How Can My Nose Be Made More Narrow And Less Wide?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I find my nose too wide. I would like to narrow it a bit. I was also interested in having a cleft chin and anything else you suggest. Thank you so much.

A: Thank you for your inquiry. Your picture shows many of the features of the African-American nose, which is largely a broad and wide tip with lower alar cartilage flaccidity, flared nostrils and a low dorsum. Rhinoplasty changes would include dorsal augmentation, columellar strut graft, tip lifting and narrowing and lateral nostril flare reduction. Unfortunately the one picture that you have provided is not of good enough quality for computer imaging to show how these changes might look on you. Pictures should be better quality (not fuzzy), taken from the front and side view and be non-smiling.

Chin dimples are central round indentations on the central of the soft tissue chin pad. Chin clefts are vertical grooves that run from the center of the chin pad down to the lower border of the jaw. Either one made from an incision inside the mouth where a core of soft tissue (muscle and fat) is removed below the desired location of the external location of the chin dimple or a wedge of tissue removed along the underlying location of the desired chin cleft.. The underside of the chin skin is then sutured down inward to make the dimple or cleft.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana