What Type Of Rhinoplasty Do I Need For My Beaked Nose?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I definitely want to remove my acne scars, but other than that, I’ve been given so many different suggestions, I’m not even sure anymore. For the acne scar laser resurfacing, I was told my skin type has a high chance of pigmentation. What are safe options? I do want a rhinoplasty, but I want it to be very subtle, and I’m mainly interested in fixing the tip that sort of goes down like a beak. How is this usually corrected? Also, you mentioned that it appears my buccal lobe was removed. Does this mean the maximum amount was taken out?  I am now 2.5 weeks post op. Do you think my final results will give me the skeletonized appearance I desire? I still feel 2 grape sized bumps, hard as rock, when I push down on my cheeks.

A: What would structurally benefit your face is not a mystery and is very straightforward…it lies with your nose and chin. Your chin is very deficient, by at least 9mms, and is one feature that will keep your face from ever having a very defined and angular appearance., By using a sliding genioplasty to bring it forward it will improve your facial profile and help create a more defined appearance in the front view.

You have a very classic ethnic nose with a broad flat tip that has little support and no projection, hence a rounded tip that droops down. An open tip rhinoplasty will reshape the tip and give it a better profile and a more narrow appearance in the frontal view. You would also need some upper dorsal/radix augmentation.

Fractional laser resurfacing is the only type of acne laser resurfacing that you should have as this has a very low risk of any hypopigmentation problems. It will take more than one treatment and the best result you can hope for is about a 50% improvement in the appearance of your facial acne scarring.

It takes a full 3 months for the buccal space where the fat pads were removed to become soft and not feel as hard lumps, this is perfectly normal to feel what you are feeling at just 3 weeks after surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana