Management of Thick Skin in Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty in thick skin patients is challenging because the skin soft tissue envelope (S-STE) is more inelastic, and has a tendency for prolonged postsurgical edema, increased dead space formation, and underlying scar tissue formation. Changes in the S-STE will have an impact on how the final rhinoplasty result will look. When performing surgery, approaches should be targeted to the underlying bony-cartilaginous framework and the S-STE to obtain consistent, improved long term results. In this article, 3 experts will be discussing up to date medical, topical, and surgical management key points, as well as diagnostic options and post-operative treatments.