Question: I’m African American and interested in undergoing rhinoplasty. In many cases of African American rhinoplasty, the nose seems to look like it has been narrowed unnaturally. I’m concerned about my profile and how my nose gets flat when I smile. How can this be fixed? Will raising the bridge of my nose with an implant help?

Answer: African American nose can be divided into several different types and depending on the anatomical shapes and sizes the surgical approach is very different. Keeping ethnic look intact while improving on the areas such as dorsum or tip area are keys to a successful rhinoplasty. Most African American nose requires some tip support, tip narrowing, conservative alar base narrowing and possibly dorsum augmentation.