift in the shape of the bridge, or a graft that seems to have moved, particularly after a knock to the nose.
• Clear, watery fluid dripping steadily from the nose, especially when leaning forward, which needs prompt assessment.
• Shortness of breath, chest pain or a sharp pain on breathing in after a rib graft harvest, which needs urgent evaluation to exclude a problem around the lung.
• Calf pain, swelling in one leg, or sudden breathlessness in the weeks after surgery, which can indicate a blood clot.
• Vision changes, severe headache or confusion.

Trust your instinct. Surgical teams would far rather hear about something that turns out to be nothing than miss a problem that was easier to manage early. Keep the after-hours contact number where you can find it, and do not adjust any prescribed medication, including blood thinners you were taking before surgery, without speaking to the prescriber who manages it.

Every decision about your care, from whether to operate to how to handle a complication, sits with the treating team who have examined you. This article is a map of the territory, not a substitute for that examination.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ethnic rhinoplasty and traditional rhinoplasty?

Traditional reduction rhinoplasty mainly removes tissue to make a nose smaller, while ethnic rhinoplasty techniques more often add structure. Surgeons raise a low bridge with grafts, strengthen a soft tip instead of trimming it, and narrow wide nostrils at the alar base. The underlying aim is also different in emphasis: refine the nose so it stays in harmony with the person’s face and heritage rather than fitting a standard template.

What does an "Aztec nose" look like, and is it a medical term?

It is not a medical term. People use the phrase online to describe a prominent, convex profile with a strong, sometimes high bridge, similar to noses depicted in Mesoamerican art. Surgeons do not classify noses this way; they assess bridge height, nasal bone length, skin thickness and tip support separately. A strong profile may be lightly refined, left alone, or balanced with tip work depending on what the person wants.

How is rib cartilage graft rhinoplasty different from using septal cartilage?

Rib cartilage provides a large amount of straight, strong material, which is why it is chosen when a bridge needs substantial height or a damaged framework must be rebuilt. Septal cartilage is taken from inside the nose, so there is no extra incision, but the supply is limited. Rib harvest adds a short incision over the lower chest, a few weeks of donor-site soreness, and a small risk that the graft warps as it settles.

What is alar base reduction and does it leave a scar?

Alar base reduction removes small wedges of tissue where the nostril meets the cheek or from the nostril floor, bringing the nostril walls closer together. The incision is placed in the natural crease at the base of the nostril, and once healed it is usually difficult to see. People prone to thickened or keloid scars should tell their surgeon beforehand, since aftercare and incision planning may be adjusted.

What is the typical ethnic rhinoplasty recovery time?

The external splint usually comes off after about a week, and most bruising fades by around two weeks, when many people return to work, according to Mayo Clinic and NHS guidance. Strenuous activity is generally avoided for four to six weeks. Thick tip skin swells longer than thin skin, so the final shape can take up to a year, sometimes more, to emerge. Grafted noses tend to sit at the longer end of these ranges.

Who is the best surgeon or country for ethnic rhinoplasty?

No reliable ranking exists, and any list claiming one should be treated with caution. What can be verified is board certification in plastic or facial plastic surgery, hospital operating privileges, deep experience with structural and revision rhinoplasty, and long-term photographs of patients whose starting anatomy resembles yours. Staying close enough to attend follow-up visits matters too, because grafted noses need monitoring over the first year.

How much does ethnic rhinoplasty cost?

This article does not discuss prices, because fees vary widely with the complexity of the operation, whether rib harvest is needed, anesthesia, facility charges and follow-up care, and because cost should never drive a surgical decision. Cosmetic rhinoplasty is generally not covered by insurance, though a functional component to improve breathing sometimes is. Ask the surgical team for a full written breakdown specific to your plan.

Will ethnic rhinoplasty make me look like a different person?

That is exactly what a well-planned operation tries to avoid. Modern techniques aim to refine specific features, such as a low bridge or a wide nostril base, while preserving the overall character that connects your nose to your face and heritage. Over-narrowing, over-rotating the tip or making the nose too small are the recognized ways identity gets lost, and experienced surgeons deliberately plan against them.

Can fillers do what ethnic rhinoplasty does?

Only partially and temporarily. Injectable fillers can raise a low bridge or camouflage a small irregularity for months at a time, but they cannot narrow nostrils, add lasting tip projection, or improve breathing. Injection in the nose also carries rare but serious vascular risks. Fillers are best thought of as a different tool for a narrower set of concerns, not a substitute for structural surgery.

Why do surgeons add cartilage instead of removing it in ethnic rhinoplasty?

Because thick skin needs a firm framework underneath to show a refined shape. Trimming cartilage from a soft or under-projected nose weakens support, and over time the heavy skin contracts around the weakened structure, producing a pinched or drooping result. Grafts from the septum, ear or rib raise the bridge, project the tip and hold the internal breathing passages open, giving the skin something stable to drape over.

References

• NHS: Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty)
• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Rhinoplasty
• Cleveland Clinic: Rhinoplasty

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.