The anatomical differences that men and women have are reflected in each of the aesthetic interventions that we perform and especially in rhinoplasty, one of the most elective surgeries that exists. Just because there are differences between men and women does not mean that we cannot modify the appearance of the nose to the patient’s taste. Before surgery we do a complete photographic study with frontal, oblique, lateral, basal and cranial views. Through a computer simulation we can assess the changes we can make to the nose and how these changes would affect the overall aesthetics of the face. Once we reach an understanding, we save the simulation photos and take them to the operating room to serve as a guide on the day of the surgical intervention.
What are the differences between a man’s and a woman’s nose?
In general, there are structural differences in the anatomy typical of men and women. Men tend to have thicker skin, harder and more resistant cartilage, and larger blood vessels (which implies a greater risk of postoperative bleeding or bruises).
Furthermore, if we look at the nasal dorsum, the “ideal” nasal dorsum of a man is straighter from the radix (where the nose begins), with minimal protrusion of the tip in the supratip region. On the contrary, in women the “ideal” nose tends to have a lower dorsum with a slight concavity and enhancement of the tip in the supratip region.
On the other hand, a woman’s tip tends to be more defined , the alar cartilages are better visible due to the thinner skin, and the rotation of the “ideal” nasolabial angle approaches 100 degrees. In men, the tip is less defined and wider, the rotation of the nasolabial angle is less (95 degrees or even less).
These differences in “ideal” noses should be confronted with the patient during preoperative visits. Many times what is considered “ideal” in some regions of the world or for some people is not so ideal for others. The key to rhinoplasty is the individualization of the procedure .