Home | Rhinoplasty | Balancing Ethnic Features

Balancing Ethnic Features

Considering nose surgery in San Francisco? If you're wondering what makes a pleasing, well-shaped rhinoplasty outcome differ from a run-of-the-mill nose job, San Francisco facial plastic surgeon Dr. David Mabrie has some insights.

With today's diverse cultures, lifestyles, and backgrounds, there isn't a cookie-cutter nose for everyone. When you look at the photos on this page, notice how these notable beauties have facial harmony that creates an overall beauty. The nose does not stand out and instead compliments their other features. Their eyes become the focus.

	Natalie Portman Mediterranean Jewish, Persian, Italian or Greek heritage often address a hump or drooping tip.
	Lucy Liu Asian Typically desire building up the bridge and refining the tip of the nose. Does well with non-surgical rhinoplasty as well.
	Halle Berry African-American May have a flat bridge and wide tip. Surgery can elevate and narrow the bridge and improve projection
	Eva Longoria Hispanic May have a broad & drooping tip, with a hump. Surgery can elevate and narrow the tip while removing the hump

As you can see, one nose shape definitely does not look good on everyone! Dr. Mabrie understands the importance of preserving your ethnical characteristics when performing rhinoplasty in San Francisco. Our goal is to bring balance and symmetry to your appearance, creating overall beauty, not just a great-looking nose.

Dr. Mabrie works with men and women from throughout the Bay Area including San Francisco, Oakland, Walnut Creek and Pinole. Request a consultation online or call us at 415-445-9513 today.

Rhinoplasty for Ethnic Patients

Read Dr. Mabrie's blog post on this topic to learn more about his different approaches.

Rhinoplasty in Patients of Mediterranean Descent

Mediterranean noses may have a prominent hump combined with a tip that is oriented downward. Goals concerning reduction of this hump are largely personal and vary from patient to patient. You may want to reduce the hump slightly, maintaining more of the ethnic characteristics of the nose or eliminate it all together, producing a straight profile. Some patients like to create a slight concave turn of the nose. How much the hump is reduced affects the ethnic characteristics of the nose. This is where computer imaging is key to visualizing the surgical results that are possible.

Prominent Hump, Drooping Tip		Prominent Hump
Minor Hump		Bulbous, Asymmetric Tip

Asian Nose Surgery in San Francisco

Most of Dr. Mabrie's Asian rhinoplasty patients want to build up the bridge and tip of the nose. Some patients also need to have their nostrils tapered to avoid a "flared" look. Nostril reduction may produce pleasant results, but a skilled surgeon is needed to avoid overcorrection. There should still be some curve to the nostrils when viewed from below - a straight nostril wall appearance is simply unnatural.

In the past, it was popular in some parts of Asia to place a silicone L-strut to augment the dorsum and the tip. This procedure may be performed very quickly through a small incision under the lip or inside the nose. Though it produces significant augmentation, the procedure in most cases leads to a very obvious "Operated Asian Nose" appearance.

Instead of this technique, Dr. Mabrie uses a softer material, called GORE-TEX®, to augment the dorsum surgically. For patients who only need minimal correction, he may simply place a dermafiller in the dorsum in the office. Click here to view our Non-Surgical Nose Job page.

Low Bridge		Low Bridge, Drooping Tip
Low Bridge		Low Bridge, Wide Nostrils

African American Rhinoplasty

African American patients in the Bay Area frequently want to improve the shape and definition of their noses. Often there is a need to augment the nose. The nose may appear to have a low, broad bridge, the tip may seem wide and undefined, and the nostrils may or may not be a concern. In profile, the bridge may be underdeveloped and the tip may be close to the nose. Cosmetic surgery in San Francisco can help improve these cosmetic issues.

Many years ago rhinoplasty for African American patients involved a lot of reduction. Tips were made too small and the nostrils reduced so much that there was an unnatural appearance. Contemporary rhinoplasty for African American patients involves augmentation either surgically or with dermafillers placed in the bridge to define the appearance and create better facial balance.

Wide, Low Bridge, Wide Nostrils		Wide, Asymmetric Bridge
Low Bridge		Underdefined Tip

The celebrities named and/or featured on yourfaceinourhands.com have not endorsed, recommended, and/or approved any of the treatments or surgeries on this website. Mabrie Facial Cosmetic Surgery does not imply or infer that the celebrities are patients of Dr. Mabrie. Furthermore, Dr. Mabrie does not infer or imply that those featured have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery.