Ask a doctor

Is Having a THIN Skin is an Advantage or a Disadvantage During and After a Rhinoplasty?

Will the recovery come sooner or later ? Or it doesn't make any difference ? Also , I intend to straighten my nasal bones and that's it , I don't want any hump removal or any tip work,but from what I've heard the swelling goes down as the time passes and as a result I hear a lot of "big hard rigid tip" even 5 months after the procedure that makes me concern. So, having a thin skin makes any difference to the tip swelling or the swelling in general ???

Doctor Answers (7)

Skin thickness in Rhinoplasty


There are advantages and disadvantages to having thin skin when considering rhinoplasty.

The principal disadvantage is that thin skin is less forgiving. Any minor imperfections that would normally be camouflaged and concealed by a moderate or thick skin will show through thin skin. Conversely, the healing process and resolution of swelling following surgery is faster for people with thin skin.

As for your concern about a rigid tip, this tends to be a feature of placing cartilage grafts in the tip for a variety of reasons, usually as a feature of using an open rhinoplasty approach. If you are seeking work only on straightening the bones, technically, the tip should not be touched and therefore should not be affected. This is said with some reserve since what for most people looks like simply straightening the nasal bones is actually much more complex and involves surgery on multiple components of the nose to arrive at an overall straight axis. A consultation with an experienced surgeon will inform you about what will be required in your particular case.

All the Best.

Montreal Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 11 reviews

Thin Skin Is An Advantage For Properly Done Rhinoplasty


Thank you for your question.The beauty of a rhinoplasty result is dependent up on the ability of the modified bones and cartilages to reshape the nasal skin into a beautiful appearance.  If the rhinoplasty is done well, thin skin is an advantage because the improved nasal shape beneath the skin can be visible.However if there are problems such as small bone chips left behind or improperly shaped cartilage or bone, these deformities will be much more visible in a patient with thin the skin.

The problem with thick skin following rhinoplasty is that the thick skin can hide the improvement in the nasal shape.  In addition many patients who have thick nasal skin also have weak cartilages in the tip which are difficult to modify and do not show through the thick skin very well after surgery.

Brooke R. Seckel, MD, FACS
Boston Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 37 reviews

Rhinoplasty and Skin Thickness?


Skin  thickness is an important variable taken into consideration when planning rhinoplasty surgery. Relatively thin skin  is favorable in that the changes that are made to the underlying structures will be more likely visible superficially. However, any irregularities or imperfection may also be more visible.

On the other hand,  noses with thicker skin may be more difficult to “refine” and may be more swollen for a prolonged period of time. These patients should be educated as to the potential problems/limitations associated with rhinoplasty for patients with thicker skin.

I hope this helps.

Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS
San Diego Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 794 reviews

Benefits of having thin skin


Patients with thin skin usually have a faster resolution of their tissue swelling. One downside to having thin skin is that any cartilage irregularities under the skin are more easily seen.

Thomas A. Lamperti, MD
Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 15 reviews

Thin skin and rhinoplasty


Usually patients with thin skin can achieve more refinement of the tip, however there is some down side to thin skin because minor irregularities of structures may be more easily seen through this thin skin.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
4.5 out of 5 stars 18 reviews



Thin skin has the advantage of not being prone to formation of excess scar tissue, in the supratip region, after a Rhinoplasty.  Thick skin can have thick scar formation, in this are, that blunts the effects of the Rhinoplasty making the tip appear wide and bulbous.  

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.5 out of 5 stars 12 reviews

Thin skin and rhinoplasty


There are advantages to having skin thin along the nose, the swelling will not be as prolonged. The disadvantage, however, is that thin skin will show any minor irregularity once the swelling has stabilized. This can make this surgery more challenging.

Michel Siegel, MD
Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.5 out of 5 stars 83 reviews
