I just wanted to know is having thick skin a disadvantage for rhinoplasty and how can you tell if you actually have thick skin?

Your questions answered by our surgeon, Lucian Ion, FRCS(Plast)

Asked on 28 May 2013

Question

I just wanted to know is having thick skin a disadvantage for rhinoplasty and how can you tell if you actually have thick skin?

Answer

As a rule, thicker soft tissues in the nasal tip and supra-tip regions are known to involve longer periods of recovery for the swelling. This is more likely to be of concern in the case of a reduction rhinoplasty were the support framework of the nose decreases and the overall surface of the nose also decreases.

The thicker skin typically shows larger pores as it reflects more abundant development of the sebaceous glands in the skin. The soft tissues of the nose can also be thicker in the depth and typically the appearance is of a smoother, rounded contour of the nasal tip with little detail showing through.

In some instances, because of the shape of the cartridges that support the tip, it appears to be bulbous part the soft tissue envelope is relatively thin. In a situation like this, the contour of the cartilages is usually visible through the skin either as a cleft on the underside of the tip, or at the junction between the tip and the bridge.

Mr Lucian Ion FRCS(Plast)
129 Harley Street
London
W1G 6BA